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[[File:French Prisoners 1940.jpg|thumbnail|300px|left|French Prisoners,1940]]
In September 1939, the German war machine invaded Poland, and World War II began. France and its Britain declared against Germany in 1939. The French army was in theory as strong as Germanys. It had a vast Empire and a sophisticated arms industry. It had also established a series of fortifications along the eastern border of the country along with Germany, known as the Maginot Line. The Line was designed to keep German forces out of France. Initially, France and Great Britain appeared to be a match for Germany. However, in weeks in the late spring and early summer of 1940, it became clear that France was woefully unprepared for the German onslaught. France suffered a humiliating defeat and was quickly occupied by Germany. Its failure was a result of a hopelessly divided French political elite, a lack of quality military leadership, rudimentary French military tactics. On the battlefield, France faced a vastly more prepared German army that utilized both more advanced weapons and sophisticated tactics. It was a mismatch. ===Background=What happened to France after World War One?====
[[File:Stuka file.jpg|thumbnail|300px|left|Stuka dive bomber, 1940]]
France had been fearful of Germany ever since the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. In this war, the Prussians had quickly defeated the French and occupied much of the country. In World War I, The Germans had come very close to defeating the French , and without allied assistance , the country would have lost to Germany. Despite being among the victors in World War One , the French still dreaded a conflict with Germany. During the Versailles treaty negotiations after the collapse of Germany during World War, French negotiators were adamant Germany's military had to be neutralized. The French initially , led by Prime Minister Clemenceau, adopted a hard line towards the Germans in 1918-1919. There was a thaw in the Franco-German relationship in the mid-1920s , and there was hope of a genuine rapprochement between the two greatest largest powers in continental Europe. However, the Great Depression and the rise of Hitler meant that the French were suddenly faced with a potentially aggressive regime in Germany. The French adopted a diplomatic policy of appeasement and sought to placate Hitler by offering him concessions, such as allowing him to re-militarize the Rhineland. The French Still, France took no chances and began to prepare their defenses.
[[File:Hochwald_historic_photo.jpg|thumbnail|300px|left|Anti-tank turret at the Ouvrage Hochwald fortification on the Maginot Line in 1940]]
The French devoted a huge considerable amount of resources and capitial capital to the construction of the Maginot Line. This defensive line was named after a French Defence Minister. The French constructed a long line of fortifications along their eastern border with German. It stopped at the Belgian border. The French stationed all their forces behind the Maginot Line and adopted a defensive posture. ====When Did Germany Invade France? - May 10, 1940====In September 1939, the French with the British declared war on Germany after Hitler invaded Poland. For several months, there was little or no activity on the Western Front. This period was known as the ‘Phoney War’'Phoney War. ' However, in the Spring of 1940, the Germans shifted their attention west and went on the offensive. offensive The Battle of France started on the invasion on May 10th, 1940, and only lasted only 46 days. Paris fell to the Germans on June 14th, after the virtual collapse of the French army. French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud resigned on June 16th during the catastrophe. His successor, Marshal Philippe Pétain, began negotiations to end the war. By June 25th, France was forced to surrender. The German army suffered 157,000 casualties during the invasion of France, but the Allies's losses were considerably worse. The Allies lost over twice as many men and overall had 360,000 casualties. A further two million men were captured. Some 300,000 British and French troops escaped the Germans after being evacuated by naval forces at Dunkirk. The Germans occupied the majority of France. In the south of France, the Vichy Regime established a semi-autonomous political entity. Vichy maintained control over the majority of the French Colonies.<ref>Bond, Brian, "[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0080377009/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0080377009&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=8c2293a2e966ba28b14946a14239a02d Britain, France, and Belgium, 1939–1940]". (London, Brassey's, 1990), p.178</ref>{{Mediawiki:TabletAd1}} ====How did the German Army move so quickly through France?====[[File: Eric Von Manstein.jpg|thumbnail|300px|left|Eric Von Manstein 1940]]Between the world wars, the German army developed the [[How Did the German Military Develop Blitzkrieg?|Blitzkrieg tactics]]. This strategy was based on high-speed and mobile attacks on the enemy’s weak points, and it proved devastating in France.<ref> Bond, p. 111</ref> The German victory was founded on a plan developed by the great military strategies, General Erich von Manstein. He adopted the Schlieffen Plan that was almost successful in WW I.<ref> Bond, p. 117 </ref> However, rather than advance on a broad front through Belgium, the Germans focused two-thirds of their forces, including most of their tanks, in the Ardennes region of Belgium. France and Belgium did reinforce the fortifications in this region because they assumed that the terrain was unsuitable for tanks. When the Germans attack came through the Ardennes, they caught the French and their British allies by surprise because the French believed it was impassable to tanks. Having successfully made their way into France, German forces then employed a tactic known as the ‘sickle stroke’. Sweeping across the northern plains of France at great speed, they divided the French and British forces into two parts. The British army was left isolated in Belgium and the French were left to bear the brunt of the German forces. <ref>Blatt, Joel, <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EDY69LI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00EDY69LI&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=98a5e102ae32052fa58ceb0d44dbe87b The French Defeat of 1940: Reassessments]</i> (Providence, RI, Berghahn, 1997), p. 111</ref>
