France Falls (May-June 1940)e3-2/6

[Mynameisaw]

"The Best Defence is a good Offence"

That's what the French forgot, it's what Napolean taught them when he made French one of the greatest Super powers of his age, but they forgot that when it was most important.

[calimar28]

Does anyone know French? Id like to know the words to that Boom Boom song! lol! @ 6:00

[Fridomfry]

Not only do I know Keynes, but I have read his book on "The Economic Consequences of the Peace". It is a clever analysis by a economic wizard, who represented mainly the City's financial interests. Today we are well aware that economic wizards, as smart as they are, can make serious mistakes since they focus on economy and disregard other aspects. Particularly political interests and national feelings. Other experts thought opposite to Keynes.

[Fridomfry]

Another economist, Étienne Mantoux, criticized Keynes (La Paix calomniée. Les conséquences économiques de M. Keynes), explaining that Keynes weakened the democracies' position. British appeasement policy proved disastrous.

Had we not obliged Germany to pay due reparations, the Germans would just have prepared their revenge faster and we would have had a WW2 in the 1920s: That was Ludendorff's program (yes, I read Ludendorff too).

[Fridomfry]

Akatsutsumi, you should realize that countries NEVER become allies because they love each other, but just because they have common interests. An alliance is not a friendship or a marriage, whatever leaders tell the troops or the people to boost morale. The few alliances which were based on sentimental feelings generally led to disasters.

[Akatsutsumi]

overly smart ...i am impressed...somehow.-.i thought there is something beneath but actually, there is only general speaking. Not even open minded. Your points are: People who are telling you that france was attacking german states in the past are Nazis and the Treaty of Versailles was a perfect idea. Do you know the name Keynes? In my opinion he is a little bit smarter than you are. have a look on one of his books "The Economic Consequences of the Peace".

[Fridomfry]

Prussia & France were allies in the war for Austrian succession (1740-1748), for the greatest profit of Prussia... France was also allied with other German states (Bavaria, Saxony, etc.) in several occasions. In the 17th and 18th centuries, statesmen were too clever to believe in such silly romantic legends as "hereditary enemies": They knew that politics is always about interests or religion, not "race".

[Akatsutsumi]

But statesmen were not clever enough to avoid war. But actually france was clever to enough to avoid war on its own Terretory. The war you mentoined was fought everywhere in europe but not in france. And Prussia and France had no choice to become allies in this war. Not because they loved each other, they just had the same enemy: "Habsburg". France always tried to become the dominate nation in europe - this is actually the reason why france was chosen different allies in every war .

[Fridomfry]

OK, good. Let's discuss, not insult. Here on my bookshelf I have a 1934 book by a Fr. Heiss, "Das Saarbuch. Schicksal einer deutschen Landschaft". A very well made piece of nazi propaganda, printed for the Saar referendum. A major theme is the permanent military threat by the French, with a map showing a forest of black arrows pointing east, each with the date of a French invasion of Germany. Exactly what was needed to excite "furor Teutonicus" and turn people paranoid.

[Akatsutsumi]

Ok, I thought you want to discuss this issue? Do you really want to tell me, that I am a nazi because I mentoined that france invaded german states several times in history? BTW:How many arrows do you count?

[mc0558]

If you have a chance read Earnest May's "Strange Victory",

By the way is there anyone watching this who hates the sound of Maurice Chevalier's voice as much as I do? I can't stand him or his personage.

[Fridomfry]

Again, saying that the Versailles treaty was "unfair" is nonsense. Germany had declared the war to Russia and France, violated Belgian neutrality, devastated entire regions and committed war crimes. It had to repair the damages it had caused. What allowed De Gaulle-Adenauer friendship later, was not good feelings, but the total defeat of Germany in 1945.

[Akatsutsumi]

Germans did what France did for centuries in Germany! Why do you think Germans hated France like hell? From the 17th until the 19th century France regulary send troops to germany and "devasted entire regions and committed war crimes".

[Fridomfry]

You seem to be still overwhelmed with this old hatred. It'll lead you nowhere.

