Changes

{{Mediawiki:kindleoasis}}__NOTOC__[[File:French Prisoners 1940.jpg|thumbnail|300px|-left|French Prisoners,1940]] In September 1939, the Nazi War Machine invaded Poland and World War II began. The fall of France in 1940 was Allied with Britain against Nazi Germany in 1939sudden and shocking. The French army was in theory as strong as the Germans, it leaders believed that they had prepared for a vast Empire potential war with Germany and a sophisticated arms industrywere well prepared. It had established a series of fortifications in the east of the country, known as the Maginot LineTragically, which was designed to keep German forces out of Francethey were not. France looked more than capable Within months of matching the Germans and had a strong ally in Britain and its Empire. However, in a period of weeks in the late Spring and Early Summer of 1940German invasion, France was to suffer a humiliating defeat and was occupied by Nazi Germanycollapsed. Why did France surrender so quickly? The reasons for this include a divided French political elite, poor French military tactics and a superior German army with better tactics.

==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 and without allied assistance the country would have once again been occupied by the GermansII began. Despite, being among the victors in WWI the French still dreaded the Germans France and they were vociferous Britain declared against Germany in their demands that Germany was neutralized during the negotiations on the Versailles Treaty1939. The French initially led by Prime Minister Clemenceau, adopted a hard line towards the Germans army was in 1918-1919theory as strong as Germany's. There was It had a thaw in the Franco-German relationship in the mid-1920s vast Empire and there was hope of a genuine rapprochement between the two greatest powers in continental Europesophisticated arms industry. However, the Great Depression and the rise It had also established a series of Hitler meant that fortifications along the French were suddenly faced country's eastern border along 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 known as allowing him to re-militarize the RhinelandMaginot Line. The French took no chances Line was designed to keep German forces out of France. Initially, France and began Great Britain appeared to prepare their defencesbe a match for Germany.

The French devoted a huge level of resources 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. In September 1939, the French with the British declared war on Germany. For a period of some months, there was little or no activity and this was the period known as the ‘Phoney War’. However, in weeks in the Spring late spring and early summer of 1940, the Germans’ went on the offensive. The Battle of it became clear that France lasted only 46 days, from was woefully unprepared for the German invasion on the 10th of May to the surrender of onslaught. France on the 25th of June 1940. Paris fell to the Germans on the 14th of June, after the virtual collapse of the French Army and the French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud, resigned on the 16 June. His successor, Marshal Philippe Pétain, began negotiations to end the war. The German army approximately 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 of France – in the south Its failure was a result of France, the Vichy Regime established a semi-autonomous hopelessly divided French political entityelite, and still controlled the majority a lack of the quality military leadership, rudimentary French Colonies <ref>Bond, Brian military tactics. BritainOn the battlefield, France faced a vastly more prepared German army that utilized both more advanced weapons and Belgium, 1939–1940sophisticated tactics. (London, Brassey's, 1990), pIt was a mismatch.178</ref>

==Superior German Army and tacticsWhat 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 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 French and occupied much of their forces, including most 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 the allies in almost every tank engagement thaw in the Battle of France. It must be remembered that although the Franco-German army was superior to relationship in the French in many waysmid-1920s, that this did not mean that and there was the Fall hope of France was inevitablea genuine rapprochement between the two largest powers in continental Europe.

==French Tactics However, the Great Depression and Equipment were Poor==THE the rise of Hitler meant that the French tactics were very poorsuddenly faced with a potentially aggressive regime in Germany. They had failed The French adopted a diplomatic policy of appeasement and sought to recognize that warfare had changed since placate Hitler by offering him concessions, such as allowing him to re-militarize the First World WarRhineland. They were over-reliant upon the Maginot Line Still, France took no chances and they believed that this would stop any German invasion in its track and such would be began to prepare their casualties that they would enter into negotiationsdefenses. [[File:Hochwald_historic_photo. This overjpg|thumbnail|300px|left|Anti-reliance tank turret at the Ouvrage Hochwald fortification on the Maginot Line meant that they were too defensive. in 1940]]The French also failed devoted a considerable amount of resources and capital to understand that the construction of the Maginot Line . This defensive line was inadequate and it did not extend to the entire named after a French border with BelgiumDefence 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. Typical of It stopped at the defensive mentality of the French High Command was that they failed to launch an offensive against Germany when the German Army was fighting in PolandBelgian border. The French army simply waited stationed all their forces behind the Maginot Line and waited for the Germans to attackadopted a defensive posture. When the Germans did attack through the Ardennes the French army stationed in bunkers and 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. Briarcliff Manor, NY: Stein and Day, 1978), p. 201 </ref>

The French army was large and had been well resourced. However, it had not been modernized. It was still based on the idea that the next war would be like WW I. As a result, the French did not believe that any war with == When Did Germany, would be a mobile one, but would rather be a war of attrition, a repeat of WWI. This meant that they failed to develop their tank formations, in particular<ref> Copper, p, 137</ref>. This meant that the German Panzer tanks were able to quick and powerful and quickly overcame the French on the plains of Northern Invade France. The French also neglected their air force and many of their planes were not match for the Germans in aerial combat. The French army was unable to cope with the German Blitzkrieg tactics and therefore defeated in less than six weeks <ref> Copper, p, 134</ref>. ==Poor Military and Political Leadership? ==In 1940 September 1939, the French general staff was led by General Maurice Gamelan, an officer widely respectedwith the British declared war on Germany after Hitler invaded Poland. A veteran and war hero of the First World WarFor several months, he there was credited developing the strategy that led to little or no activity on the decisive French victory at the Marne in 1914Western Front. He had also tried unsuccessfully, to modernize This period was known as the army'Phoney War. But Gamelin was suffering from a serious illness' However, whose symptoms included poor concentration levels, memory loss and other cognitive difficulties Gamelin’s own memoirs, published after in the war showed symptoms of paranoia and delusions of grandeur <ref> Jackson, Julian T. The Fall of France: The Nazi Invasion 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 the initiative and go went 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>offensive.

