France during the war of 1939-1940

This article treats history of the France between on September 3rd, 1939, dates from the declaration of war of France and of the United Kingdom in Germany and on June 24th, 1940 (June 22nd, 1940 dates from the armistice with the IIIème Reich, June 24th, 1940 dates from the armistice with fascistic Italy) and in preamble recalls some major points of the origins of the war 1939-1940.

Preamble

• July 18th, 1936 at April 1st, 1939: the War of civil Spain. The 1st English minister Neville Chamberlain refusing to help the Spanish Republican Government made that the government of Leon Blum could not derogate from the agreements of the Harmony Franco-Britannique, this fact allowed Hitler and Mussolini to as well have the freehands to intervene with dimensions of the Spanish soldiers putschists led by Franco as to test their respective machines of war.
• September 30th, 1938: agreements of Munich. Before signing this agreement the 1st English minister Neuville Chamberlain had met 3 Hitler times knowing that the United Kingdom was sufficiently not armed to face the ambitions of 3rd Reich and that the British and French populations did not want a new war. At the time of its return to London NR. Chamberlain declares: “My good friends, for the second time of our history, British a Prime Minister returns from Germany bringing peace in the honor. I believe that it is peace for our time… Turn over to the house and sleep peacefully.” (" My good friends, for the second time in our history, has British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honor. I believe it is peace for our time… Go home and get has calm Nice sleep.") like…. . Of sound with dimensions Edouard Daladier - President of the Council, land-mark and lucid, will entrust to Saint-John Perse, alias Alexis Leger, general secretary of the Quay of Orsay - on the aircraft of the return: " Idiots! Ah idiots! If they knew what awaits them…
• March 15th, 1939: invasion of the Czechoslovakia by 3rd Reich.
• September 1st, 1939, with 4:45 of the morning: the German troops invade Poland, without declaration of war, and after intense bombardments. The United Kingdom and France declare the war later only 2 days!.

The declaration of war

September 3rd, 1939: in answer to the invasion of the Poland by the troops of Adolf Hitler, France and the the United Kingdom the war with the III {{E}} Reich declare.

The funny one of war

See also: Funny of war

Adopting then a defensive strategy, the two allied ones, instead of invading the Germany whose army is occupied in Poland, let this one regulate their account with the Polish troops quietly. France reacts mollement while launching the September 7th, nine of its 102 divisions in an offensive on the Saar. Germany however did not condescend to react, but very quickly in front of the speed to which the Polish army, organized with the French councils, crumbles (hardly more than one week!), thus reinforcing the myth of an invincible German army, France points out its troops which leave Germany the October 17th. The French thus remain behind the Ligne Maginot and " play the montre" : the maritime blockade which will cause German collapse as in 14 - 18. It is the Drôle of war .

The German offensive

See also: Battle of France

But the May 10th 1940, Hitler attacks by invading the Netherlands, the Luxembourg and the Belgium. The French command expected and launches its troops it the defense of the Belgium, as envisaged. Using with full the concepts of the French innovators with 1918, ignored by their own command (shock and speed, couple tank-plane, concentration), the spearhead of the German army (ten armor-plated divisions) crosses the massive of the Ardennes, considered to be impenetrable by the French generals (and thus badly defended, and badly constant when the attack appeared obvious) and encircles South towards North the committed Franco-British army in Belgium.

At the beginning of June the mass is known as. Valiantly defended around Dunkirk by some French divisions which are sacrificed, the British quota regains the England at the time of the Opération Dynamo, the government leaves Paris the June 10th for Bordeaux. The refugees who flee the Belgium and the North of France are then joined by 2 million refugees of the Paris region. For Jean-Pierre Azéma, between the May 15th and the June 10th, at least 6 million French will have given up their residence and will have taken part in the exodus of 1940, being found on the roads under the attacks of the Luftwaffe and ruining French military logistics. The Bataille of France is lost, in spite of the savage and heroic resistance of many units. The military countryside causes close to 100  000 dead French and 40  000 German, and the Germans make more than two million prisoners.

