History 12

Rachel McMillan
UNIT FIVE
Assignment Two: Frances Fall to Germany

Did France fall to the Germans because of their own weaknesses and strategic mistakes or
because of the incredible strategy, strength and skill of the German Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe?

As World War Two began, the unquestionable speed and ease with which Germanys offensive
military operated continuously surprised Allied nations. France would be overtaken by the fascist state
within just two months of initial attack, but this victory for Germany would be due to the strategic
mistakes and weaknesses of France, rather than the strength and skill of Germany. The fall of France
would ultimately occur due to an improper investment of time, money and resources, and an
underestimation of Germanys ability.
After World War One, France determined that a military policy predominantly focused on
defence, including a reliance on fixed defensible positions, would result in the most success. This strategy
would lead to the construction of the Maginot Line along the border between France, Germany, and
Belgium. The Maginot Line consisted of numerous fortifications which would be connected by a series of
underground tunnels, and featured a machine-gun battery line. However, the Line quickly proved to
contain many flaws. Fixed emplacements were not capable of effectively dealing with the quick tank
attacks employed by German Blitzkrieg. Furthermore, all of the guns on the battery line were fixed in
their orientation, rendering them useless if the Germans were to attack from any other angle. Finally, the
Line would not even be completed by the time of a German attack, leaving large gaps the Germans could
capitalize on. Considering its quick failure, the creation of the Maginot Line cost France a monstrous
amount of time, money, and resources which could have been better utilized to modernize and strengthen
the French Army, which in turn may have resulted in a better outcome for the Allies.
In addition to poor investment, a mis-estimation of Germanys ability would prove to be a
secondary detriment to France. The Ardennes Forrest, spanning across Belgium to reach the borders of
both France and Germany, was assumed by the French to be impossible to navigate by large military
forces. This improper assumption led France to believe there was no need to defend the area. However, as
the German military advanced technologically, Nazis would use new tanks to traverse the forest. This
unopposed advancement would play a key role in the fall of the Maginot Line, as Germany approached
from behind, and would place Germany within close proximity of Paris.
In order to ensure the survival of Paris, France surrendered as Germany approached the great city.
While Germany is undoubtedly a strong and savvy military force, Frances demise would prove to be its
own mistakes. The combination of inferior investment and the underestimation of Germany by France
would ultimately be the cause of its fall, as they proved to be errors which could not possibly be
recovered from.