Invasion of France (Dunkirk)
Notes
Dunkirk
- The British realized they were surrounded and ordered the navy to put together an evacuation
- Also civilians
- Almost 340,000 troops are rescued in a weeks time
- The German hold up while this occurs..
- Seen as small allied victory
The Fall of Paris
- The rest of France fell relatively quickly after the Dyle line fell and the British evacuated
- Italy declares war on france June 10th
- Tripartite Pact (Axis- Germany, Italy, Japan)
- Paris falls on June 14
- Rest of France falls June 22
Reasons:
- The Maginot line proved useless
- The Germans used their tanks much better
- The Luftwaffe was too strong (aerial warfare)
- Political dissention in France
Marshall Petain and Vichy France
- The terms of surrender are accepted by a new anti-war French Prime Minister known as Marshall Petain
- He accpets the new borders of France in the south with the captial city at Vichy
- They were puppets to the Germans
- He became a collaborator like Quisling
- The Free French Army that had escaped to England were organized by a General Charles de Gaulle
Quote
"The beach, black with men, illumined by the fires, seemed a perfect target."
-Arthur D. Divine
-Arthur D. Divine
Summary
The Invasion of France on the beaches around the port of Dunkirk was a very grim situation. The Germans were quickly advancing and the allies were trapped. THe British evacuated with many boats and this was seen as a small victory to Britain. However, Churchill thought it was an act of weakness.
The fall of France occurred shortly after the battle of Dunkirk. The Germans terms were relatively gently.The south-east part of France became a self governing region with its capital in Vichy, run by MArshall Petain, who declared his intentions on cooperation with the Nazis. Essentially, they were puppets to Germany. The rest of France fell for several reasons
The fall of France occurred shortly after the battle of Dunkirk. The Germans terms were relatively gently.The south-east part of France became a self governing region with its capital in Vichy, run by MArshall Petain, who declared his intentions on cooperation with the Nazis. Essentially, they were puppets to Germany. The rest of France fell for several reasons
- The Maginot line proved useless
- The Germans used their tanks much better
- The Luftwaffe was too strong (aerial warfare)
- Political dissention in France