The 20th century in world history was marked by important discoveries in the field of technology and art, but at the same time it was the time of two World Wars that claimed the lives of several tens of millions of people in most countries of the world. decisive role such states as the USA, the USSR, Great Britain and France played in the Victory. During World War II, they defeated world fascism. France was forced to capitulate, but then revived and continued to fight against Germany and its allies.
France in the prewar years
In the last pre-war years, France experienced serious economic difficulties. At that time, the People's Front was at the helm of the state. However, after Blum's resignation, the new government was headed by Shotan. His policy began to deviate from the program of the Popular Front. Taxes were raised, the 40-hour working week, and the industrialists had the opportunity to increase the duration of the latter. A strike movement immediately swept across the country, however, to pacify the dissatisfied, the government sent police detachments. France before the Second World War pursued an anti-social policy and every day had less and less support among the people.
By this time, the military-political bloc "Berlin-Rome Axis" had been formed. In 1938, Germany invaded Austria. Two days later, her Anschluss took place. This event dramatically changed the state of affairs in Europe. A threat loomed over the Old World, and first of all it concerned Great Britain and France. The population of France demanded that the government take decisive action against Germany, especially since the USSR also expressed such ideas, offering to join forces and stifle the growing fascism in the bud. However, the government still continued to follow the so-called. "appeasement", believing that if Germany was given everything she asked for, war could be avoided.
The authority of the Popular Front was fading before our eyes. Unable to cope with economic problems, Shotan resigned. After that, the second Blum government was installed, which lasted less than a month until its next resignation.
Daladier government
France during the Second World War could have appeared in a different, more attractive light, if not for some actions of the new chairman of the Council of Ministers, Edouard Daladier.
The new government was formed exclusively from the composition of democratic and right-wing forces, without communists and socialists, however, Daladier needed the support of the latter two in the elections. Therefore, he designated his activities as a sequence of actions of the Popular Front, as a result he received the support of both the communists and the socialists. However, immediately after coming to power, everything changed dramatically.
The first steps were aimed at "improving the economy." Taxes were raised and another devaluation was carried out, which eventually gave its negative results. But this is not the most important thing in the activities of Daladier of that period. Foreign policy in Europe was at that time at the limit - one spark, and the war would have begun. France in World War II did not want to take the side of the defeatists. Inside the country there were several opinions: some wanted a close alliance with Britain and the United States; others did not rule out the possibility of an alliance with the USSR; still others strongly opposed the Popular Front, proclaiming the slogan "Better Hitler than the Popular Front." Separate from those listed were the pro-German circles of the bourgeoisie, who believed that even if they managed to defeat Germany, the revolution that would come with the USSR to Western Europe would not spare anyone. They offered to pacify Germany in every possible way, giving her freedom of action in an easterly direction.
A black spot in the history of French diplomacy
After the easy accession of Austria, Germany is increasing its appetites. Now she swung at the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia. Hitler caused the mostly German-populated area to fight for autonomy and virtual separation from Czechoslovakia. When the country's government gave a categorical rebuff to the fascist tricks, Hitler began to act as a savior of the "infringed" Germans. He threatened the government of Beneš that he could bring in his troops and take the region by force. In turn, France and Great Britain supported Czechoslovakia in words, while the USSR offered real military assistance if Beneš applied to the League of Nations and officially appealed to the USSR for help. Beneš, however, could not take a step without the instructions of the French and British, who did not want to quarrel with Hitler. The international diplomatic events that followed after that could greatly reduce France's losses in World War II, which was already inevitable, but history and politicians decreed differently, strengthening the main fascist many times over with military factories in Czechoslovakia.
On September 28, a conference of France, England, Italy and Germany was held in Munich. Here the fate of Czechoslovakia was decided, and neither Czechoslovakia nor Soviet Union who expressed a desire to help were not invited. As a result, the next day, Mussolini, Hitler, Chamberlain and Daladier signed the protocols of the Munich Agreements, according to which the Sudetenland was now the territory of Germany, and the areas dominated by Hungarians and Poles were also to be separated from Czechoslovakia and become the lands of the titular countries.
Daladier and Chamberlain guaranteed the inviolability of the new frontiers and peace in Europe for "an entire generation" of returning national heroes.
