Addison Leinart Katie Bevins French 111, Section 007 December 3, 2013 The Battle of France Adolf Hitler

came to power in Germany in 1933 at a time when the French army was perceived to be extremely strong and powerful. It was not until May 10, 1940 that German forces invaded Belgium, the Netherlands, and France by air and land. This cut off support from allied countries and the French and the British had little to no power against the German armies. On May 14 a massive bombing attack on central Rotterdam that ultimately killed hundreds of citizens forced the Netherlands to surrender. Ats a result, the French army was trapped between two forces of the German army. The British Expeditionary Force was being pushed back to the coast near a French port whereas the French remained where they were. At this point the distance between the two armies resulted in the British government evacuating the troops, which was called the Operation Dynamo. Although this withdrawal helped to save thousands of British soldiers, it ultimately left the French army alone and this act was considered one of betrayal (Sheffield). The Germans has planned for this all along, as their ultimate goal of invasion was to overtake the country of France and the city of Paris because they still remained a powerful country in Europe. On June 12, German tanks made it through the Somme River moving even closer to the city of Paris. The prime minister of Britain at the time, Winston Churchill, personally visited Paris before the invasion in order to persuade the

country to resist the German armies ("History in an Hour"). This was because the Germans continued to occupy countries in Europe and the British were afraid that they would be hopeless in a fight alone against the Germans. Although the British publically offered their support to France, they denied the request for military assistance, attempting to preserve their own military strength. However, at this point the French army had been decreased by almost half and they stood little chance of winning against the wellstrategized and large numbers of the German army (Sheffield). Therefore, on June 22, 1940 France signed an armistice with Germany. Hitler insisted that the surrender be made official by signing the documents on the same railway car that German had surrendered to France in at the end of World War I (Sheffield). This was extremely symbolic, as Hitler made sure to show the people around the world the power that he had gained in order to conquer a once powerful country. Hitler also visited the city of Paris shorty after its defeat and the symbolic picture was taken of him and his men in front of the Eiffel Tower. The fall of France was completed in only a six-week period of time. Europe was left very weak and more specifically the British were practically obsolete as they were then forced to fight the Germans on their own. Although France originally had more numbers than the German army, the Germans were a much more effective and strategic army ("History in an Hour"). This was detrimental to France not only in their military system but also in morale. The German invasions of France ultimately lead to the invasion of many more European countries and helped to begin World War II.

Works Cited "History in an Hour." History in an Hour. Wordpress, 22 June 2012. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. <http://www.historyinanhour.com/2012/06/22/the-fall-of-france-summary/>.

Sheffield, Gary. "The Fall of France." BBC News. BBC, 30 Mar. 2011. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/fall_france_01.shtml>.