The fall of France: the Nazi invasion of 1940 (2004)

This new book by Julian Jackson, a leading historian of twentieth-century France, charts the breathtakingly rapid events that led to the defeat and surrender of one of the key Allied powers, setting in motion the traumatic years of the Occupation, the Vichy regime, and the rapid escalation of World War Two. - ;On 16 May 1940 an emergency meeting of the French High Command was called at the Quai d'Orsay in Paris. The German army had broken through the French lines on the River Meuse at Sedan and elsewhere, only five days after launching their attack. Churchill, who had been telephoned by Prime.;Contents; List of Illustrations; List of Maps; Brief Chronology; Abbreviations; Introduction; PART I: THE STORY; 1. 'We Are Beaten'; 2. Uneasy Allies; 3. The Politics of Defeat; 4. The French People at War; PART II: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND COUNTERFACTUALS; 5. Causes and Counterfactuals; 6. Consequences; Guide to Further Reading; Notes; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; Y; Z. The Fall of France in 1940 is one of the pivotal moments of the twentieth century. If the German invasion of France had failed, it is arguable that the war might have ended right there. But the French suffered instead a dramatic and humiliating defeat, a loss that ultimately drew the whole world into war. This exciting new book by Julian Jackson, a leading historian of twentieth-century France, charts the breathtakingly rapid events that led to the defeat and surrender of one of the greatest bastions of the Western Allies. Using eyewitness accounts, memoirs, and diaries to bring the story to life, Jackson not only recreates the intense atmosphere of the six weeks in May and June leading up to the establishment of the Vichy regime, but he also unravels the historical evidence to produce a fresh answer to the perennial question--was the fall of France inevitable. Jackson's vivid narrative explores the errors of France's military leaders, her inability to create stronger alliances, the political infighting, the lack of morale, even the decadence of the inter-war years. He debunks the "vast superiority" of the German army, revealing that the more experienced French troops did well in battle against the Germans. Perhaps more than anything else, the cause of the defeat was the failure of the French to pinpoint where the main thrust of the German army would come, a failure that led them to put their best soldiers up against a feint, while their worst troops faced the heart of the German war machine. An engaging and authoritative narrative, The Fall of France illuminates six weeks that changed the course of twentieth-century history. On 16 May 1940 An Emergency Meeting Of The French High Command Was Called At The Quai D'orsay In Paris. The German Army Had Broken Through The French Lines On The River Meuse At Sedan And Elsewhere, Only Five Days After Launching Their Attack. Churchill, Who Had Been Telephoned By Prime Minister Reynaud The Previous Evening To Be Told That The French Were Beaten, Rushed To Paris To Meet The French Leaders. The Mood In The Meeting Was One Of Panic And Despair; There Was Talk Of Evacuating Paris. Churchill Asked Gamelin, The French Commander In Chief, 'where Is The Strategic Reserve?' 'there Is None,' Replied Gamelin. This Exciting Book By Julian Jackson, A Leading Historian Of Twentieth-century France, Charts The Breathtakingly Rapid Events That Led To The Defeat And Surrender Of One Of The Greatest Bastions Of The Western Allies, And Thus To A Dramatic New Phase Of The Second World War. The Search For Scapegoats For The Most Humiliating Military Disaster In French History Began Almost At Once: Were Miscalculations By Military Leaders To Blame, Or Was This An Indictment Of An Entire Nation? Using Eyewitness Accounts, Memoirs, And Diaries, Julian Jackson Recreates, In Gripping Detail, The Intense Atmosphere And Dramatic Events Of These Six Weeks In 1940, Unravelling The Historical Evidence To Produce A Fresh Answer To The Perennial Question Of Whether The Fall Of France Was Inevitable. "Using eyewitness accounts, memoirs, and diaries, Julian Jackson recreates, in detail, the intense atmosphere and dramatic events of these six weeks in 1940, unravelling the historical evidence to produce a fresh answer to the perennial question of whether the defeat of France was inevitable."--Jacket January 1940. Sir Edmund Ironside, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, summed up his impressions of the French army after a visit to France: I must say that I saw nothing amiss with it on the surface. Assesses the factors that contributed to France's defeat at the hands of the Nazis.