In principle, this was, so to speak, the first capitulation of France in World War II to the main aggressor in the history of mankind.
The beginning of World War II and the entry of France into it
According to the strategy of the attack on Poland, early morning Germany crossed the border. The Second World War! with the support of its aviation and having a numerical superiority, it immediately took the initiative into its own hands and quickly captured Polish territory.
France in World War II, as well as England, declared war on Germany only after two days of active hostilities - September 3, still dreaming of appeasing or "pacifying" Hitler. In principle, historians have reason to believe that if there had not been an agreement, according to which the main patron of Poland after the First World War was France, which, in the event of open aggression against the Poles, was obliged to send its troops and provide military support, most likely, there would be no declaration of war did not follow either two days later or later.
A strange war, or how France fought without fighting
France's involvement in World War II can be divided into several phases. The first one is called " strange war". It lasted about 9 months - from September 1939 to May 1940. It was named so because during the war between France and England, no military operations were carried out against Germany. That is, the war was declared, but no one fought. The agreement under which France was obliged to organize an offensive against Germany within 15 days was not fulfilled. the machine calmly "dealt" with Poland, without looking back at its western borders, where only 23 divisions were concentrated against 110 French and English divisions, which could dramatically change the course of events at the beginning of the war and put Germany in a difficult position, if not lead to its defeat at all. Meanwhile, in the east, beyond Poland, Germany had no rival, it had an ally - the USSR. Stalin, without waiting for an alliance with England and France, concluded it with Germany, securing his lands for some time from the onset of the Nazis, which is quite logical. But England and France in the Second World War, and specifically at its beginning, behaved rather strangely.
The Soviet Union at that time occupied the eastern part of Poland and the Baltic states, presented an ultimatum to Finland on the exchange of territories of the Karelian Peninsula. The Finns opposed this, after which the USSR unleashed a war. France and England reacted sharply to this, and preparing for war with him.
A completely strange situation has developed: in the center of Europe, at the very border of France, there is a world aggressor that threatens all of Europe and, first of all, France itself, and she declares war on the USSR, which simply wants to secure its borders, and offers an exchange of territories, and not perfidious capture. This state of affairs continued until the Benelux countries and France suffered from Germany. The period of the Second World War, marked by oddities, ended there, and the real war began.
At this time in the country ...
Immediately after the outbreak of war in France, a state of siege was introduced. All strikes and demonstrations were banned, and the media were subject to strict wartime censorship. With regard to labor relations, wages were frozen at pre-war levels, strikes were banned, vacations were not granted, and the law on the 40-hour work week was repealed.
During the Second World War, France pursued a rather tough policy within the country, especially with regard to the PCF (French Communist Party). The communists were declared practically outlaws. Their mass arrests began. The deputies were deprived of immunity and were put on trial. But the apogee of the "fight against aggressors" was the document dated November 18, 1939 - "Decree on Suspicious". According to this document, the government could imprison almost any person in a concentration camp, considering him suspicious and dangerous to the state and society. In less than two months of this decree, more than 15,000 communists found themselves in concentration camps. And in April of the following year, another decree was adopted, which equated communist activity with treason, and citizens convicted of this were punished by death.
German invasion of France
After the defeat of Poland and Scandinavia, Germany began the transfer of the main forces to the Western Front. By May 1940, there was no longer the advantage that countries such as England and France had. World War II was destined to move to the lands of "peacekeepers" who wanted to appease Hitler by giving him everything he asked for.
On May 10, 1940, Germany launched an invasion of the West. In less than a month, the Wehrmacht managed to break Belgium, Holland, the British Expeditionary Force, as well as the most combat-ready French forces. All Northern France and Flanders were occupied. The morale of the French soldiers was low, while the Germans believed even more in their invincibility. The matter remained small. In ruling circles, as well as in the army, fermentation began. On June 14, Paris was surrendered to the Nazis, and the government fled to the city of Bordeaux.
Mussolini also did not want to miss the division of trophies. And on June 10, believing that France no longer poses a threat, he invaded the territory of the state. However, the Italian troops, almost twice as numerous, were not successful in the fight against the French. France in World War II managed to show what she is capable of. And even on June 21, on the eve of the signing of the surrender, 32 Italian divisions were stopped by the French. It was a complete failure of the Italians.
