Transcript The Invasion of France

The Invasion of France
Source:
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk
/2WWfranceI.htm
The Invasion of France
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The Manstein Plan
In 1939, German Army officers devised a
plan to inflict a major defeat on the
French Army in northern France.
included an attack through southern
Belgium that avoided the Maginot Line.
The ultimate objective was to reach the
Channel coast and to force the French
government to surrender.
The Invasion of France
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Hitler approved the Manstein Plan in February, 1940,
but it was not activated until May.
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the Luftwaffe bombed Dutch and Belgian airfields.
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the German Army captured Moerdijk and Rotterdam.
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using Blitzkreig strategy, Germany advanced into the
Netherlands.
Belgium was also invaded and the French Army moved
forward to help support the Dutch and Belgian forces.
The Invasion of France
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Erwin Rommel’s Army went through the heavily
wooded and semi-mountainous area of the
Ardennes, an area north of the Maginot Line.
The French military had wrongly believed that
the Ardennes was impassable to tanks
German forces advanced towards the Channel.
Except for a counterattack by De Gaulle, at
Montcornet (17th May) and Laon (27th-29th
May) the German forces encountered very little
resistance.
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http://www.maplandia.com/france/c
hampagne-ardenne/ardennes/
Britain’s Response
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Winston Churchill ordered Operation Dynamo, a
plan to evacuate troops and equipment from
the French port of Dunkirk.
Between 27th May and 4th June, 1940, a total
of 693 ships brought back 338,226 people back
to Britain.
Of these 140,000 were members of the French
Army. All heavy equipment was abandoned and
left in France.
The French Army tried to hold the line but were
outnumbered and the troops were forced to
withdraw
The German Occupation
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On 14th June, the Germans occupied Paris.
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France began negotiations with Hitler and on
22nd June signed an armistice with Germany
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The terms of the agreement divided France
into occupied and unoccupied zones
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The Germans would control northern and
western France and the entire Atlantic coast
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The remaining section of the country would be
administered by the French government at
Vichy
The German Occupation
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Other Armistice terms
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the surrender of all Jews living in France to the
Germans.
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The French Army was disbanded except for a force of
100,000 men to maintain domestic order.
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The 1.5 million French soldiers captured by the
Germans were to remain prisoners of war.
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The French government also agreed to stop members
of its armed forces from leaving the country and
instructed its citizens not to fight against the Germans.
Finally, France had to pay the occupation costs of the
German troops.