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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.

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?====

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.

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?====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’. However, in the Spring of 1940, the Germans shifted their attention west and went on the 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 the 14th of June, after the virtual collapse of the French Army. French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud resigned on the June 16th during the catastrophe. His successor, Marshal Philippe Pétain, began negotiations to end the war. By July 25th, France was forced to surrender. offensive The German army suffered 157,000 casualties during the invasion of France, but the Allies's lost 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}}

The Battle of France lasted only 46 days, from ====How did the German invasion on the 10th of May to the surrender of Army move so quickly through France on the 25th of June ?====[[File: Eric Von Manstein.jpg|thumbnail|300px|left|Eric Von Manstein 1940. Paris fell to ]]Between the Germans on world wars, the 14th of June, after German army developed the virtual collapse of [[How Did the French ArmyGerman Military Develop Blitzkrieg?|Blitzkrieg tactics]]. French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud resigned This strategy was based on high-speed and mobile attacks on the 16 June during the catasptrophe. His successor, Marshal Philippe Pétain, began negotiations to end the war. The German army approximately suffered 157enemy’s weak points,000 casualties and it proved devastating in the invasion of France. The Allies lost over twice as many men<ref> Bond, with 360,000 casulatiesp. A further two million were captured. Some 300,000 British and French troops escaped the Germans after being evacuated 111</ref> The German victory was founded on a plan developed by naval forces at Dunkirk. The Germans occupied the majority of France. In the south of Francegreat military strategies, the Vichy Regime established a semi-autonomous political entityGeneral Erich von Manstein. Vichy maintained control over He adopted the majority of the French ColoniesSchlieffen Plan that was almost successful in WW I. <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.178117 </ref>

===Superior German Army and tactics===[[File: Eric Von Manstein.jpg|thumbnail|300px|-Eric Von Manstein.jpg 1940]]The German army developed the [[How Did the German Military Develop Blitzkrieg?|Blitzkrieg tactics]]. This was a tactic 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 used so nearly 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. This area was weakly defended, as France and Belgium did reinforce the fortifications in this region because they believed assumed that the terrain was unsuitable for tanks. When the Germans did 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 Having successfully made their way into France, German army was much superior to 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 the Britishforces into two parts. Hitler had built up the Germany The British army was left isolated in Belgium and in particular the air force (Luftwaffe). The Germans had developed superior weapons. In particular, they had developed superior aircraft such as French were left to bear the Stuka dive bomber and brunt of the Messerschmitt ME fighter plane, that wreaked havoc on the allies German forces. <ref> Blatt, pJoel, <i>[https://www.amazon. 117<com/gp/product/B00EDY69LI/ref>. =as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00EDY69LI&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=98a5e102ae32052fa58ceb0d44dbe87b The Germans placed a great deal French Defeat of emphasis on mobile and armoured warfare. They had superior tanks1940: Reassessments]</i> (Providence, RI, such as Panzer Mk ivBerghahn, which easily overcame the allies in almost every tank engagement in the Battle of France. It must be remembered that although the German army was superior to the French in many ways1997), that this did not mean that the Fall of France was inevitablep.111</ref>

===The German army was substantially better than the French Tactics and Equipment were Poor===[[File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_121-0412,_Frankreich,_Panzer_Somua_S35,_Geschützthe British.jpg|left|thumbnail|300px|Captured French Somua S35 tanks being used by Hitler had built up the Germany army and in 1940.]]French military tactics were extremely outdated at particular the start of the warair force (Luftwaffe). They The Germans had failed to recognize that warfare had fundamentally changed since the First World Wardeveloped superior weapons. 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 outrightIn particular, they hoped that had developed superior aircraft such as the Maginot would drive up casualties Stuka dive bomber and Germany to the negotiating table. They relied Messerschmitt ME fighter plane, that wreaked havoc on defensive tactics and failed to grasp the impact allies <ref> Blatt, p. 117</ref>. The Germans placed a great deal of modern tanks emphasis on mobile and aircraftarmored warfare. This over-reliance on They had superior tanks, such as Panzer Mk iv, which easily overcame the Maginot Line meant that they were too defensive. The Maginot Line also failed to protect allies in almost every tank engagement in the entire French border. Instead Battle of attacking France directly, Germany avoided the Maginot line by invading Belgium. French military planners has 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 Even though the German attacked Poland. The French army simply hid behind the Maginot Line and waited for the Germans was superior 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 many ways the Germans invaded Belgium, the French General Staff continued with their cautious policy and were slow to respond to the German threatFall of France was not inevitable.<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>