The Battle of France lasted only 46 days, from the German invasion on the 10th of May to the surrender of France on the 25th of June 1940. Paris fell to the Germans on the 14th of June, after the virtual collapse of army was substantially better than the French Army. French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud resigned on and the 16 June during the catasptropheBritish. His successor, Marshal Philippe Pétain, began negotiations to end Hitler had built up the war. The German army approximately suffered 157,000 casualties and in particular the invasion of France. The Allies lost over twice as many men, with 360,000 casulaties. A further two million were captured. Some 300,000 British and French troops escaped the Germans after being evacuated by naval forces at Dunkirkair force (Luftwaffe). The Germans occupied the majority of Francehad developed superior weapons. In the south of Franceparticular, they had developed superior aircraft such as the Vichy Regime established a semi-autonomous political entity. Vichy maintained control over Stuka dive bomber and the majority of Messerschmitt ME fighter plane, that wreaked havoc on the French Coloniesallies. <ref>BondBlatt, Brian, ''[https://wwwp.amazon.com/gp/product/0080377009117</ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0080377009&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=8c2293a2e966ba28b14946a14239a02d Britain, France > The Germans placed a great deal of emphasis on mobile and Belgium, 1939–1940]''armored warfare. (LondonThey had superior tanks, Brassey'ssuch as Panzer Mk iv, 1990), pwhich easily overcame the allies in almost every tank engagement in the Battle of France. Even though the German army was superior to the French in many ways the Fall of France was not inevitable.178</ref>
==Superior ==Was France prepared for the German Army and tacticsinvasion?====[[File: Eric Von MansteinBundesarchiv_Bild_121-0412,_Frankreich,_Panzer_Somua_S35,_Geschütz.jpg|left|thumbnail|300px|-Eric Von MansteinCaptured French Somua S35 tanks being used by Germany in 1940 after the Fall of France.jpg 1940]]The German army developed the [[How Did the German Military Develop Blitzkrieg?|Blitzkrieg French military tactics]]. This was a tactic based on high-speed and mobile attacks on were extremely outdated at the enemy’s weak points and it proved devastating in France<ref> Bond, p. 111</ref>. The German victory was founded on a plan developed by start of the great military strategies, General Erich von Mansteinwar. He adopted They had failed to recognize that warfare had fundamentally changed since the Schlieffen Plan that was used so nearly successful in WW I <ref> Bond, pFirst World War. 117 </ref>. However, rather than advance on a broad front through Belgium, the Germans focused twoThey were over-thirds of their forces, including most of their tanks, in reliant upon the Ardennes region of Belgium. This area was weakly defendedMaginot Line, as and they believed that the terrain was unsuitable for tanksthis would stop any German invasion in its track. When the Germans Since they did attack through the Ardennes not believe that could defeat Germany outright, they caught hoped that the French Maginot would drive up casualties and their British allies by surprise. French believed it was impassable Germany to tanks. Having successfully made their way into France, German forces then employed a tactic known as the ‘sickle stroke’negotiating table. Sweeping across the northern plains of France at great speed, they divided the French and British forces into two parts. The British army was left isolated in Belgium They relied on defensive tactics and the French were left failed to bear grasp the brunt impact of the German forces <ref>Blatt, Joel, <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EDY69LI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00EDY69LI&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=98a5e102ae32052fa58ceb0d44dbe87b The French Defeat of 1940: Reassessments]</i> (Providence, RI, Berghahn, 1997), p. 111</ref>modern tanks and aircraft.
The German army was much superior over-reliance on the Maginot Line meant that they were too defensive. The Maginot Line also failed to protect the entire French and the Britishborder. Hitler had built up the Instead of attacking France directly, Germany army and in particular avoided the air force (Luftwaffe)Maginot line by invading Belgium. French military planners have failed to plan for this contingency. The Germans had developed superior weapons. In particular, they had developed superior aircraft such as the Stuka dive bomber defensive line only partially defended France and indeed left the Messerschmitt ME fighter plane, that wreaked havoc on the allies <ref> Blatt, p. 117</ref>country open to an invasion via Belgium. The Germans placed a great deal of emphasis on mobile and armoured warfare. They had superior tanks, such as Panzer Mk iv, which easily overcame the allies in almost every tank engagement in the Battle of France. It must be remembered that although French High Command also failed to launch an offensive against Germany after the German army was superior to the French in many ways, that this did not mean that the Fall of France was inevitableattacked Poland.
