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In September 1939, the Nazi war machine invaded Poland and World War II began. The fall of France and its Britain declared against Nazi Germany in 1939. The French army 1940 was in theory as strong as the Germany's. It had a vast Empire sudden and a sophisticated arms industryshocking. It French leaders believed that they had also established prepared for a series of fortifications along the eastern border of the country along potential war with Germany, known as the Maginot Lineand were well prepared. The Line was designed to keep German forces out of France. InitiallyTragically, France and Great Britain appeared to be a match for Germanythey were not. However,in a period Within months of weeks in the late spring and early summer of 1940German invasion, it became clear that that France was woefully unprepared for the German onslaughtcollapsed. Why did France suffered a humiliating defeat and was surrender so quickly occupied by Nazi Germany. ? Its failure was a result of a hopelessly divided French political elite, a paucity 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==[[File:Stuka file.jpg|thumbnail|300px|-Stuka dive bomberIn September 1939, 1940]] France had been fearful of Germany ever since the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. In this German warmachine invaded Poland, 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 II began. France and without allied assistance the country would have lost to its Britain declared against Germany. Despite being among the victors in World War One the French still dreaded a conflict with Germany1939. 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 army was a thaw in the Franco-German relationship in the mid-1920s and there was hope of a genuine rapprochement between the two greatest 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 theory as strong as allowing him to re-militarize the RhinelandGermanys. The French took no chances and began to prepare their defenses. [[File: Hochwald_historic_photo.jpg|thumbnail|300px|Anti-tank turret at the Ouvrage Hochwald fortification on the Maginot Line in 1940]]The French devoted It had a huge amount of resources vast Empire and capitial to the construction of the Maginot Line. This defensive line was named after a French Defence Ministersophisticated arms industry. The French constructed It had also established a long line series of fortifications along their the eastern border with German. It stopped at of the Belgian border. The French stationed all their forces behind the Maginot Line and adopted a defensive posture. In September 1939, the French country along 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’Maginot Line. However, in the Spring The Line was designed to keep German forces out of 1940France. Initially, the Germans shifted their attention west France and went on the offensiveGreat Britain appeared to be a match for Germany.

The Battle of France lasted only 46 daysHowever, from in weeks in the German invasion on the 10th late spring and early summer of May to the surrender of France on the 25th of June 1940. Paris fell to the Germans on the 14th of June, after it became clear that France was woefully unprepared for the virtual collapse of the French ArmyGerman onslaught. French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud resigned on the 16 June during the catasptrophe. His successor, Marshal Philippe Pétain, began negotiations to end the war. The German army approximately France suffered 157,000 casualties in 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 a humiliating defeat and French troops escaped the Germans after being evacuated was quickly occupied by naval forces at DunkirkGermany. The Germans occupied the majority Its failure was a result of France. In the south of Francea hopelessly divided French political elite, the Vichy Regime established a semi-autonomous political entity. Vichy maintained control over the majority lack of the quality military leadership, rudimentary French Coloniesmilitary tactics. <ref>Bond, Brian, ''BritainOn the battlefield, France faced a vastly more prepared German army that utilized both more advanced weapons and Belgium, 1939–1940''sophisticated tactics. (London, Brassey's, 1990), pIt was a mismatch.178</ref>

==Superior German Army and tactics==What happened to France after World War One?====[[File: Eric Von MansteinStuka file.jpg|thumbnail|300px|-Eric Von Manstein.jpg left|Stuka dive bomber, 1940]]The German army developed France had been fearful of Germany ever since the [[How Did the German Military Develop Blitzkrieg?|Blitzkrieg tactics]]. This was a tactic based on highFranco-Prussian War of 1870-speed and mobile attacks on the enemy’s weak points and it proved devastating in France<ref> Bond, p71. 111</ref>. The German victory was founded on a plan developed by the great military strategiesIn this war, General Erich von Manstein. He adopted the Schlieffen Plan that was used so nearly successful in WW I <ref> Bond, p. 117 </ref>. However, rather than advance on a broad front through Belgium, Prussians had quickly defeated the Germans focused two-thirds of their forces, including most French and occupied much of their tanks, in the Ardennes region of Belgiumcountry. This area was weakly defendedIn World War I, as they believed that the terrain was unsuitable for tanks. When the The Germans did attack through the Ardennes they caught had come very close to defeating the French , and their British allies by surprise. French believed it was impassable to tanks. Having successfully made their way into Francewithout allied assistance, German forces then employed a tactic known as the ‘sickle stroke’country would have lost to Germany. Sweeping across Despite being among the northern plains of France at great speedvictors in World War One, they divided the French and British forces into two partsstill dreaded a conflict with Germany. The British army was left isolated in Belgium and During the French were left to bear Versailles treaty negotiations after the brunt collapse of the German forces <ref>BlattGermany during World War, Joel, The French Defeat of 1940: Reassessments (Providence, RI, Berghahn, 1997), p. 111</ref>negotiators were adamant Germany's military had to be neutralized.

