Notes
- Hitler begins his attack on the west starting with the neutral "Low Countries" on May 10, 1940.
- Netherlands surrendered in 4 days
- Belgium surrendered in 18 days
- Luxembourg surrendered in 2 days
- The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the French try to defend Belgium but are too late.
- The invasion of France consists of the Germans breaking through the Dyle Line of defence and the Ardennes (a region of forests) to rush to the coast.
- They surround about 500,000 troops in 17 days.
- During the battle of Dunkirk, after the British realized they were surrounded, they ordered the navy to organize an evacuation.
- About 340,000 troops are saved in the time frame of about a week. This is thought as a small Allied victory by many, however Winston Churchill said that "Wars are not won on evacuations".
- The fall of Paris
- The rest of France fell quickly after the Dyle line fell and the British were evacuated.
- Italy declares war on France on June 10 and Paris falls on June 14.
- The rest of France fell on June 22 because the Maginot line was useless, the German tanks were better, the Luftwaffe was too strong and there was political dissension in France.
- The Germans allowed France to exist.
- Marshal Petain was an anti-war French Prime Minister that accepted the terms of surrender. He accepted the new borders of France in the South with the capital city at Vichy. He eventually became a calibrator like Quisling.
- The Free French Army that had escaped to England were organized by General Charles De Gaulle.
Video
Summary
Hitler attacked France and began with his low lands and then. Countries started to surrender. The French tried to defend Hitler but it was already too late and they invaded France.
Audio
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Political Cartoon
Quotes
"The attack through the south of France was far removed geographically from the troops in northern France that there was no tactical connection between them." -General Bernard Montgomery
Subjunctive Question
"There is nothing preventing the enemy reaching Paris. We were fighting on our last line and it has been breached. I am helpless, I cannot intervene." - French General Maxime Weygand