French surrender in World War II
After England, fearing that the French fleet would fall into the hands of the Germans, scuttled most of it, France severed all diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom. On June 17, 1940, her government rejected English sentence about an indestructible alliance and the need to continue the struggle to the last.
On June 22, in the forest of Compiègne, in the carriage of Marshal Foch, an armistice was signed between France and Germany. France, it promised serious consequences, primarily economic. Two-thirds of the country became German territory, while the southern part was declared independent, but obliged to pay 400 million francs a day! Most of the raw materials and finished products went to support the German economy, and primarily the army. More than 1 million French citizens were sent as labor force to Germany. The country's economy and economy suffered huge losses, which would subsequently have an impact on the industrial and agricultural development of France after the Second World War.
Vichy mode
After the capture of northern France in the resort town of Vichy, it was decided to transfer the authoritarian supreme power in southern "independent" France to Philippe Pétain. This marked the end of the Third Republic and the establishment of the Vichy government (from location). France in the Second World War showed itself not with the most better side especially during the years of the Vichy regime.
At first, the regime found support among the population. However, it was a fascist government. Communist ideas were banned, Jews, just like in all the territories occupied by the Nazis, were driven to death camps. For one killed German soldier, death overtook 50-100 ordinary citizens. The Vichy government itself did not have a regular army. There were few armed forces necessary to maintain order and obedience, while the soldiers did not have any serious military weapons.
The regime existed for quite a long time - from July 1940 to the end of April 1945.
Liberation of France
On June 6, 1944, one of the largest military-strategic operations started - the opening of the Second Front, which began with the landing of the Anglo-American allied forces in Normandy. Fierce battles began on the territory of France for its liberation, together with the allies, the French themselves carried out actions to liberate the country as part of the Resistance movement.
France in World War II dishonored itself in two ways: firstly, by being defeated, and secondly, by collaborating with the Nazis for almost 4 years. Although General de Gaulle tried with all his might to create a myth that the entire French people as a whole fought for the country's independence, not helping Germany in anything, but only weakening it with various sorties and sabotage. "Paris has been liberated by French hands," de Gaulle asserted confidently and solemnly.
The surrender of the occupying troops took place in Paris on August 25, 1944. The Vichy government then existed in exile until the end of April 1945.
After that, something unimaginable began in the country. Face to face met those who were declared bandits under the Nazis, that is, partisans, and those who lived happily under the Nazis. Often there was a public lynching of the henchmen of Hitler and Pétain. The Anglo-American allies, who saw this with their own eyes, did not understand what was happening, and urged the French partisans to come to their senses, but they were simply furious, believing that their time had come. A large number of French women, declared fascist whores, were publicly disgraced. They were dragged out of their houses, dragged to the square, where they were shaved and led along the main streets so that everyone could see, often while all their clothes were torn off. The first years of France after the Second World War, in short, experienced remnants of that recent, but such a sad past, when social tension and at the same time the revival of the national spirit intertwined, creating an uncertain situation.
End of the war. Outcomes for France
The role of France in World War II was not decisive for its entire course, but there was still a certain contribution, at the same time there were negative consequences for it.
The French economy was practically destroyed. Industry, for example, produced only 38% of the output of the pre-war level. About 100 thousand French did not return from the battlefields, about two million were held captive until the end of the war. Military equipment most of it was destroyed, the fleet was sunk.
The policy of France after the Second World War is associated with the name of the military and politician Charles de Gaulle. First post-war years were aimed at restoring the economy and social welfare of French citizens. The losses of France in World War II could have been much lower, or perhaps they would not have happened at all if, on the eve of the war, the governments of England and France had not tried to “appease” Hitler, but would have immediately dealt with the not yet strong German army with one hard blow. a fascist monster that almost swallowed the whole world.
In 1939-1940, everyone shuddered in anticipation of a recurrence of the nightmare positional slaughter First World War 1914-1918. But Germany managed to defeat the armies of France (134 divisions), Great Britain (15 divisions), the Netherlands (10 divisions) and Belgium (20 divisions) within just six weeks. Despite the transience of the campaign was bloody: about 200 thousand people died.
