1. The Invasion of France Source: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk /2WWfranceI.htm

2. The Invasion of France  The Manstein Plan  In 1939, German Army officers devised a plan to inflict a major defeat on the French Army in northern France.  included an attack through southern Belgium that avoided the Maginot Line.  The ultimate objective was to reach the Channel coast and to force the French government to surrender.

5. The Invasion of France  Hitler approved the Manstein Plan in February, 1940, but it was not activated until May.  the Luftwaffe bombed Dutch and Belgian airfields.  the German Army captured Moerdijk and Rotterdam.  using Blitzkreig strategy, Germany advanced into the Netherlands.  Belgium was also invaded and the French Army moved forward to help support the Dutch and Belgian forces.

8. The Invasion of France  Erwin Rommel’s Army went through the heavily wooded and semi-mountainous area of the Ardennes, an area north of the Maginot Line.  The French military had wrongly believed that the Ardennes was impassable to tanks  German forces advanced towards the Channel.  Except for a counterattack by De Gaulle, at Montcornet (17th May) and Laon (27th-29th May) the German forces encountered very little resistance.

12.  http://www.maplandia.com/france/c hampagne-ardenne/ardennes/ http://www.maplandia.com/france/c hampagne-ardenne/ardennes/ http://www.maplandia.com/france/c hampagne-ardenne/ardennes/

13. Britain’s Response  Winston Churchill ordered Operation Dynamo, a plan to evacuate troops and equipment from the French port of Dunkirk.  Between 27th May and 4th June, 1940, a total of 693 ships brought back 338,226 people back to Britain.  Of these 140,000 were members of the French Army. All heavy equipment was abandoned and left in France.  The French Army tried to hold the line but were outnumbered and the troops were forced to withdraw

18. The German Occupation  On 14th June, the Germans occupied Paris.  France began negotiations with Hitler and on 22nd June signed an armistice with Germany  The terms of the agreement divided France into occupied and unoccupied zones  The Germans would control northern and western France and the entire Atlantic coast  The remaining section of the country would be administered by the French government at Vichy

22. The German Occupation  Other Armistice terms  the surrender of all Jews living in France to the Germans.  The French Army was disbanded except for a force of 100,000 men to maintain domestic order.  The 1.5 million French soldiers captured by the Germans were to remain prisoners of war.  The French government also agreed to stop members of its armed forces from leaving the country and instructed its citizens not to fight against the Germans.  Finally, France had to pay the occupation costs of the German troops.