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==Poor Military and Political Leadership==When Did Germany Invade France?====In 1940 the French general staff was led by General Maurice Gamelan, an officer widely respected. A veteran and war hero of the First World WarSeptember 1939, he was credited developing the strategy that led to the decisive French victory at with the Marne in 1914British declared war on Germany after Hitler invaded Poland. He had also tried unsuccessfullyFor several months, to modernize there was little or no activity on the armyWestern Front. But Gamelin This period was suffering from a serious illness, whose symptoms included poor concentration levels, memory loss and other cognitive difficulties Gamelin’s own memoirs, published after known as the war showed symptoms of paranoia and delusions of grandeur‘Phoney War’. <ref> JacksonHowever, Julian T. The Fall of France: The Nazi Invasion in the Spring of 1940. Oxford UP, 2003), p. 234</ref> The military leadership below Gamelin was generally poor. They were slow to respond to the Germans shifted their attention west and there was a marked reluctance to take any initiative and go went on the attackoffensive. The political leadership of France was also very poor. According to one French commentator during the war, they could not inspire the French people, they were more interested in fighting among themselves that the Germans.<ref>Jackson, p 235</ref>
The Battle of France was bitterly divided between started on the left invasion on May 10th, 1940 and the rightonly lasted only 46 days. This lack of unity in France was crippling at a crucial juncture in the war. The division also extended Paris fell to the relationships between the military and political leadership of France. The French Generals were rights wing and distrusted Germans on the left wing politicians who ran France. French ministers also did not trust the judgement 14th of their generals. The French officer corps was more worried about a Communist revolution than a German invasion. For exampleJune, General Weygand was more concerned with maintaining social stability in after the wake virtual collapse of the German invasion than actually fighting the GermansFrench Army. Many later accused some French Generals of being traitors. Perhaps Prime Minister Paul Reynaud resigned on the greatest weakness in June 16th during the French leadership was that they did not have a true war leadercatastrophe. His successor, as one Frenchman stated in 1942Marshal Philippe Pétain, they ‘had no Churchill’. If France had a leader of began negotiations to end the calibre of Clemenceau in 1940, perhaps the outcome of the Battle of France could have been differentwar. <ref> Why Did the French Army Collapse So Quickly? – Omnibooks Magazine, (London By July25th, 1942), pFrance was forced to surrender. 6</ref>
==Conclusion==How did the German Army move so quickly through France?====[[File: Eric Von Manstein.jpg|thumbnail|300px|left|Eric Von Manstein 1940]]On 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 face of 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 Fall of Francegreat military strategies, General Erich von Manstein. He adopted the Schlieffen Plan that was almost successful in so short WW I.<ref> Bond, p. 117 </ref> However, rather than advance on a periodbroad 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 remarkableunsuitable for tanks. The country was protected by When the Germans attack came through the Ardennes, they caught the Maginot Line 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 large 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 armywas 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. It 111</ref> The German army was allied to substantially better than the French and the British, who . Hitler had built up the largest Empire Germany army and in particular the air force (Luftwaffe). The Germans had developed superior weapons. In particular, they had developed superior aircraft such as the world Stuka dive bomber and was the Messerschmitt ME fighter plane, that wreaked havoc on the allies <ref> Blatt, p. 117</ref>. The Germans placed a great industrial powerdeal of emphasis on mobile and armored warfare. HoweverThey had superior tanks, such as Panzer Mk iv, which easily overcame the country fell allies in almost every tank engagement in a matter the Battle of weeksFrance. The reasons for Even though the German army was superior to the French in many ways the sudden defeat Fall of France was not inevitable. ====Was France prepared for the German invasion?====[[File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_121-0412,_Frankreich,_Panzer_Somua_S35,_Geschütz.jpg|left|thumbnail|300px|Captured French Somua S35 tanks being used by Germany in 1940 after the Fall of France.]]French military tactics were extremely outdated at the start of the war. They had failed to recognize that warfare had fundamentally changed since the First World War. They were variousover-reliant upon the Maginot Line, and they believed that this would stop any German invasion in its track. Since they did not believe that could defeat Germany outright, they hoped that the Maginot would drive up casualties and Germany to the negotiating table. They included a failure relied on defensive tactics and failed to grasp the impact of modern tanks and aircraft. The over-reliance on the Maginot Line meant that they were too defensive. The Maginot Line also failed to protect the entire French border. Instead of leadershipattacking France directly, both at Germany avoided the Maginot line by invading Belgium. French military planners have failed to plan for this contingency. The defensive line only partially defended France and indeed left the country open to an invasion via Belgium. The French High Command also failed to launch an offensive against Germany after the German attacked Poland. The French army simply hid behind the Maginot Line and waited for the Germans to attack. When the Germans finally did attack through the Ardennes, the French army was trapped in bunkers, and its fortifications were immediately outflanked. Even when the Germans invaded Belgium, the French General Staff continued with their cautious policy and were slow to respond to the political levelGerman threat.