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Why was France so weak in World War II that it surrendered to Germany after only resisting for more than 40 days?
The United States, the Soviet Union, Germany and China can be role models for those who look at the great powers in World War II and seek hegemony with their combat power. Regarding the representative of France's fighting capacity, everyone first mentioned Napoleon, a French pride who swept across the European continent and flew the French tricolor flag high in the European continent. With this hero in front, the fighting capacity of the French during World War II was simply weak.

Let's talk about it next, shall we? Gaul rooster? what's up Wonderful performance? !

Above _ French soldiers in World War II

Above _ French Air Force? Jules. Verne? figure

1939 September 1, Nazi Germany shocked the world by raiding Poland? Blitzkrieg? It started the second world war. Is it strange that Britain and France are allies? Sit-in war? Sit and watch Poland fight alone and be defeated and fall in an instant.

1940 may 10, launched by Nazi Germany? Manstein project? First, induce the British and French allied forces to rescue the Netherlands, secretly bypass the French Third Reich and station heavily, and declare that they will never fall? Macedonian defense? In the Ardennes highlands at the junction of Luxembourg, Belgium and France. Then a large number of armored divisions were sent to surround the British and French Coalition forces in a place called? Dunkirk? Beach, a great miracle in the history of war? Dunkirk retreat? In this way, the British army returned to Britain, and France fought alone.

Above _ Dunkirk retreat

1940 June 14 Nazi German armored division entered the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. On June 22nd, Marshal Petain established Vichy France and announced his surrender.

France, one of the five permanent members in the world today, raised the white flag of surrender to Nazi Germany with dignity after only resisting for more than 40 days in World War II, which determined the historical pattern of the 20th century, and then General Charles de Gaulle went into exile in Britain. Is this fighting capacity worthy? Beat five dregs? Known as! There are many reasons why the gallic rooster in Europe was defeated so easily. Please think carefully about the following reasons.

Above _ Germans enter Paris, France during World War II.

First, the Franco-German disharmony has laid a curse. The hatred between France and Germany can be traced back to the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, when French King Charles Louis Napolé on Bonaparte was captured. Therefore, France regarded this defeat as a great shame, and at this time it has already buried a feud.

Although the First World War was won by the allied forces of Britain, France and Russia, the Third Reich of France lost miserably: at that time,14 young people were killed in France,13 was disabled, and the war loss was about 200 billion francs.

19 19, Britain, France, the United States and Italy signed the infamous Treaty of Versailles in Paris. In order to contain and retaliate against Germany, French representative Kerry Duhamel Du Monceau proposed that France should recover Alsace and Lorraine, split Germany, pay huge war reparations and destroy German military forces.

Generally speaking, Germany lost13 of its territory and110 of its population after World War I.

The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty between the victorious countries (Allies) and the defeated countries (Allies) after the First World War. Its main purpose is to weaken Germany.

Second, the political situation is chaotic and the government is incompetent. After the World War I ended with the Paris Peace Conference, the continental powers in the European War licked their wounds. With geopolitical advantages, France's political status gradually rose, and countless politicians BLACKPINK appeared, all wanting to be Napoleon's second.

The political structure of France is cabinet system, but there are a large number of political parties in the country and the cabinet changes frequently. Successive cabinet governments are weak and incompetent, and most of them are short-lived, and the people are increasingly disgusted. Freedom-loving French people envy foreign dictatorships. When World War II broke out, the political situation in Paris was chaotic and it was impossible to form a strong and effective wartime government. Coupled with the economic downturn, the lower classes are increasingly dissatisfied, and the country is in chaos, leading to collapse.

Above _ Schematic Diagram of French maginot line

Ground fortifications in maginot line, France

Third, the concept of war is outdated and the military strength is seriously outdated. In World War I, the three most famous battles were: the Battle of the Marne, the Battle of Verdun and the Battle of the Somme. The typical tactic is trench warfare. In this tactic, artillery fire is mainly used to bomb the enemy's positions, and the infantry is in charge.

The French army won the First World War by trench warfare, and naturally it became more and more fierce, spending countless materials to build the so-called never falling? Maginot line? Waiting for this line of defense to drain the blood of the Germans. As we all know, during World War II, Nazi German famous guderian put forward? Blitzkrieg? Make full use of the rapid advantages of tanks and planes to win by surprise attack. Poland died in the German Nazi Blitzkrieg, followed by France.

Above _ Heinz? William? Guderian (1June 88817 ~1May 954 14) was a general of the German Army. Founder of blitzkrieg

Fourth, the policy of appeasement, eat the consequences. The First World War brought endless disasters to people all over the world, leaving bitter memories. After the war, pacifism prevailed, war-weariness was high, and appeasement policies of great powers such as Britain, France, the United States and Italy rose. Hitler saw from a series of jaw-dropping appeasement policies of European powers such as Britain, France and so on that foreign powers were strong and hollow, and he did not hesitate to betray his allies.

So1in March, 935, Germany openly tore up the Treaty of Versailles and vigorously expanded its troops to prepare for the war.

1March 936, Germany occupied the Rhine armed zone without firing a shot; In August of the same year, he intervened in the Spanish Civil War and the Spanish Republic was betrayed.

1938, Britain and France allowed Germany to annex Austria; In the same year, Britain, France and Germany and Italy signed the infamous Munich Agreement, betraying Czechoslovakia, and Germany easily occupied the Sudetenland.

1939, Germany launched a blitzkrieg against Poland, and World War II officially broke out, but Britain and France watched Poland perish. Subsequently, only the British and French allied forces stopped the Germans in Gaul, but France's defeat was self-inflicted.

Above _ Henry? Philip? Petain (1856 April 24th-1951July 22nd), French field marshal, strategist, politician and Vichy French head of state.

Due to the above reasons, during World War II, the big BOSS was so weak that he collapsed in front of the Nazi German Iron and Steel Corps, and surrendered and died more than forty days later. However, the drama has just begun.

As a French hero in World War I, Marshal Petain was rejected before the war broke out. When the Germans entered Paris, he was ordered to form a cabinet, undertake all state affairs such as signing and surrendering, and finally shoulder the responsibility to the French people of 4 1 10,000? Traitor? Super monster!

After the restoration of France, the poor old man who dared to take responsibility was convicted of treason by the French people he protected and almost executed by his beloved France. France didn't thank marshal petain!

Above _ Charles? Andre? Joseph? Mali? Charles de Gaulle (1890165438+1October 22nd-1970165438+1October 9th) was the founder of the Fifth Republic of France.

French? Rooster? Before the war, General Charles de Gaulle put forward the battle concept of tank group army similar to the German famous guderian. Unfortunately, he was shelved by the cabinet busy with political opponents. Then, as expected, German tanks and planes occupied Paris, and there was no escape. General de Gaulle can only go into exile in Britain and lead? Free France? Do some small-scale resistance, France does not thank Charles de Gaulle!

After the Vichy government surrendered, the French dignitaries fled, France could not protect the people, and the people had to struggle to survive under Nazi occupation; After the war, France? Homecoming? Pick up a knife and aim it at the suffering French people. France does not thank its people!

Peace breeds war, and war breeds peace? Although World War II has ended and the cloud of war still exists, the weak chicken performance in France has certain reference value for later countries. May the world be peaceful and the mountains and rivers be eternal.

Text: Yao Yuezhi

References:

[1] Department of Military History, Academy of Military Sciences, World War II history? Volume II: All-round Development of the Great War 20 15

[2] Jiang Lexing's A Brief History of France (color version)? Chapter 7: The Third Republic of France "20 17"

The text was created by the team of History University Hall, and the pictures originated from the Internet and belonged to the original author.