===Defeatism in =Why did Francehave Poor Military and Political Leadership?====France In 1940, the French general staff was a powerful country with a large army led by General Maurice Gamelan, an officer widely respected. A veteran and a vast Empire that stretched around war hero of the globeFirst World War, but it he was not cohesivecredited with developing the strategy that led to the decisive French victory at the Marne in 1914. It He had stark political conflicts also tried unsuccessfully, to modernize the army. But Gamelin was suffering from a serious illness, whose symptoms included poor concentration levels, memory loss and many politicians were more loyal to their political party than their countryother cognitive difficulties. People on both the extreme Left such as the Communists or the extreme right hated the French government so virulentlyGamelin’s memoirs, their support of the French government be best described as half-hearted published after the German invasion. Many ordinary people were disgusted with the leaders war showed symptoms of the Third Republic, who were widely seen as professional politicians who were both venal paranoia and corruptdelusions of grandeur.<ref>Jackson, pJulian T.117</refi> Furthermore, defeatism was rampant at the start of WW II. France had a low birth rate and many were convinced that the country was degenerating, based on ideas current at the time. <ref> Bloch, Marc, ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/03933191130192805509/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=03933191130192805509&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=b9916b35c01e23b2ac59f9ebb5e33d42 Strange Defeataa6895f6029c163adf1d3e187d64e538 The Fall of France: A Statement The German Invasion of Evidence Written in 1940]'' </i>. (New YorkOxford UP, NY: Norton, 19462003), p. 117234</ref> The cultural pessimism in France meant that many, in the political and military elite believed that France could not defeat Germany and that any efforts leadership below Gamelin was generally poor. They were slow to respond to resist the Germans were pointless. Many people believed that France , and there was a nation in decline and that her greatest days had passed. This led marked reluctance to a spirit of defeatism in France in the Spring take any initiative and Summer of 1940, that played an important role in go on the Fall attack. The political leadership of Francewas also very poor. Despite the valiant efforts of many According to one French men against commentator during the German invasionwar, they could not inspire the French government and military people, they were ill-equipped both politically and militarily to meaningfully contest Germanymore interested in fighting among themselves that the Germans. <ref>CopperJackson, p, 144. 235</ref>
*[[What were the goals of the Axis powers and the Soviet Union during World War Two?]]
*[[How Did the German Military Develop Blitzkrieg?]]
*[[Why did Operation Market Garden in 1944 fail?]]
*[[How did Mussolini become Prime Minister of Italy?]]
*[[The Nazi triumph: how How did Adolf Hitler become the Fuehrer Fuhrer of Germany?]]
*[[Why did Germany lose the Battle of Stalingrad?]]
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France was a powerful country with a large army and a vast Empire that stretched around the globe, but it was not cohesive. It had stark political conflicts, and many politicians were more loyal to their political party than their country. People on both the extreme Left such as the Communists or the extreme right hated the French government so virulently, their support of the French government could be best described as half-hearted after the German invasion. Many ordinary people were disgusted with the leaders of the Third Republic, who were widely seen as professional politicians who were both venal and corrupt.<ref>Jackson, p.117</ref> Furthermore, defeatism was rampant at the start of WW II. France had a low birth rate, and many were convinced that the country was degenerating, based on ideas current at the time. <ref> Bloch, Marc, ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393319113/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0393319113&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=b9916b35c01e23b2ac59f9ebb5e33d42 Strange Defeat: A Statement of Evidence Written in 1940]'' (New York, NY: Norton, 1946), p. 117</ref> The cultural pessimism in France meant that many, in the political and military elite believed that France could not defeat Germany and that any efforts to resist the Germans were pointless. Many people believed that France was a nation in decline and that her greatest days had passed. This led to a spirit of defeatism in France in the Spring and Summer of 1940, that played an important role in the Fall of France. Despite the valiant efforts of many French men against the German invasion, the French government and military were ill-equipped both politically and militarily to meaningfully contest Germany. <ref>Copper, p, 144</ref> ====Conclusion====While France was protected by the Maginot Line and a fairly large army, it put up little resistance to Germany. It only took a few weeks for the entire country to fall. The reasons for the sudden defeat of France in 1940 were numerous and varied. They included a failure of leadership, both at the military and the political level. The army of France was not only poorly led but had been equipped with inferior arms and equipment. Moreover, the Maginot Line not only failed to protect France, but it encouraged a defensive mentality that allowed the Germans to take the initiative at crucial points during the invasion. The French public was also bitterly divided. These political divisions and incompetent leadership convinced many French citizens that their country could not defeat Germany. All these factors combined ensured a swift between May and June 1940.{{MediawikiMediaWiki:WWIIAmNative}} ====References====
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[[Category:French History]] [[Category:Military History]][[Category:World War Two History]][[Category:European History]] [[Category:20th Century History]]
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Updated January 18, 2019