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The Fall of France
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The Fall of France
Outline:
- Causes of defeat
- Diagnosis
- Long-term significance
- Armistice terms
The Debacle
- Sept 1939-May 1940 'drôle de guerre'
- German invasion sparks crisis in government
- 6-8 million refugees
France asks for ceasefire, 17 June 1940
Vichy regime created under Marshal Pétain
Why was France defeated?
Weakness of French army
De Gaulle and Pétain claim French forces outnumbered and overwhelmed
But - historians disagree
- France superior in artillery and tanks
- Troops in wrong locations
Wrong kind of invasion
Wrong kind of war
- France prepared for long war, but Germany launches short war
- French forces fail to react
Why such military failings?
Pacifism
Weakness of Third Republic
French 'decadence'
Defeat is used by Vichy to create scapegoats
… and ultimately to try to reshape France
Impact of First World War:
- 1.3m dead; 4m wounded
- Leads to pacifism
- ...but not defeatism
Weaknesses of Third Republic
- Marc Bloch, 'Etrange défaite'
- Economic crisis
- Clashes between fascists and the left
Front Populaire
- Govt alliance of communists, socialists and radicals against fascist threat
- Elected May 1936
Impact of Front Populaire:
- Accused of not preparing France for war
- Jewish PM Léon Blum hated by the right
- 'Plutôt Hitler que Blum'
- Anti-Communism undermines French will to resist Germany
Vichy blames defeat on 'decadence':
- moral decline
- spirit of enjoyment
- pacifism
Who is to blame for the defeat?
Vichy blames:
- The Republic
- The Front Populaire
- 'Enemies of France' - Jews, Freemasons, Communists
Alternative explanations
- Social and political crises don't necessarily lead to defeatism
- Quiet defiance of Third Republic
- France shouldn't be judged as 'failing test of war'
Armistice conditions
Occupied zones:
- Germany to occupy northern France
- Italy to occupy small zones near border
‘Free’/unoccupied zone:
- Southern France, including Corsica
- Colonial empire
- Ruled by Vichy regime
In return…
Vichy retains:
Control of colonial empire
Control over naval fleet
Large portion of unoccupied territory
Semblance of sovereignty?
Conclusion
- Defeat is used by Vichy for its own aims
- Blames internal enemies
- Seeks to redefine France
Defeat
Political and cultural explanations
Military explanations
Dr Karine Varley
Paid holidays for workers, 1936
Striking workers playing cards, 1936