Besides, it's not history, but a nationalist vision cultivated by the Nazis (I have an old German book which shows exactly this "recurrent French invasion"). In fact, France was often allied with German states in the period you mention: With the German protestant princes, with Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony - often against Austria or England. Learn history, rather than propaganda.

[Akatsutsumi]

Why is that? I don`t have any bad feelings for france.I was just explaining to you why german troops did what they have done in the WWI.Telling me that my opinion is Nazi-Propaganda is the usual answer, when people don`t have any point at all.Anyway, I am pretty much wondering when Prussia and France used to be allies?And sorry, but because you are such a history-nerd please explain me, why german areas at the west side of the rhine have never been allies of France? Enjoy your book.

[Ournoire911]

That defeat had to come. If Clemenceau hadnt treated the Germans as he did in 1919, the German Republic would have been Frances best friend and allie as it is today. The Briand Stresemann connection could have been as successful as the De Gaulle Adenauer friendship. With De Gaulle as leader in 1939 german soldiers hadnt reached Warschau at all.... The 1919 Versailles gang of Wilson, Clemenceau and all the others have so much guilt.......

[YamaniNetsi]

Ournoire911, - Idiotic statement, through and through. When Fosch observed Versailles treaty he quipped - this is not a peace treaty,this is a truce. Germany was not properly de-fanged .You should read Mein Kampf to understand the folly of your assertion.

[Ournoire911]

your comment is not better, without Versailles and St. Germain, no "Mein Kampf" of an simple postcard painter. Reading books is useful

[YamaniNetsi]

Ournoire911, how could you be so sure? How about if the world would listen to Clemenceau and not Wilson and impose on Germany French peace conditions? You know, similar to those that Germany imposed on France in 1940 where France had to pay 50 times the cost of the occupational army of 300K, where France was under direct German rule and where all resistance was crashed in its infancy? Would Mein Keimpf be written then?

[YamaniNetsi]

De Gaullle as a leader in 1939?! What are you smoking?! A colonel ? Do you know De Gaulle biography? Do you know how he was ostracized by the senile powers of the 3rd Republic? You know, if Napoleon/Clemenceau was French dictator in 1930s, Hitler would never come to power too. If granny had balls she would be a grandpa.

[Ournoire911]

If a simple book of a simple colonel could be the guideline for the enemy-panzer army why couldn`t that also be the guideline for the own army. If the french army AND political leadership had more brain, my uncle hadn`t ended in concentration camp and my father hadn`t to stay 5 years in siberia. Yes, that would have been a historical option......

[YamaniNetsi]

how did your father got to Siberia? Was he in Charlemagne or LVB?

[blondiesj]

the french didn't help Much

[Fridomfry]

The French didn't help much except that they shot down some 1,000 German aircrafts in 5 weeks This certainly made a difference during the subsequent battle of England, don't you think ?

And the French also said "the Brits didn't help much; All they could send on the continent after 8 months of war was a small BEF of 10 divisions??? And what was the RAF doing"

Everlasting dispute after a lost battle.

[faerials]

This documentary shows the real reason of the defeat... The french high commanders were stupid, they believe in a war like WWI... so peoples who don't like french love to say that french troops are cowards!!! Then stupid people prefer say... French army is today like in 1940... these same people like critize my country about that because they know this tragic history is hard for the frenchmen, generations have been ashamed but now it's the past... the European Union is great no more wars!!!

[hmasmelbourne]

The french should have porued troops and armour into the sarr land and the rhineland when they had the chance, then we might have been spared 6 years of bloodshed. No hard feeling though.

[Fridomfry]

hmasmelbourne, this is logic strategy on a map. Yet remember that Germany had fortified this region (Siegfried line). 20 years after the trench war, people had the experience of the butchery it had been trying to attack fortifications.

Perhaps a bolder high command could have succeeded in breaking through. The attacking army crosses the Rhine. And what next? Germany has already beaten Poland and is supported by Russia. It can now turn all its forces on the West and destroy the invader.

[hmasmelbourne]

Yes, but you must remember gemrany and the soviet union were never going to stay friends for ever.