<ref> Cooper, M. ''[https://www.amazon. com/gp/product/0517436108/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0517436108&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=089457e8c42c04ed8e9d351e9727ad63 The German Army 1933–1945, Its Political and Military Failure]''. (Briarcliff Manor, NY: Stein and Day, 1978), p. 201 </ref> <dh-ad/> While the French army of France was large and had been well resourced, it had not only poor led but had inferior arms and equipmentbeen modernized. It was still based on the idea that the next war would resemble the Great War. MoreoverAs a result, the Maginot Line French did not only failed to protect Francebelieve that any war with Germany, would be a mobile one, but it encouraged rather a defensive mentality war of attrition. This meant that they failed to develop tank tactics that allowed took advantage of their tanks offensive capabilities.<ref> Copper, p, 137</ref> Even when the French did effective field equipment, such as the SOMUA S35 tanks, they were mismanaged by French cavalry commanders. The Somua S35 tanks did not realize their true potential until German commanders commandeered them and utilized on the Eastern Front. During the invasion, German Panzer tanks quickly overcame the French defenses on the plains of Northern France. The French air forces were also no match for the Germans in aerial combat. The French army was unable to cope with the German Blitzkrieg tactics and was quickly defeated after only six weeks of fighting.<ref>Copper, p, 134</ref> ====Why did France have Poor Military and Political Leadership?====In 1940 the French general staff was led by General Maurice Gamelan, an officer widely respected. A veteran and war hero of the First World War, he was credited with developing the strategy that led to the decisive French victory at the Marne in 1914. He had also tried unsuccessfully, to modernize the army. But Gamelin was suffering from a serious illness, whose symptoms included poor concentration levels, memory loss and other cognitive difficulties Gamelin’s memoirs, published after the war showed symptoms of paranoia and delusions of grandeur.<ref>Jackson, Julian T. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0192805509/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0192805509&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=aa6895f6029c163adf1d3e187d64e538 The Fall of France: The German Invasion of 1940]</i>. (Oxford UP, 2003), p. 234</ref> The military leadership below Gamelin was generally poor. They were slow to respond to the Germans, and there was a marked reluctance to take any initiative at crucial periodsand go on the attack. The political leadership of France was also very poor. According to one French commentator during the war, they could not inspire the French people, they were more interested in fighting among themselves that the Germans.<ref>Jackson, p. 235</ref> France was bitterly divided between Many the left and the right. This lack of unity in France was crippling at a crucial juncture in the war. The division also extended to the relationships between the military and political leadership of France. The French people Generals were pessimistic rights wing and distrusted the left wing politicians who ran France. French ministers also did not trust the judgment of their generals. The French officer corps was more worried about a Communist revolution than a German invasion. For example, General Weygand was more concerned with maintaining social stability in the wake of the country and had no faith in their country’s ability to defeat German invasion than actually fighting the Germans. All these factors combined to ensure Many later accused some French Generals of being traitors. Perhaps the greatest weakness in the French leadership was that they did not have a true war leader; as one Frenchman stated in 1942 they ‘had no Churchill’. If France had a leader of the country was swiftly defeated caliber of Clemenceau in May-June 1940, perhaps the outcome of the Battle of France could have been different. <ref> Why Did the French Army Collapse So Quickly? – <i>Omnibooks Magazine</i>, (London July, 1942), p.==References==6<references/ref>
*[[What were the goals of the Axis powers and the Soviet Union during World War Two?]]
*[[How Did the German Military Develop Blitzkrieg?]]
*[[What was the impact of the Irish Famine on Ireland and the worldWhy 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 combined factors combined ensured a swift between May and June 1940.
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====References====
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[[Category:Wikis]]
[[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