Editing Jean Moulin (section)

== The Resistance ==
Having decided not to [[Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy|collaborate]], Moulin left Chartres for his parents' home town, [[Saint-Andiol]], [[Bouches-du-Rhône]], and joined the [[French Resistance]], specifically, the organisation [[Free France]].<ref>Daniel Cordier, Jean Moulin – La République des Catacombes, Gallimard, p. 62.</ref> Under the name ''Joseph Jean Mercier,'' he went to [[Marseille]], where he met other résistants, including [[Henri Frenay]] and Antoine Sachs.

Moulin travelled to [[London]] in September 1941 after passing through Spain and Portugal. He was received on 24 October by [[Charles de Gaulle]], who wrote about Moulin, "A great man. Great in every way".<ref>↑ Francis Zamponi, Bouveret et Allary 1999, p. 98.</ref>

Moulin summarised the state of the French Resistance to de Gaulle. Part of the Resistance considered him too ambitious, but de Gaulle had confidence in his network and skills. He gave Moulin the assignment of co-ordinating and unifying the various Resistance groups, a difficult mission that would take time and effort to accomplish.<ref>Riviera at War: World War II on the Côte d'Azur.</ref> On 1 January 1942, Moulin parachuted into the [[Alpilles]] and met with the leaders of the resistance groups, under the codenames ''Rex'' and ''Max'':

*[[Henri Frenay]] (''[[Combat (French Resistance)|Combat]]'')
*[[Emmanuel d'Astier]] (''[[Libération-sud|Libération]]'')
*Jean-Pierre Lévy (''[[Francs-tireurs#World War II|Francs-tireurs]]'')
*[[Pierre Villon]] (''[[Front National (French Resistance)|Front national]]'', not to be confused with the later political party of the same name)
*[[Pierre Brossolette]] (''Comité d'action socialiste'')
[[File:Plaque Henri Deschamps - Jean Moulin - M.U.R - Miribel.JPG|thumb|Plaque commemorating the creation of the United Resistance Movement (MUR is French acronym) in the town of Miribel in January 1943.]]
He succeeded to the extent that the first three of these resistance leaders and their groups came together to form the United Resistance Movement ([[Mouvements Unis de la Résistance]], MUR) in January 1943. The next month, Moulin returned to [[London]], accompanied by [[Charles Delestraint]], who led the new ''[[Armée secrète]]'', which grouped together the MUR's military wings. Moulin left London on 21 March 1943, with orders to unify the French resistance by forming the National Resistance Council ([[Conseil national de la Résistance]]); CNR). Again, this was a difficult task since the other resistance movements, besides the three already in the MUR, wanted to retain their independence.