[Fridomfry]

Not so sure Ideologies were antagonistic, but they had a common enemy: "Open", capitalist democracy. Moreover, influent people around Hitler and Stalin strongly believed that it was their common interest to stay allied. There is a striking remark about that in the memoirs of Sakharov, then a young Russian physicist.

Basically, your remark implies that France and Britain should have waited two more years to attack Germany (since they hadn't done it much earlier). I agree 100%.

[Camarale]

The true ennemies of France are Anglosaxons with their dirty mouths full of SHIT.Not Germans.

[parabat7]

La France paranoique. Ca continue depuis le treizeième siecle.

[Camarale]

What your mongrel fake place knows about wars,except in movie theaters ? Open true history books,not antiFrench google craps.Brainwashed ignorant shithead.

[Camarale]

What your mongrel rootless race knows about wars,except in movie theaters ? Open true history books,not antiFrench google bullshits.LOSER.The true ennemies of France are Anglosaxons with their dirty mouths full of SHIT.Not Germans.

[Camarale]

Poor brainwashed redneck.Russian lost 5 million prisoners in the hands of Germans when Soviet Union was crushed by Wermacht in 1941/42. French troops lost 100000 killed in May / June 1940,AND INFLICTED 156000 CASUALTIES TO GERMANS.KILLED OR WOUNDED.

[El7IncA]

fucking french got OWNED!!!....

[DVXIMMORTALIS]

just to words.

Heinz Guderian.

[spencnaz]

"The fixed fortification is the monument to human stupidity"-General George S. Patton.

Thus the Maginot Line.

[Fridomfry]

A very blunt assertion — as usual with good'old Patton. It all depends on the technology available at the time In 1914, the Belgian and French fixed fortification proved very useful in delaying or channelling the German offensive. The result was the decisive French victory on the Marne.

The Maginot Line effectively deterred the Germans, and compelled them to attack in the North. The stupidity was the French top brass', who sent the best forces in Belgium.

[drazmix]

"The French soldier is the best of Europe, then the Russian, then the German, then, the napolitans, even melted with french troops and with great training."

Napoleon.

[BritishWoadWarrior]

The amount of people killed in both world wars is shocking, and we still live in a overcrowded world

[Cumulonimbus82]

General Westphals accent is priceless

[BritishWoadWarrior]

How come the french lost nearly as many men as the british, when they fought only for 5 weeks? I don't understand this can someone explain

[Fridomfry]

In the 6 weeks (not 5) of battle in 1940,the French lost about 100,000 soldiers, much more than the British who had proportionally similar losses on a much smaller force.

From June 1940 to 1942, only a few French brigades, squadrons & ships fought on, with heavy casualties (Bir-Hakeim, etc.). From 1943 on, the French army was rebuilt with whatever men were available. Total 250,000 killed.

To this we must add the casualties in the Resistance, and civilian victims of bombings & German terror.

[Camarale]

Yeah,sure,and RUSSIANS lost 5 millions prisoners in the hands of Germans in 1941/42.Many of them were massacred and executed.Soviet forces were crushed like shit by Wehrmacht in the first years of Russia invasion. So,before to tell your bullshits,open history books,brainwashed shithead in your commie backward shithole.

[shitfuck53]

Gordons new friends..in the great eussr.

What isgoing on??

where are we going..

[splat4]

lostsocks30 -- If you don't want YouTube to shut down your vids, then you really need to do something about all of the 5-6 years olds posting stupid comments. Best solution is to clean it all out and disable comments.

[Fridomfry]

I second this request. The fools won't shut up - it's a lesson from history...

[stperkin]

I agree.

[Camarale]

Like little girls ? POOR SICK TRASH. 45000 Germans were killed by the French in 6 weeks of fights.111000 WOUNDED. Clean your sick degenerate brain.MEAN GARBAGE.

[eatmyshitbitchh]

lol france wore themselves at worrying about every move on the rhine.. its there that the soldiers grew fat drunk and tired. they sat in the trenchs filled with mud and snow while poland was struggling to survive.. as a result they all lost morale and wanted to go home. lol france gave themselves up to germany like little girls.