Brief chronicle of the campaign
| the date | Developments |
| September 1, 1939 | German invasion of Poland. Started the German-Polish war in 1939. |
| September 2, 1939 | Poland demands help from France and Great Britain. The latter sends an ultimatum to Germany. |
| September 3, 1939 | Britain and France declare war on Germany. The British Expeditionary Force is formed for the war in France. Beginning of the European War of 1939-1941. |
| October 6, 1939 | End of organizational resistance in Poland. End of the German-Polish war of 1939. |
| January 10, 1940 | A German staff plane makes an emergency landing in Belgium. The allies receive plans to attack France and the Netherlands. Germany changes its plan of attack in the west. |
| April 9, 1940 | Germany begins to invade Denmark and Norway. The first surrendered, the second continued to resist. |
| April 15, 1940 | British troops land in Norway. |
| May 10, 1940 | Beginning of Operation Gelb - the German invasion of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France (at 5.30 am). British troops advance to Belgium. |
| May 11, 1940 | Churchill leads the British government. RAF raid on Germany. A glider attack captured Fort Eyen-Emael in Belgium. |
| May 12, 1940 | Guderian's 19th Panzer Corps reaches the Meuse River in France. |
| May 13, 1940 | The Germans cross the Meuse at Sedan. |
| May 14, 1940 | Fall of Rotterdam, surrender of the Dutch army. Heavy Allied casualties in counterattacks against the German foothold at Sedan, supported by the RAF, |
| May 16, 1940 | The British begin their retreat from Belgium to avoid encirclement. Antwerp fell. The Germans are wedged in the northwest of the Maginot Line. |
| May 17, 1940 | Von Kleist stopped the advance of Guderian's tanks in order to consolidate German forces around the Sedan bridgehead. Guderian disagrees and gets permission for the stake to advance another 55 miles. German tanks cross the river Oise and are ordered to stop, as Hitler feared a French counter-offensive from the south, into the open flank of the Germans. |
| May 18, 1940 | The Germans reach St. Quentin. Renault became Minister of National Defense of France. |
| May 19, 1940 | Gamelin, Commander-in-Chief of the Allies, is replaced by Weygand. The British commander Gort demands from his government a retreat to Dunkirk. |
| May 20, 1940 | Amiens fell, the Germans reach Abbville and the English Channel. |
| May 21, 1940 | British armored counterattack near Arras. |
| May 22, 1940 | The Germans begin the assault on Boulogne. |
| May 24, 1940 | Von Rundstedt, in conjunction with Hitler, stops the advance on Dunkirk, which was decided to be neutralized as a port with the help of the Luftwaffe. The battles for Boulogne and Calais continue. |
| May 25, 1940 | Boulogne has fallen. |
| May 26, 1940 | The attack on Dunkirk resumed. |
| May 27, 1940 | Kale fell. The evacuation of the allied forces from Dunkirk begins. 7,669 people were taken out. |
| May 28, 1940 | Belgium capitulates. 17,804 people were taken out of Dunkirk. |
| May 29, 1940 | Lille Ostend and Ypres fell. 47,310 people were taken out of Dunkirk. |
| May 30, 1940 | 53,823 people were taken out of Dunkirk. |
| May 31, 1940 | 68,014 people were taken out of Dunkirk. |
| June 1, 1940 | 64,729 people were taken out of Dunkirk. |
| June 2, 1940 | 26,256 people were taken out of Dunkirk. |
| June 3, 1940 | 26,746 people were taken out of Dunkirk. |
| June 4, 1940 | End of the evacuation from Dunkirk. 26,175 people were taken out of Dunkirk. Evacuated 338,526 people, mostly British, and 125,000 French. |
| June 5, 1940 | Beginning of Operation Roth - the German offensive in Central and Southern France. Strong French resistance south of Amiens and Peronne. |
| June 8, 1940 | British troops leave Norway. |
| June 9, 1940 | The British 51st Mountain Division arrives at Le Havre. |
| June 10, 1940 | Italy declares war on France and Great Britain. The Alpine front appears: 4 French divisions against 28 Italian ones. The Germans cross the Seine. |
| June 12, 1940 | Paris is declared an open city, the rejection of its defense. The British 51st Division surrenders at St. Valery after being surrounded. The Germans occupy Le Havre. Lieutenant General Alan Brooke leads the British forces in the Cherbourg area. Brook decides to retreat. |
| June 14, 1940 | The Germans occupy Paris. |