The June 10th 1940, Mussolini, combined Hitler, declares the war in France, but does not manage to advance its troops through the the well defended Alps. Free, solicited, refuses to enter in war against France, even when French collapse is obvious.

The request for armistice

It is panic in France in the political world and soldier. The ones are resigned to the defeat and claim the Armistice, the others want to continue the fight with the British as promised, while resting on the colonies and in particular the Algérie.

It is the first camp, supported by the general Maxime Weygand the marshal Pétain, Pierre Laval and François Darlan, which carries it. The general de Gaulle, in favor of the continuation of the war, joined London, where he pronounces his call become famous but relatively unperceived past in ambient chaos. The core of the free France is constituted then, with other French volunteers. Other personalities also took refuge in America. The President of the Council Paul Reynaud, which wanted to continue the fight to him, finally chooses to resign the June 16th 1940.

The president of the Republic Albert Lebrun then names Philippe Pétain President of the Council. The following day, this last announces with the radio that France must cease the combat and require the armistice. The Government Philippe Pétain, made up with Bordeaux the June 17th, and the Parlement will settle in July with Vichy, calm city, and having great hotel capacities.

The June 22nd 1940, the French delegation must go to sign with Rethondes in the Wagon of the armistice, that one even which had been used as framework with the armistice of the First World War and in front of the monument which spoke about the criminal pride of the German Empire overcome by the people that he wanted to make slaves, the armistice. Hitler then explodes the monument in front of the cameras. As for the coach it will be sent to a Berliner museum where it will be destroyed by a bombardment combined in 1943. The Germany thus intends to erase the defeat of the First World War and to humiliate France.

In spite of the signature of the Armistice (in Rethondes) German and Italian continue their military projection until June 24th, 1940 midnight with the result that the 2/3 of France are invaded as well as the British Channel Islands.

June 24th, 1940, France must also sign an armistice with Italy which had of sound with dimensions invades several border zones of Savoy with Menton.

The armistice

See also: Armistice of June 22nd, 1940

The conditions of the armistice are justified by the concerns of Hitler at that time: Is needed of course, to prevent in a durable way that France does not become again a military great power, but in the short run, it should be taken care that its fleet does not join the the United Kingdom which remains the last country to be overcome or allure, because an peace agreement with the the United Kingdom remains wished in this end of June. Lastly, froisser is needed neither the Italian ally, nor the Spanish allied potential. These are these complex considerations which will determine the contents of the convention of armistice, a short text of twenty-four articles, which contains in particular the following clauses:

  • the prisoners of war (more than 1,5 million men) remain in captivity to the signature of an peace agreement.

  • the northern half, as well as the Atlantic coast, pass under German occupation: it is the occupied Zone, which covers about the three fifths of the territory. The remainder constituting the free Zone, i.e. nonoccupied, gathered primarily in the south of the the Loire. Two zones being separate between them by the Line of demarcation.
  • France must provide for maintenance with the occupying army. It proved that the rising one of these allowances was going to be fixed in a quasi-discrétionnaire way by the Germans, and their amount will rise, on average, to 400 franc million per day.
  • In the free Zone , the French Army is limited to 100  000 men.
  • French sovereignty is exerted on the whole of the territory, including the occupied Zone, the Alsace and the the Moselle, but in the occupied Zone, it is stipulated that Germany exerts the rights of the occupying power , which implies that the administration collaborates with her in a correct way .
  • the French Empire also remains under the authority of the French government.
  • the men-of-war join their home ports of the time of peace, of which some, like Brest, were in occupied Zone (" The designation of these ports will be made according to the home ports of the ships in times of paix") .
  • France must deliver the German or Austrian refugees political present on its ground.

Moreover, the Italy although asserting old the County of Nice and the Savoy, which she did not manage to seize, must be satisfied with Menton. The other asserted territories will be occupied by the Italian army only the November 11th 1942, during the invasion of the nonoccupied zone before.

References

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