[rulodiesel]

what's the name of the song who appear at aproxmality 6 minutes?

Thanks a lot

Bum!

[Camarale]

Putyourspamhere.A FILTHY TRASH WITH A SICK BRAIN.

[Camarale]

Franceforever. A FILTHY TRASH WITH A SICK BRAIN.

[ioappoggioronpaul]

COMUNISTI ROVINA DEI PAESI PORTATORI DI FAME,GUERRA,DISPERAZIONE

COMUNISTI NEMICI DEI POPOLI LIBERI E PACIFICI,TESTE DI CAZZO

W IL FASCISMO,ESTREMA DESTRA EUROPEA ANTI COMUNISMO 4 EVER

14/88

European National Front

Sieg Heil!

[Fridomfry]

BARREDA1976, I have respect your relatives who fought in the war. But it is just common sense to observe that their "knowledge" of secret government decisions were just fantasies. The only think we know for sure is that the French government declared war to the Nazis in 1939, that it was a courageous but strategically stupid decision, and that all western democracies were beaten flat in 1940.

[FranceRulessss]

We will always be known as Cowards. What a shame.

[BARREDA1976]

hell i cant understand the cowardice!!!!!! My grandmother said it was the french goverment who had an agreement with hitler. My grandmother had more balls than the french men did!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fridomfry]

She'd better have more brains...

And not speak about something she does'nt know - unless she shared secrets with Hitler.

[BARREDA1976]

She was in the war, was nearly killed in the war, she fought with the french resistance and was a french woman. She was there i think you dont

[nicolerichiee]

YOur grandmother drunk too much wine and pissed all night. She didn't know what the hell happened and the next thing she knew, the german army was in town.

[AllanR2D2]

I can understand why the French did what they did, given their losses in WW1. However, I don't understand how the French could so grossly underestimate what Hitler was doing right under their noses and Germany's obvious threat to France. France had already been defeated by the Germans in the Franco-Prussian War and then had to do it all again in 1914, humiliating the Germans. What were they thinking?

[Fridomfry]

The main fact was that France had been crippled by WW1, having the highest casualty rate of all big countries, and several regions devastated. In the mid-1930s, when Hitler began his series of violations of the Versailles treaty, the French were divided:

- Many right-wing people thought that one had to curb Hitler as son as possible, before he became too strong.

- Others (including the government spheres) thought that France should act only in agreement with Britain and the League of Nations.

[stakisolo]

frence officers are too scared to die

[Fridomfry]

The thousands of French officers who were killed in action in the two world wars are unfortunately no longer in position to give you the answer you deserve, cretin.

[soldier7799]

French pussies!

[BARREDA1976]

In World War I the french at least fighted i have a member in the family who died and was given the war cross. BUt i agree with you, in WW2 the french and the italian were cowards and pussies. The americans brits, germans japanese and russians were men. But nowadays there is no country with balls anymore and soldiers dont want to die or are too afraid to fight like men

[aribenzane]

Wow. So if only France had taken the initiative they could have overrun western Germany and it's industrial heartland while the Nazis were pre-occupied in the East. I never knew that...

[jceepf]

The French had a huge superiority but sat on their asses.... British hardly pushing them.

Hitler was correct: the Western powers would not budge.

[rehedgehog]

What is the piece of music playing during the Bastille Day parade?

[Fridomfry]

The music is "Sambre & Meuse", a song recalling the sacrifice of a whole regiment which fought to the last man against the Austrians during the French Revolution. Quite an uplifting music.

[xVin89x]

lol france wore themselves at worrying about every move on the rhine.. its there that the soldiers grew fat drunk and tired. they sat in the trenchs filled with mud and snow while poland was struggling to survive.. as a result they all lost morale and wanted to go home. lol france gave themselves up to germany like little girls.

[WW2tactics]

The why did they still lose over 92,000+ killed in May-June 1940? Or maybe according to you that is just a big lie?

[daltonagre]

France made its own defeat.They didn't fought.Then came Charles De Gaulle with a fraud.