Why did France surrender so quickly in World War II?

On June 5, 1940, 3 million German troops began to implement the "Red Plan" to capture France. Judging from the overall battle situation, France will be destroyed sooner or later. The French command must either continue to fight or find a more honorable way to surrender. Of course, the frightened Pétain and others were more inclined to surrender and negotiate peace.

Churchill, who is far across the English Channel, naturally does not want to see his allies give up so easily, and is also making a last-ditch effort. However, under the pressure of the German army, although he earnestly advised the French to fight to the end, the French insisted that defeat was certain and the only way was to surrender. At this time, they were thinking more about how to avoid secondary harm.

The German offensive goal is very clear.

Aiming at the panicked French army, which was waiting to be killed, the German army, which had an absolute advantage, did not have any rigorous tactics. All they had to do was to keep pushing, pushing, and pushing until the opponent "bowed down and surrendered." . However, the German army is still very clear in determining the target, and it must occupy it. Why is this?

First of all, Paris, the capital of France, was almost captured by the German army twice, which can be said to be the "biggest regret" in the hearts of the Germans, especially the humiliating acceptance of defeat in World War I and the harsh " Treaty of Versailles. For this reason, the capture of Paris has been a long-awaited event for Germany, and is naturally the primary target of the German offensive.

In order to capture Paris as quickly as possible, the German Army Groups A and B conducted flanking attacks from the east and west, aiming to achieve a quick victory. However, in the face of the German army, the French government not only did not take any countermeasures, but instead declared Paris an "undefended city." The German army occupied Paris without firing a shot, causing the German people to cheer and feel a sense of national pride.

Secondly, Verdun is famous for the brutal "trench warfare" of World War I. Here, Germany and France fought the most destructive and longest battle. With the French victory, the German offensive momentum fell from its peak, which became a turning point in World War I. It can be said that the German officers and soldiers have "eternal pain in their hearts" and "want to get rid of it quickly".

The German High Command decided that Guderian would undertake this task. Under his command, the 19th Armored Corps broke through the French defense line and marched straight in. It was like an uninhabited land. Verdun was very difficult. Soon to fall. Guderian's tank group reached the Swiss border non-stop, completely closing the door for the French army to escape to Switzerland.

Another target is the Maginot Line of Defense, which the French are proud of. It not only became an insurmountable barrier for the German army, but also the highest symbol of the French army's strength. Conquering it could completely destroy the French people's fighting spirit. Under the joint attack of the German Army Group C and Guderian, the 250,000 defenders quickly laid down their weapons and surrendered.

In the face of decline, Churchill is still working hard.

On June 10, 1940, Rommel's armored division had reached 50 kilometers away from Paris, and the French army was in its final struggle. To make matters worse, on this day, Italy declared war on France and Britain and attacked France from the Alps. Seeing that France was in danger and the situation was lost, Churchill on the other side of the strait did not intend to give up.

The next day, Churchill flew to Paris under the cover of 12 fighter jets. This is the fourth time he has been to France within a month since he became the wartime prime minister. Although he may become the target of German fighter jets at any time, he still insists on going to France to discuss the issue of the Allied forces continuing to fight the war. . Could it be that there is something hidden behind his "enthusiasm"?

First, 335,000 Allied troops withdrew to Britain, which was somewhat of a comfort to Churchill. But the soldiers' lack of fighting spirit and lack of weapons left him without much confidence in defending Britain. Therefore, he insisted that the campaign in France could give full play to the role of a bridgehead, relieve the pressure on the British, and at least buy the British army a longer preparation time.

Secondly, even if France is destroyed, the resistance war and guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines will be a force that cannot be ignored. It will not only distract the German army from the British, but even contain some German troops and share some of the pressure on the British army. It is a great encouragement to the entire anti-fascist alliance.

In other words, it would be beneficial to Britain to continue to fight.

More importantly, he hoped that the French navy could go to Britain and work with the Royal Navy to assume control of the strait. Although the UK has a natural barrier in the English Channel, its air force obviously does not have an advantage, so it is particularly important to enhance its navy's strength. With the support of the French navy, it will be more confident in defending its homeland.

However, the French government is rife with failure. Despite Churchill's sincere persuasion, they seemed more concerned about where France would move its capital and how to avoid being captured by the Germans. Pétain, Weygand and others even proposed either an armistice or a contract. In short, except for General de Gaulle who supported guerrilla warfare, no one wanted to fight anymore.

Seeing that France was determined to surrender, Churchill had no choice but to return home. He went ahead, and Pétain and others declared Paris an "undefended city" and moved the French government to Tours. On June 13, the unwilling Churchill went to France for the fifth time to make a last-ditch effort and expressed Britain's determination to fight to the end, but no one was willing to listen to this.

France surrendered, and Germany "repaid others with their own treatment."

On June 13, 1940, Churchill saw that France was determined to surrender and expressed the hope that more than 400 German pilots captured in France would be handed over to British custody. It turned out that the foresighted Churchill realized that once France surrendered, these prisoners would return to flying fighter planes to continue to attack Britain, which was a big hidden danger for Britain.

To his disappointment, although the French government agreed, the German army entered Paris the next day without firing a shot. The French government withdrew from Tours to Bordeaux and made an armistice request to Germany. . In other words, the more than 400 German pilots at this time had become the "flattery" treasures of Petain and others, and they could not be handed over to the British in any case.

The fall of Paris was "a great day" for the Germans. In World War I, the German army approached twice but failed. Now it has captured Paris without firing a shot. You can imagine how happy it is. What made them even more happy was that with the intervention of the French government, the people were strictly ordered not to resist, and the German army was able to hold a grand military parade at the Arc de Triomphe.

This is not only a humiliation to the French, but also the scene that the German nation has wanted to see most since Germany accepted sanctions from the Treaty of Versailles. However, Germany has obviously not given up the idea of ??retaliating against France. In their view, the best way to relieve their anger is to "treat others the same way they treat others." The pain experienced by the Germans will also be experienced by the French.

First of all, the "Foch Carriage" where the German surrender was signed during World War I was re-pulled out. Here, Germany accepted the French surrender and took it back to Germany for a tour. For the French, it was It's "extremely humiliating." When the news spread back to Germany, the country was in an uproar. People spontaneously took to the streets to congratulate, and the national dignity was unprecedentedly satisfied.

Secondly, Germany regained Alsace and Lorraine and divided France into two. Germany occupied its richest areas and the entire Atlantic coast, and all the "eating and drinking" of the German army The Vichy government paid for it. That is, France not only became a landlocked country, but also had to pay for the occupation forces.

More importantly, the Vichy government established in southern France, like the original Germany, could only retain 100,000 troops. It can be seen that Germany imposed more stringent sanctions on France than the "Versailles Peace Treaty". After World War I, the Germans who lived a frustrated life finally felt proud, and they followed the Führer even more crazily.

The Maginot Line, the pride of the French, stood on the border between France and Germany and became a complete decoration. It not only exposed the short-sightedness of French military thinking, but also became an indispensable part of the French during World War II. Moreover, its idea of ??"complete defense" in founding the army has become a model of conformity and conformity, and has become an international joke.