| June 15, 1940 | Pétain replaces Renault as French commander-in-chief and approaches Germany with a proposal for a truce. |
| June 18, 1940 | Evacuation from French ports of about two hundred thousand people and three hundred guns of guns. 30,630 people left Cherbourg, 32,584 people from Brest, 21,474 people from Saint-Malo, and more than 60,000 people from Nantes. In Nantes, the Luftwaffe sank the ship Lancastria, with which three thousand people drowned. Small groups of troops were evacuated from Bordeaux, Bayonne, Le Verdon and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. |
| June 22, 1940 | France and Germany sign an armistice. Guderian's corps alone captured 150,000 prisoners. |
| June 24, 1940 | France and Italy sign an armistice. In the battles with Italy, France lost 300 people. |
| June 25, 1940 | End of hostilities in France. The official end of the evacuation of troops from the Atlantic ports of France. Unofficially continued until August 14, 1940. 191,870 people were taken out: 144,171 British, 24,352 Poles, 18,246 French, 4,938 Czechs and 163 Belgians. |
| July 1, 1940 | The Germans occupy the Channel Islands, which belong to Great Britain. |
| July 3, 1940 | British attack on the French warships at Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria, on the pretext of their possible falling into German hands. |
Germany estimated its possible losses in the operation to capture the Benelux and France in 1940 at 290 thousand people: 90 thousand killed and 200 thousand wounded. In reality, Germany lost 29,640 killed and 133,573 wounded in six weeks, for a total of 163,213 men. There is evidence that Germany lost 138 thousand people in the West in 1940: more than 27 thousand killed and about 111 thousand wounded. France lost 92,000 killed, 200,000 wounded and 1.8 million captured. Britain lost 68,000 killed (3,500 in the army, 1,500 in the air force), wounded and missing, including prisoners. The Netherlands suffered some losses(for 9 days of fighting) and Belgium (for 17 days of fighting). In mid-June, Italy launched an unsuccessful offensive against France in the Alps. Let's summarize the data in a table:
| Country | Killed | Wounded | Missing, captured | Total |
| Germany | 27 074 -29 640 | 111 034 -133 573 | 18 384 | 156 492 -163 213 |
| Italy | 600 | 5 000 | ||
| Total Axis: | 27 674 -30 240 | 161 492 -168 213 | ||
| France | 90 000-123 000 | 200 000-230 000 | 1 500 000 - 1 900 000 | 2 190 000- 2 253 000 |
| Great Britain | 5 000 | 68 111 | ||
| Belgium | 7 500 | 23 350 | ||
| Netherlands | 3 000 | 9 779 | ||
| Total allies: | 105 500 - 138 500 | 2 291 240 | ||
| Total | 133 174 - 168 740 | 311 034 - 363 573 (excluding Italy, UK, Belgium, the Netherlands) | 2 452 732 - 2 522 453 |
German losses in the Battle of France in 1940 were only a third of those in the Battle of Verdun in 1916. In the first three decisive weeks, by the time of Dunkirk, the Germans had lost as much as the British on the first day of the Somme offensive in 1916 - 60 thousand people. Even in the advanced German divisions, the losses were relatively small. So, in the 7th tank division Rommel's losses for the campaign amounted to 2,273 killed and wounded, the Grossdeutschland Regiment lost 1,108 men, including 221 killed, out of 3,900 personnel. The 3rd Infantry Division lost 1,649 men. In view of the new forms of struggle, the role of officers on the battlefield has increased, so 5% of the Germans who died in battles were officers. After the armistice was concluded, the commander of the 31st Panzer Regiment of the 5th Panzer Division, Colonel Werner, died of a heart attack.
The British Air Force lost 1,526 men in the Battle of France in 1940. and 931 aircraft, including 229 Air Force aircraft in France, 279 aircraft from the British Expeditionary Force, about 200 from fighter aircraft, 150 from bomber aircraft and 60 from Coastal Command. Germany lost 1400 aircraft. Britain also lost 64,000 vehicles and 2,500 guns in the campaign.
After France's withdrawal from the war, Great Britain waged an undeclared war in 1940-1942 against its recent ally, attacking its fleet in Africa and capturing its colonies: the Levant, Madagascar, North-West Africa. Several thousand people were killed in these battles. Only in the north of Madagascar in May 1942, 500 people were killed in battles, Great Britain lost one ship.
