10 Facts About the Fall of France in World War Two

After German forces invaded Poland, France and Great Britain declared war on Germany. In 1940 Hitler had his sights set on its southwestern neighbour.

Despite the fact that the French Army was heavily manning the country’s border with its enemy, Germany successfully invaded the country and occupied it within only 6 weeks.

Here are 10 facts about how France fell to Germany in that short, but eventful span.

1. The French Army was one of the largest in the world

The experience of World War One however, had left it with a defensive mentality that paralysed its potential effectiveness and engendered a reliance on the Maginot Line.

In June 1940 Nazi Germany overran France and forced the British army to evacuate at Dunkirk. Severely lacking in military equipment, Britain and its Empire now stood alone against Adolf Hitler's forces. But new Prime Minister Winston Churchill refused to agree to peace terms, forcing Hitler to plan an invasion - codenamed Operation Sea Lion. To stand any chance of crossing the English Channel, Germany would have to crush the Royal Air Force and gain control of the skies during that summer. The Battle of Britain, the first major battle to be decided entirely by air power, had begun.

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2. Germany ignored the Maginot Line however

The main thrust of their advance into France moving through the Ardennes in northern Luxembourg and southern Belgium as part of the Sichelschnitt plan.

3. The Germans employed Blitzkrieg tactics

They used armoured vehicles and aircraft to make rapid territorial gains. This military strategy was developed in Britain in the 1920s.

4. The Battle of Sedan, 12-15 May, provided a momentous breakthrough for the Germans

They streamed into France thereafter.

5. The miraculous evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk saved 193,000 British and 145,000 French troops

Although some 80,000 were left behind, Operation Dynamo far exceeded the expectation of rescuing only 45,000. The Operation used 200 Royal Navy ships and 600 volunteer vessels.

In this 2017 film, Arnhem veterans and relatives of those who witnessed the Operation tell the tale of the 1st British Airborne Division in September 1944: the task these soldiers faced at Arnhem, the misfortune that befell them and the desperate struggle that ensued.

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6. Mussolini declared war on the Allies on 10 June

His first offensive was launched through the Alps without German knowledge and ended with 6,000 casualties, with over a third being attributed to frostbite. French casualties reached only 200.

7. A further 191,000 Allied troops were evacuated from France in mid-June

Although the heaviest ever losses in a single incident at sea were sustained by the British when the Lancastria was sunk by German bombers on 17 June.

8. The Germans had reached Paris by 14 June

The French surrender was ratified in the armistice agreement signed at Compiègne on 22 June.

In the midst of World War Two, the 7th of February marks the beginning of the week long battle between the Japanese Empire and the British over the eastern stronghold of Singapore. The Fall of Singapore in 1942 is known as one of Britain's largest surrenders. Impeccable Japanese preparations, feeble British bureaucracy, and failures of communication - led to one of the bloodiest weeks of fighting known. This week James is joined by Professor Malcolm Murfett of Kings College London to discuss this important part of global history.

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9. Around 8,000,000 French, Dutch and Belgian refugees were created during the summer of 1940

Masses of people fled their homes as the Germans advanced.

10. Axis troops deployed in the Battle of France amounted to about 3,350,000

At the start they were matched in number by Allied opponents. By the signing of armistice on 22 June, however, 360,000 Allied casualties had been inflicted and 1,900,000 prisoners taken at the expense of 160,000 Germans and Italians.