The German army was much superior to the French and the British. Hitler had built up the 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 Stuka dive bomber and the Messerschmitt ME fighter planeled by Prime Minister Clemenceau, that wreaked havoc on adopted a hard line towards the allies <ref> Blatt, pGermans in 1918-1919. 117</ref>. The Germans placed There was a great deal of emphasis on mobile and armoured warfare. They had superior tanks, such as Panzer Mk iv, which easily overcame thaw in the allies in almost every tank engagement Franco-German relationship in the Battle mid-1920s, and there was hope of France. It must be remembered that although a genuine rapprochement between the German army was superior to the French two largest powers in many ways, that this did not mean that the Fall of France was inevitablecontinental 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 Tactics adopted a diplomatic policy of appeasement and sought to placate Hitler by offering him concessions, such as allowing him to re-militarize the Rhineland. Still, France took no chances and Equipment were Poor==began to prepare their defenses. [[File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_121-0412,_Frankreich,_Panzer_Somua_S35,_GeschützHochwald_historic_photo.jpg|thumbnail|300px|Captured French Somua S35 tanks being used by Germany left|Anti-tank turret at the Ouvrage Hochwald fortification on the Maginot Line in 1940.]]The French military tactics were extremely outdated at the start devoted a considerable amount of the war. They had failed resources and capital to recognize that warfare had fundamentally changed since the First World War. They were over-reliant upon construction of 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 relied on defensive tactics and failed to grasp the impact of modern tanks and aircraft. This 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 attacking France directly, Germany avoided the Maginot line by invading Belgium. was named after a French military planners has failed to plan for this contingencyDefence Minister. The defensive French constructed a long line only partially defended France and indeed left the country open to an invasion via Belgiumof fortifications along their eastern border with German. The French High Command also failed to launch an offensive against Germany after It stopped at the German attacked PolandBelgian border. The French army simply hid stationed all their forces 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 German threat.<ref> Cooper, M. ''The German Army 1933–1945, Its Political and Military Failure''adopted a defensive posture. Briarcliff Manor, NY: Stein and Day, 1978), p. 201 </ref>

While ====When Did Germany Invade France?====In September 1939, the French army was large and had been well resourced, it had not been modernized. It was still based on the idea that with the next British declared war would resemble the Great Waron Germany after Hitler invaded Poland. As a resultFor several months, there was little or no activity on the French did not believe that any war with Germany, would be a mobile one, but rather a war of attritionWestern Front. This meant that they failed to develop tank tactics that took advantage of their tanks offensive capabilitiesperiod was known as the ‘Phoney War’.<ref> CopperHowever, p, 137</ref> Even when in the French did field effective equipmentSpring of 1940, such as the SOMUA S35 tanks, they were mismanaged by French calvary commanders. The Somua S35 tanks did not realize Germans shifted their true potential until they were commandeered by German commanders attention west and utilized went on the Eastern Front. During the invasion, German Panzer tanks quickly overcame the French defenses on the plains of Northern Franceoffensive. The French air forces were also not a 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>

==Poor Military and Political Leadership==In 1940 The Battle of France started on the French general staff was led by General Maurice Gamelaninvasion on May 10th, an officer widely respected1940 and only lasted only 46 days. A veteran and war hero Paris fell to the Germans on the 14th of the First World WarJune, he was credited developing after the strategy that led to virtual collapse of the decisive French victory at Army. French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud resigned on the Marne in 1914. He had also tried unsuccessfully, to modernize June 16th during the armycatastrophe. But Gamelin was suffering from a serious illnessHis successor, whose symptoms included poor concentration levelsMarshal Philippe Pétain, memory loss and other cognitive difficulties Gamelin’s own memoirs, published after began negotiations to end the war showed symptoms of paranoia and delusions of grandeur. <ref> JacksonBy July 25th, Julian T. The Fall of France: The Nazi Invasion of 1940. 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 forced to take any initiative and go on the attacksurrender. 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 The German army suffered 157,000 casualties during the left and the right. This lack invasion of unity in France was crippling at a crucial juncture in , but the warAllies's lost were considerably worse. The division also extended to the relationships between the military Allies lost over twice as many men and political leadership of Franceoverall had 360,000 casualties. The French Generals A further two million men were rights wing captured. Some 300,000 British and distrusted the left wing politicians who ran France. French ministers also did not trust troops escaped the judgement of their generalsGermans after being evacuated by naval forces at Dunkirk. 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 Germans occupied the wake majority of France. In the German invasion than actually fighting the Germans. Many later accused some French Generals south of being traitors. Perhaps France, the greatest weakness in the French leadership was that they did not have Vichy Regime established a true war leader, as one Frenchman stated in 1942, they ‘had no Churchill’semi-autonomous political entity. If France had a leader of Vichy maintained control over the calibre majority of Clemenceau in 1940, perhaps the outcome of the Battle of France could have been differentFrench Colonies. <ref> Why Did the French Army Collapse So QuicklyBond, Brian, ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0080377009/ref=as_li_tl? – Omnibooks Magazineie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0080377009&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=8c2293a2e966ba28b14946a14239a02d Britain, France and Belgium, 1939–1940]''. (London July, 1942Brassey's, 1990), p. 6178</ref>{{Mediawiki:TabletAd1}}

