Battle of Vercors
The Battle of Vercors in July and August 1944 was between a rural group of the French Forces of the Interior (FFI) ("maquis") and the armed forces of Nazi Germany which had occupied France since 1940 in World War II. The maquis used the prominent scenic plateau known as the Massif du Vercors (Vercors Plateau) as a refuge. Initially, the maquis carried out only sabotage and partisan operations against the Germans. However, after the Normandy Invasion of 6 June 1944, the leadership of an army of about 4,000 maquis declared the Free Republic of Vercors and attempted to create a conventional army to oppose the German occupation.