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A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to fighting an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign nation through either the use of physical force, or nonviolence. Belligerent military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. Nonviolence is a philosophy and strategy for social change that rejects the use of physical Violence. The term resistance has political overtones, as people have used it, along with similar terms, to bring support to opposition groups.

Organizations and individuals critical of foreign intervention and supporting forms of organized movement (particularly where citizens are affected) tend to favor the term. When such a resistance movement uses violence, those favorably disposed to it may also speak of freedom fighters. Both phrases -- resistance movement and freedom fighters -- can become contentious terms for what other observers might describe as terrorists, though this is controversial as terrorists are often criticized and seen as morally wrong, whereas many see Resistance Movements as legitimate. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion The popular saying "One person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter" encapsulates this dichotomy, without clarifying the distinction that freedom fighters must, by definition, be fighting for freedom. Terrorists, as a modern appellation, are not seen as fighting for freedom, whereas Resistance Movements are. Thus, Resistance Movements may employ terror tactics, but not all who use terror tactics are called a Resistance movement.

Contents

Background

Resistance movements can include any irregular armed force that rises up against an enforced or established authority, government, or administration. Irregular military refers to any non-standard military Being defined by exclusion there is a lot of variance in what comes under the term For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. The term administration, as used in the context of Government, differs according to Jurisdiction. This frequently includes groups that consider themselves to be resisting tyranny. In modern usage a tyrant is a single ruler holding absolute power over a State or within an Organization. Some resistance movements are underground organizations engaged in a struggle for national liberation in a country under military occupation or totalitarian domination. Belligerent military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a concept used to describe Political systems where a State regulates nearly every aspect of public and private

Tactics of resistance movements against a constituted authority range from nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience, to industrial sabotage and guerrilla warfare, or even conventional warfare if the resistance movement is strong enough. In Politics, authority ( Latin Auctoritas, used in Roman law as opposed to Potestas and Imperium Nonviolent resistance (or nonviolent action) is the practice of achieving socio-political goals through Symbolic Protests Civil disobedience, Civil disobedience is the active refusal to obey certain Laws demands and commands of a Government, or of an occupying power, without resorting to physical Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening an enemy oppressor or employer through subversion obstruction disruption and/or destruction Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc Any government facing violent acts from a resistance movement usually condemns such acts as terrorism, even when such attacks target only the military or security forces. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion

Resistance during World War II was dedicated to fighting the Axis invaders. Resistance during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means ranging from non-cooperation disinformation and propaganda to hiding crashed pilots The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries Germany itself also had an anti-Nazi German resistance movement in this period. Although mainland Britain did not suffer invasion in World War II, the British made preparations for a British resistance movement in the event of a German invasion. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

US government definition

According to Joint Publication 1-02, The United States Department of Defense defines a resistance movement as: An organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to resist the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability.

In strict military terminology, a resistance movement is simply that; it seeks to resist (change) the policies of a government or occupying power. This may be accomplished though violent or non-violent means. A resistance movement is specifically limited to changing the nature of current power, not to overthrow it. The correct military term for removing or overthrowing a government is an insurgency.

Examples of resistance movements

post-World War II

World War II

See also Resistance during World War II

Planned resistance movements:

Pre-World War II

Pre-20th century

Notable individuals in resistance movements

World War II (anti-Nazi, anti-Fascist)

Other resistance movements

See also

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