==Defeatism in ==How did the German Army move so quickly through France?====France was a powerful country with a large army and a vast Empire that stretched around [[File: Eric Von Manstein.jpg|thumbnail|300px|left|Eric Von Manstein 1940]]Between the globeworld wars, 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 German army developed the French government be best described as half-hearted after [[How Did the German invasionMilitary Develop Blitzkrieg?|Blitzkrieg tactics]]. Many ordinary people were disgusted with the leaders of This strategy was based on high-speed and mobile attacks on the Third Republicenemy’s weak points, who were widely seen as professional politicians who were both venal and corruptit proved devastating in France.<ref>JacksonBond, p.117111</ref> Furthermore, defeatism The German victory was rampant at the start of WW II. France had founded on a low birth rate and many were convinced that plan developed by the country was degeneratinggreat military strategies, based on ideas current at the timeGeneral Erich von Manstein. <ref> Bloch, Marc, ''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 He adopted the Germans were pointless. Many people believed Schlieffen Plan that France was a nation almost successful 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 GermanyWW I. <ref>CopperBond, p, 144. 117 </ref>.

==Conclusion==While France was protected by the Maginot Line and However, rather than advance on a fairly large army it put up little resistance to Germany. It only took a few weeks for broad front through Belgium, the enitre country to fall. The reasons for the sudden defeat Germans focused two-thirds of France in 1940 were numerous and varied. They included a failure their forces, including most of leadershiptheir tanks, both at in the military and the political levelArdennes region of Belgium. The army of France was not only poorly led but had equipped with inferior arms and equipment. Moreover, Belgium did reinforce the Maginot Line not only failed to protect France, but it encouraged a defensive mentality fortifications in this region because they assumed that allowed the terrain was unsuitable for tanks. When the Germans to take attack came through the initiative at crucial points during Ardennes, they caught the invasion. The French public were also bitterly divided. These political divisions and incompetent leadership convinced many their British allies by surprise because the French citizens that their country could not defeat Germany. All these combined factors combined ensured a swift between May and June 1940believed 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=References9325&creativeASIN=B00EDY69LI&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=98a5e102ae32052fa58ceb0d44dbe87b The French Defeat of 1940: Reassessments]</i> (Providence, RI, Berghahn, 1997), p. 111</ref> The German army was substantially better than the French and the British. Hitler had built up the 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 Stuka dive bomber and the Messerschmitt ME fighter plane, that wreaked havoc on the allies <ref> Blatt, p. 117</ref>. The Germans placed a great deal of emphasis on mobile and armored 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. Even though the German army was superior to the French in many ways the 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 over-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 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 attacking France directly, 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 German 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 was large and had been well resourced, it had not been modernized. It was still based on the idea that the next war would resemble the Great War. As a result, the French did not believe that any war with Germany, would be a mobile one, but rather a war of attrition. This meant that they failed to develop tank tactics that 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 and 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 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 Generals were 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 German invasion than actually fighting the Germans. 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 caliber of Clemenceau in 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. 6<references/ref>

[[Category:Wikis]][[Category:French History]] [[Category:Military History]][[Category:World War Two History]][[Category:European History]] [[Category:20th Century History]]{{Contributors}}====Defeatism in France====<div class="portal" style="'float:right; width:8535%;"'>====Related DailyHistory.org Articles====

*[[The Nazi triumph: how How did Adolf Hitler become the Fuehrer Fuhrer of Germany?]]

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.{{MediawikiMediaWiki:WWIIAmNative}}====References====<references/> [[Category:Wikis]][[Category:French History]] [[Category:Military History]][[Category:World War Two History]][[Category:European History]] [[Category:20th Century History]]{{Contributors}}Updated January 18, 2019