The Battle of France was bitterly divided between started on the left invasion on May 10th, 1940, and only lasted only 46 days. Paris fell to the right and this meant that there was a lack of unity in France at a critical juncture. MoreoverGermans on June 14th, after the military and political leadership virtual collapse of France was divided. The French Generals were rights wing and distrusted the left wing politicians and many French ministers did not trust the Generalsarmy. Many of the French officer corps were more worried about a Communist revolution than Prime Minister Paul Reynaud resigned on June 16th during the Germanscatastrophe. For exampleHis successor, General Weygand was more concerned with maintaining social stability in Marshal Philippe Pétain, began negotiations to end the wake of the German invasion that 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 calibre of Clemenceau in 1940By June 25th, the outcome of the Battle of France could have been different <ref> Why Did the French Army Collapse So Quickly? – Omnibooks Magazine, (London July, 1942), p. 6</ref> was forced to surrender.

==Defeatism in France==France was a powerful country with a large The German army and a vast Empiresuffered 157, that stretched around 000 casualties during the globe. The country because invasion of political differences was not unified and many were more loyal to their political party that the country. Many on both the extreme Left such as France, but the Communists or the extreme right hated the French government so much, that they Allies' losses were only half-hearted in their response to the German invasionconsiderably worse. Many ordinary people were disgusted with the leaderS of the Third Republic, who were widely seen The Allies lost over twice as professional politicians who were venal many men and corrupt <ref>Jacksonoverall had 360, p000 casualties.117</ref>A further two million men were captured. FurthermoreSome 300, there was a general air of defeatism in 000 British and French troops escaped the air Germans after being evacuated by naval forces at Dunkirk. The Germans occupied the start majority of WW IIFrance. In the south of France had , the Vichy Regime established a low birth rate and many were convinced that semi-autonomous political entity. Vichy maintained control over the country was degenerating, based on ideas current at majority of the time French Colonies.<ref> BlochBond, Marc Strange Defeat: A Statement of Evidence Written in 1940 (New YorkBrian, NY"[https: Norton, 1946), p//www.amazon. 117<com/gp/product/0080377009/ref>. The cultural pessimism in =as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0080377009&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=8c2293a2e966ba28b14946a14239a02d Britain, France meant that many, in the political and military elite believed that France could not win against the Germans and that any efforts to resist the Germans were pointlessBelgium, 1939–1940]". Many 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(London, Brassey's, that played an important role in the Fall of France. It must be noted that many French men and women were very patriotic and resisted the Germans with great bravery<ref>Copper1990), p, 144.178</ref>. {{Mediawiki:TabletAd1}}

==ConclusionHow did the German Army move so quickly through France? ==On [[File: Eric Von Manstein.jpg|thumbnail|300px|left|Eric Von Manstein 1940]]Between the world wars, the German army developed the [[What was Blitzkrieg and Who Created it|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 face 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 Fall ‘sickle stroke’. Sweeping across the northern plains of Franceat great speed, they divided the French and British forces into two parts. The British army was left isolated in so short a periodBelgium 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 German army was remarkablesubstantially better than the French and the British. Hitler had built up the German army and, in particular, the air force (Luftwaffe). The country Germans had developed superior weapons. In particular, they had developed superior aircraft such as the Stuka dive bomber and the Messerschmitt ME fighter plane, which 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 protected 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 large 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. It 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 allied also very poor. According to one French commentator during the Britishwar, 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 largest Empire caliber of Clemenceau in 1940, perhaps the outcome of the world 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> == The Fall of France - What role did defeatism play? ==<div class="portal" style='float:right; width:35%'> ====Related DailyHistory.org Articles====*[[What were the goals of the Axis powers and the Soviet Union during World War Two?]]*[[What was Blitzkrieg and Who Created it]]*[[Why did Operation Market Garden in 1944 fail?]]*[[Why did Germany lose the Battle of Stalingrad?]]</div>France was a great industrial powerpowerful 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. However France had a low birth rate, and many were convinced that the country fell 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 matter 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 weeksfor the entire country to fall. The reasons for the sudden defeat of France in 1940 were variousnumerous and varied.  They included a failure of leadership, both at the military and the political level. The army of France was not only poor 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 have take the initiative at crucial periodspoints during the invasion. The French were public was also bitterly divided between Many .  These political divisions and incompetent leadership convinced many French people were pessimistic about the citizens that their country and had no faith in their country’s ability to could not defeat the GermansGermany. All these factors combined to ensure that the country was swiftly defeated in ensured a swift between May-and June 1940. ====References====

[[Category:British French History]] [[Category:Military History]][[Category:World War Two History]][[Category:European History]] [[Category:20th Century History]]