Nancy Wake: The “White Mouse” Who Fought the Nazis and Led the French Resistance

World History: True Stories of the 20th Century · Apr 20, 2026 · 12m

Nancy Wake, known as the “White Mouse,” was one of the most daring Allied agents of World War II and a key figure in the French Resistance against Nazi Germany. Nancy Wake, known to the Gestapo as the “White Mouse,” was one of the most daring and decorated Allied agents of the Second World War. Born in 1912 in Wellington, New Zealand, and raised in Australia, she left home at a young age and eventually built a career as a journalist in Europe. In the 1930s, she witnessed the rise of Nazism firsthand, including the violent antisemitism unleashed during the annexation of Austria. These…