While ====Was France prepared for the German invasion?====[[File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_121-0412,_Frankreich,_Panzer_Somua_S35,_Geschütz.jpg|left|thumbnail|300px|Captured French army was large and had been well resourced, it had not been modernizedSomua S35 tanks being used by Germany in 1940 after the Fall of France. It was still based on ]]French military tactics were extremely outdated at the idea that start of the next war would resemble . They had failed to recognize that warfare had fundamentally changed since the Great First World War. As a resultThey were over-reliant upon the Maginot Line, the French and they believed that this would stop any German invasion in its track. Since they did not believe that any war with could defeat Germanyoutright, would be a mobile one, but rather a war of attrition. This meant that they failed to develop tank tactics hoped that took advantage of their tanks offensive capabilities.<ref> Copper, p, 137</ref> Even when the French did field effective equipment, such as the SOMUA S35 tanks, they were mismanaged by French calvary commanders. The Somua S35 tanks did not realize their true potential until they were commandeered by German commanders Maginot would drive up casualties and utilized on Germany to the Eastern Frontnegotiating table. During the invasion, German Panzer tanks quickly overcame the French defenses They relied on defensive tactics and failed to grasp the plains impact of Northern France. 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 modern tanks and was quickly defeated after only six weeks of fightingaircraft.<ref>Copper, p, 134</ref>

===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 over-reliance on the First World War, he was credited developing the strategy Maginot Line meant that led to the decisive French victory at the Marne in 1914they were too defensive. He had The Maginot Line also tried unsuccessfully, failed to modernize protect the armyentire French border. But Gamelin was suffering from a serious illness, whose symptoms included poor concentration levelsInstead of attacking France directly, memory loss and other cognitive difficulties Gamelin’s own memoirs, published after Germany avoided the war showed symptoms of paranoia and delusions of grandeurMaginot line by invading Belgium.<ref>Jackson, Julian T. <i>[https://wwwFrench military planners have failed to plan for this contingency.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 defensive line only partially defended France: The Nazi Invasion of 1940]</i>. (Oxford UP, 2003), p. 234</ref> The military leadership below Gamelin was generally poor. They were slow to respond to and indeed left the Germans and there was a marked reluctance country open to take any initiative and go on the attackan invasion via Belgium. The political leadership of France was French High Command also very poor. According failed to one French commentator during launch an offensive against Germany after the war, they could not inspire the French people, they were more interested in fighting among themselves that the Germans.<ref>Jackson, pGerman attacked Poland. 235</ref>

France was bitterly divided between The French army simply hid behind the left Maginot Line and waited for the right. This lack of unity in France was crippling at a crucial juncture in the war. The division also extended Germans to the relationships between the military and political leadership of Franceattack. The French Generals were rights wing and distrusted When the left wing politicians who ran France. French ministers also Germans finally did not trust attack through the judgement of their generals. The French officer corps was more worried about a Communist revolution than a German invasion. For exampleArdennes, 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 army was that they did not have a true war leader, as one Frenchman stated trapped in 1942bunkers, they ‘had no Churchill’and its fortifications were immediately outflanked. If France had a leader of Even when the calibre of Clemenceau in 1940Germans invaded Belgium, perhaps the outcome of French General Staff continued with their cautious policy and were slow to respond to the Battle of France could have been differentGerman threat. <ref> Why Did the French 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 Collapse So Quickly? – <i>Omnibooks Magazine</i>1933–1945, Its Political and Military Failure]''. (London JulyBriarcliff Manor, NY: Stein and Day, 19421978), p. 6201 </ref>

===Defeatism in France===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 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=dailyh0cdh-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<ad/ref>

===Conclusion===While France the French army was protected by the Maginot Line large and a fairly large army had been well resourced, it put up little resistance to Germanyhad not been modernized. It only took a few weeks for was still based on the idea that the enitre country to fall. The reasons for next war would resemble the sudden defeat of France in 1940 were numerous and variedGreat War. They included As a failure of leadershipresult, both at the military and the political level. The army of France was French did not only poorly led but had equipped believe that any war with inferior arms and equipment. MoreoverGermany, the Maginot Line not only failed to protect Francewould be a mobile one, but it encouraged rather a defensive mentality war of attrition. This meant that allowed the Germans they failed to take develop tank tactics that took advantage of their tanks offensive capabilities.<ref> Copper, p, 137</ref> Even when the initiative at crucial points during French did effective field equipment, such as the invasionSOMUA S35 tanks, they were mismanaged by French cavalry commanders. The French public were also bitterly divided. These political divisions and incompetent leadership convinced many French citizens that Somua S35 tanks did not realize their country could not defeat Germany. All these combined factors combined ensured a swift between May true potential until German commanders commandeered them and June 1940utilized on the Eastern Front.<div class="portal" style="width:85%;">

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</ref> ====Defeatism in France====<div class="portal" style='float:right; width:35%'>====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====