THE Battle of France made possible the German invasion in May 1940 during the Second World War. France, which was considered by hitler continental Europe's greatest threat to the West, was conquered with surprising speed. Allied forces failed to fight the German war machine and succumbed in a vexatious manner. Domination of that country fueled the Nazi leader's ambition for new achievements.
Beginning of World War II
The beginning of World War II was still recent, marked by the invasion of poland on September 1, 1939. The British and French declared war on Germany as part of the protection agreement signed with Poland, but did not attack the Germans at the first moment. The conquest of that country, then, was quick: on September 28, the capital Warsaw surrendered to the Nazis.
Germany's next step was to occupy Holland, Belgium and France, however, unforeseen events led to the postponement of these invasion plans. So Hitler was persuaded to make a brief campaign against Norway. On April 9, the attack on that country began with the conviction that its conquest would be vital to guaranteeing Nazi control over Swedish iron production. In addition, the Norwegian territory would make it possible to form air bases that would attack the United Kingdom from the flank.
In this context, the allies they were formed only by the United Kingdom and France. The entry of the Soviet Union only took place after June 1941, and that of the United States after December 1941. already the Axle it was formed only by Germany and Italy. Japan joined the Axis only in September 1940. Other countries, such as Hungary and Romania, joined the Axis as collaborationists throughout the war.
war strategies
The conquest of France was vital to Hitler's plans. First, the German leader believed that a victory over the French and, consequently, the isolation of the United Kingdom could enable him to negotiate the terms of British surrender. In another case, this British isolation in the war could facilitate the Nazi invasion. Finally, the closure of the western front could allow Hitler to focus on his main objectives: the invasion of the Soviet Union, the enslavement of the Slavs and the destruction of the Bolshevism.
The French strategy was to wage the fight against Germany outside its territories, especially in Belgium. The intention was not to repeat the traumas caused by the trench conflict, such as that which occurred during the First World War. The German strategy, on the contrary, intended precisely to take the war into French territory in order to conquer Paris as soon as possible.
The German tactic consisted of carrying out three large simultaneous attacks at different points in the French defense. The German groups and their places of attack were as follows:
Army Group B: this group would invade and conquer Holland and Belgium and then carry out the attack against France. His soldiers were led by General Fedor von Bock.
Army Group A: intended to occupy France from the Ardennes Forest, a region considered uninhabitable by the French army. His soldiers were led by Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt.
Army Group C: would attack the Maginot Line, a set of French fortifications built along the border with Germany. His soldiers were led by General Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb.
This German strategy foresaw that the French would reinforce their defenses along the Belgian border, once the Maginot Line it guaranteed considerable protection of the south of the French border, which would allow France to move soldiers to other less protected parts. Furthermore, the Germans were counting on the fact that the French would not expect an attack across the Ardennes as it was a region of dense forests.
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Invasion of France
The battle for France began with the occupations of Holland and Belgium as part of German strategy. Germany's attack began at dawn on May 10, 1940. The invasion of Holland and Belgium was partially carried out with the use of parachutists launched at strategic points. One such place was the Belgian fortress of Eben Emael, considered invincible and conquered by the Germans in a day of battle.
Part of Germany's war tactic in the invasion of France was to blitzkrieg, innovative and vital technique that secured some German victories until 1941. This tactic consisted of carrying out coordinated infantry (allied with artillery), aviation and armor attacks at a strategic point in the opposing line. The aim was to create a breach through which German armies would penetrate enemy territory.
While the Germans attacked the Netherlands and Belgium, the main movement was taking place in the Ardennes region. This strategy aimed to attack the weakest part of the defense line in order to penetrate French soil and, with a pincer movement, corner the French army that was in Belgium between Armies A and B. The attack in the Ardennes mobilized 134,000 soldiers with 1,222 tanks|1|.
This attack through the Ardennes caught the French defense totally unprepared. It was the weakest position in the French army, and historians report that, despite some displays of bravery, the picture there was one of general flight. The French put up some resistance to avoid crossing the Meuse River, but historians claim that the French army failed to realize the real strategy of the German army.
So, after crossing the Meuse River, the German troops headed north to corner the French and British troops who were in Belgium. The Germans managed to corner more than 300,000 Allied soldiers. To avoid a disaster, the British organized the Dynamo Operation, also known as Dunkirk Retreat.
In the Dunkirk Retreat, the UK mobilized as many vessels as possible to withdraw its troops from Belgium. During the Operation, about 338,000 soldiers, including British, French and Belgians, were evacuated and taken to England. However, the evacuation was only possible because Hitler had purposely ordered his troops to slow down. The operation took place from May 26th to June 4th, 1940.
Despite the heroic evacuation, the disaster had been great because, in addition to suffering a defeat, the United Kingdom abandoned a considerable amount of supplies and equipment, according to the Hastings' record: “The British Expeditionary Force left behind, in France, 64,000 vehicles, 76,000 tons of ammunition, 2,500 cannons and more than 400,000 tons of provisions"|2|.
After the Dunkirk Retreat, the Germans continued their advance into France and thus led about eight million Frenchmen to flee their homes. When the Germans entered Paris on June 14, 1940, the city was almost completely deserted. The French surrender was made official on June 22, 1940.
Consequences
With the victory in France, Hitler was able to devote himself to the attack against the United Kingdom. The following events of the war were marked by heavy air attacks, mainly on London. Furthermore, the rapid conquests led to great euphoria among the Germans and heightened Hitler's ambition to secure control of the Soviet Union. This step was taken by him in June 1941.
|1| HASTINGS, Max. The world at war 1939-1945. Rio de Janeiro: Intrinsic, 2012, p. 68.
|2| Idem, p. 81-82.
By Daniel Neves
Graduated in History