In the summer of 1942, Great Britain tried to land troops in France, in the Dieppe region. Five thousand men, mostly Canadians, landed and were routed by the Germans within nine hours. The dead lost 907 people: 56 officers and 851 lower ranks. In total, the Canadians lost 3369 people. Almost two thousand people were taken prisoner. Canadian prisoners lost more than in the eleven months of the campaign in Europe of 1944-1945 or in the twenty months of the campaign in Italy of 1943-1945.
Sources:
Deighton Len Blood, Tears and Folly An Objective Look at World War II - William Collins, 2014
Grainger John D. Traditional Enemies Britain`s War with Vichy France 1940-1942- Pen & Sword Military, 2013
Montgomery Bernard The Memoirs of Field Marshal Montgomery - Pen & Sword Military, 2006
Nolan Cathal J. The Concise Encyclopedia of World War II - ABC-CLIO, 2010
Richardson Mattew Tigers at Dunkirk The Leicestershire regiment and the fall of France - Pen & Sword Military, 201 0
Warner Philip The Battle for France Six weeks that changed the world - Pen & Sword Military, 201 0
Wragg David Sink the French - Pen & Sword Maritime, 2007
On the eve of World War II, the French army was considered one of the most powerful in the world. But in a direct clash with Germany in May 1940, the French were enough for a few weeks of resistance.
Useless superiority
By the beginning of World War II, France had the 3rd largest army in the world in terms of the number of tanks and aircraft, second only to the USSR and Germany, as well as the 4th navy after Britain, the USA and Japan. The total number of French troops numbered more than 2 million people. The superiority of the French army in manpower and equipment over the forces of the Wehrmacht on Western front was undeniable. For example, the French Air Force included about 3,300 aircraft, of which half were the latest combat vehicles. The Luftwaffe could only count on 1,186 aircraft. With the arrival of reinforcements from the British Isles - an expeditionary force in the amount of 9 divisions, as well as air units, including 1,500 combat vehicles - the advantage over the German troops became more than obvious. Nevertheless, in a matter of months, there was no trace of the former superiority of the allied forces - the well-trained and tactically superior army of the Wehrmacht eventually forced France to capitulate.
The line that didn't defend
The French command assumed that german army will act as it did during the First World War - that is, it will attack France from the northeast from Belgium. The entire load in this case was to fall on the defensive redoubts of the Maginot Line, which France began to build in 1929 and improved until 1940. For the construction of the Maginot Line, which stretches for 400 km, the French spent a fabulous amount - about 3 billion francs (or 1 billion dollars). Massive fortifications included multi-level underground forts with living quarters, ventilation systems and elevators, electrical and telephone stations, hospitals and narrow gauge railways. railways. Gun casemates from air bombs were supposed to be protected by a concrete wall 4 meters thick. Personnel French troops on the Maginot Line reached 300 thousand people. According to military historians, the Maginot Line, in principle, coped with its task. There were no breakthroughs of German troops on its most fortified sections. But the German army group "B", having bypassed the line of fortifications from the north, threw the main forces into its new sections, which were built on swampy terrain, and where the construction of underground structures was difficult. There, the French could not hold back the onslaught of the German troops.
Surrender in 10 minutes
On June 17, 1940, the first meeting of the collaborationist government of France, headed by Marshal Henri Petain, took place. It lasted only 10 minutes. During this time, the ministers unanimously voted for the decision to turn to the German command and ask him to end the war on French territory. For these purposes, the services of an intermediary were used. The new Minister of Foreign Affairs, P. Baudouin, through the Spanish Ambassador Lekeric, transmitted a note in which the French government asked Spain to turn to the German leadership with a request to stop hostilities in France, and also to find out the terms of the armistice. At the same time, a proposal for a truce was sent to Italy through the papal nuncio. On the same day, Petain turned on the radio to the people and the army, urging them to "stop the fight."
