La Dordogne

The Dordogne suffered terribly during World War 2.  The first Jews to be deported to Auschwicz  came from the Dordogne, most of which was occupied by the Nazis. But because it was scarcely populated and heavily forested the Nazis relied more on terror than administrative efficiency.
The Dordogne became the birthplace and heart of The Resistance. Monuments to the suffering and death in the Dordogne exist throughout the region.