RhetTech
Abstract
The notion that perception is reality is quite often false. During World War II the Nazis put their long-held plans of annihilating the Jews from Europe into action, along with members of other groups they believed were inferior such as those with developmental or mental issues, Romani, homosexuals, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Many people are of the opinion that their victims went to their fates passively: the well-known Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is widely recognized as being one of the few, if not only, attempts at resistance. However, there was in fact a great deal of resistance, armed and unarmed, that was conducted by the Jews of Europe as well as by others. There were many groups of fighters known as partisans, and these partisans were not solely composed of young men. There were women fighting alongside the men—strong and courageous females who refused to submit to the Nazi war machine. There were also many non-violent acts of resistance that were undertaken; some of the most interesting and unsung heroes are known as The Female Couriers. These were young Jewish women who had blonde hair and blue eyes and were able to pass as Aryan. The Female Couriers infiltrated the German lines often with forged identity cards and acted as spies, relaying important intelligence and information back to the partisans in the woods. This was highly dangerous work, and some ultimately paid with their lives. In addition to these Jewish women, there were non-Jews carrying on similar acts of espionage, as well as young children who embarked on similar missions. This essay sheds light on some of these little-known and unrecognized stories of bravery, heroism, and fierce resistance in the face of a strong and overpowering enemy.
Recommended Citation
Hendra, Felishia
(2020)
"Behind Enemy Lines: World War II Civilian Resistance Efforts,"
RhetTech: Vol. 2, Article 7.
Available at:
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/rhettech/vol2/iss1/7
