1939 - 1941: Fall of France

1939 - 1941: Fall of France

1. Jan 1940 - a German air force plane loses its way over Belgium and makes a forced landing - plans were found about a planned attack of France similar to the Schliefflen plan of WW1. The Germans must re-plan

   • It is decided that a new plan, an attack through the Ardennes will take place. DeGaulle, a French soldier, works this out but no one listens to him - the Allies station most troops on the Maginot Line

2. 10th May 1940 - German troops attack Holland and Belgium to lure 1/3 of Allied troops away from France

   • 12th May 1940 - German Panzer divisions attack France, and the Allies react slowly, highlighting the weaknesses in air cover and communication
     • 15th May 1940 - Holland surrenders
       • The Germans aim to cut Allied forces in two and drive towards the coast.
         • 19th May - General Gamelin is replaced by Weygand
         • 20th May 1940 - Germans reach the coast
           • 28th May - Belgium surrenders

3. End of May 1940 - Dunkirk. The BEF and French 1st Army were boxed in at Dunkirk, and the decision was made to evacuate. Approx. 338 000 men were evacuated from Dunkirk by a variety of ships and vessels. It was able to take place due to the Germans halting to tend to their tanks, bad weather and the role of the RAF in fending off the Luftwaffe.

4. 14th June - The Germans take Paris

   • 21st June - an armistice is signed and Marshal Pétain took control of the unoccupied southern area of France and established the Vichy government

5. LAND

6. Why were the Germans so successful?

   • France's faults: Gamelin stationed the majority of his troops at the Maginot Line - France's strongest point. French troops had poor organisation and leadership.
   • German strengths: Blitzkrieg tactics worked perfectly and the Germans' offensive tactics easily overpowered French defensive tactics

7. What did this mean for the British?

   • It was a success because of Operation Dynamo (Dunkirk) and the amount of men who were evacuated
   • It was a huge defeat because of the loss of Britain's closest ally and massive amounts of resources on French beaches after Dunkirk. It highlighted Allied weaknesses and a lack of communication between Britain and France. It also showed how unaware the Allies were of German intelligence

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