The United Resistance Movements (MUR) were founded on January 26, 1943, following the German invasion of the southern zone, known as the “Free Zone.” Led by Jean Moulin, the MUR resulted from the merger of the three major non-communist Resistance groups in the South: “Combat,” “Franc-Tireur,” and “Libération.”
To increase their effectiveness, in December 1943, three movements from the northern zone joined the MUR: “Défense de la France,” “Resistance,” and “Lorraine.” The National Liberation Movement (MLN) was born.
At the initiative of General de Gaulle, represented by Jean Moulin, the three major internal Resistance movements in southern France began to unite. Their founders were Henri Frenay, for “Combat”;Emmanuel d’Astier de La Vigerie, for “Libération”; and Jean-Pierre Lévy, for “Franc-Tireur.”
On January 26, 1943, the merger was completed. The newly formed United Resistance Movements (MUR) were led by Jean Moulin and operated clandestinely from Lyon.
The MURs are organized into sectors, the main ones being:
— the “Secret Army” (AS), formed by merging the paramilitary units of “Combat,” “Franc-tireur,” and “Libération” under the leadership of a Directorate composed of Jean Moulin, Henri Frenay, Emmanuel d’Astier, and Jean-Pierre Lévy.
— infiltrating the public administration (NAP) and setting up a service to produce fake documents, finding safe houses, carrying out acts of solidarity…
Differences over which strategies to adopt led to sharp divisions among the members of the Executive Committee; relations with “Free France”—General de Gaulle’s overseas Resistance group—were fraught with conflict, but Jean Moulin nevertheless managed to rally everyone’s efforts.
Moulin founded the CNR on May 27, 1943, and included in it, in addition to the MUR, two labor unions (the CGT and the CFTC) and several political parties, ranging from the Communists to the Republican Right; the MUR’s influence began to wane.
In December 1943, three Resistance movements from the northern zone (“Défense de la France,” “Résistance,” and “Lorraine”) joined the MUR. Together, they formed the National Liberation Movement (MLN).
References:
— Henri Noguères, 1972, *History of the Resistance in France*, Vol. 3. Published by Robert Laffont
— Michel Henri, 1958, *Combat: History of a Resistance Movement from July 1940 to July 1943*. Presses Universitaires de France.