Last stronghold
At the signing of the armistice (act of surrender) between Germany and France, Hitler was wary of the vast colonies of the latter, many of which were ready to continue resistance. This explains some of the relaxations in the treaty, in particular, the preservation of part navy France to maintain "order" in their colonies. England was also vitally interested in the fate of the French colonies, since the threat of their capture by German forces was highly valued. Churchill hatched plans for a French government in exile that would grant de facto control of Britain's French overseas possessions. General Charles de Gaulle, who created a government in opposition to the Vichy regime, directed all his efforts to seizing the colonies. However, the North African administration turned down an offer to join the Free French. A completely different mood reigned in the colonies of Equatorial Africa - already in August 1940, Chad, Gabon and Cameroon joined de Gaulle, which created the conditions for the general to form the state apparatus.
Fury of Mussolini
Realizing that the defeat of France from Germany was inevitable, Mussolini on June 10, 1940 declared war on her. The Italian Army Group "West" of Prince Umberto of Savoy, with forces of over 300 thousand people, with the support of 3 thousand guns, launched an offensive in the Alps. However, the opposing army of General Aldry successfully repelled these attacks. By June 20, the offensive of the Italian divisions became more fierce, but they managed to advance only slightly in the Menton area. Mussolini was furious - his plans to seize a large piece of its territory by the time of France's surrender had failed. The Italian dictator has already begun to prepare an airborne assault, but has not received approval for this operation from the German command. On June 22, an armistice was signed between France and Germany, and two days later a similar agreement was signed between France and Italy. So, with a "victorious embarrassment" Italy entered the Second World War.
Victims
During the active phase of the war, which lasted from May 10 to June 21, 1940, the French army lost about 300 thousand people killed and wounded. Half a million were taken prisoner. tank corps and the French Air Force were partially destroyed, the other part went to the German armed forces. At the same time, Britain will liquidate the French fleet in order to avoid it falling into the hands of the Wehrmacht. Despite the fact that the capture of France took place in a short time, its armed forces gave a worthy rebuff to the German and Italian troops. For a month and a half of the war, the Wehrmacht lost more than 45 thousand people killed and missing, about 11 thousand were wounded. The French sacrifices of German aggression could not have been in vain if the French government had made a series of concessions put forward by Britain in exchange for the entry of the royal armed forces into the war. But France chose to capitulate.
Paris - a place of convergence
According to the armistice agreement, Germany occupied only the western coast of France and the northern regions of the country, where Paris was located. The capital was a kind of place of "French-German" rapprochement. Here they lived peacefully German soldiers and Parisians: they went to the cinema together, visited museums or just sat in a cafe. After the occupation, theaters also revived - their box office receipts tripled compared to pre-war years. Paris very quickly became the cultural center of occupied Europe. France lived as before, as if there were no months of desperate resistance and unfulfilled hopes. German propaganda managed to convince many French people that capitulation is not a disgrace to the country, but a road to the "bright future" of a renewed Europe.
German invasion of France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (1940) World War II Map of the French campaign Date May 10, 1940 June 22 ... Wikipedia
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Come. German actions. fash. troops on May 10 on June 24 against the forces of the Anglo-French. coalition in France during the Second World War 1939 45. The goals of the German. fash. leadership were the occupation of the Netherlands and Belgium and the withdrawal of France from the war. During F. to. it was ... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia
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May 10-June 24, 1940, offensive actions of German troops in France during the 2nd World War. In May, German troops, advancing through Luxembourg and Belgium, broke through to the English Channel in the Calais region and surrounded the Anglo-French-Belgian troops in ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
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XX century: 1940 1949 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 ... Wikipedia
April 28, 2015, 00:46 So it is clear that if you read this, and even believe, then it is useless to talk with you. You need to go to historical sites and read, and not to those where on every centimeter "The immortal feat of Russian greatness"))) It is clear that the truth is there with a gulkin nose. What are such pearls worth, for example: "Army Group B". For the offensive on Stalingrad, the 6th Army (commander - F. Paulus) was allocated. It included 13 divisions, in which there were about 270 thousand people, 3 thousand . guns and mortars, and about 500 tanks.". And isn't it a shame to write "army group" about one army?
Let's add a thousand pilots. How much will it take? But how many: "In total, about 2 million soldiers and officers took part in the battle from Germany." 270 thousand people, plus a thousand = 2 million!!!
Now it is clear why you carry nonsense with such persistence constantly and purposefully. No one has ever taught you to analyze or even count. Stupidly repeating conclusions from propaganda sites, not even trying to delve into the description itself, where the hell are found.
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