Why did France lose so badly in ww2?

Why did France lose so badly in ww2?

Its failure was a result of a hopelessly divided French political elite, a lack of quality military leadership, rudimentary French military tactics. On the battlefield, France faced a vastly more prepared German army that utilized both more advanced weapons and sophisticated tactics. It was a mismatch.

Was the British army strong in ww2?

By the end of 1939 the British Army’s size had risen to 1.1 million men. By June 1940 it stood at 1.65 million men and had further increased to 2.2 million men by June 1941. The size of the British Army peaked in June 1945, at 2.9 million men. By the end of the Second World War some three million people had served.

Did the British help the French in ww2?

From 1939 until 1940, the French Third Republic was at war with Germany. Vichy France fought for control over the French overseas empire with the Free French forces, which were helped by Britain and the U.S. By 1943, all of the colonies, except for Indochina, had joined the Free French cause.

Did Britain invade France in ww2?

Britain and France entered the Second World War following the German invasion of Poland in September 1939. In expectation of a German advance westwards, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), which grew to 390,000 men over the winter of 1939–40, deployed alongside the troops of its allies in France and Belgium.

What were the two reasons that France went to war with Prussia?

The French emperor, Napoleon III, declared war on Prussia on July 19, 1870, because his military advisers told him that the French army could defeat Prussia and that such a victory would restore his declining popularity in France.

Why did Britain and France become allies?

A motivating factor behind the agreement was undoubtedly France’s desire to protect itself against possible aggression from its old rival, Germany, who had steadily been growing stronger in the years since its victory in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 and now possessed the most powerful land army in the world.

When did Britain and France become allies ww2?

In September 1939 the Allies, namely Great Britain, France, and Poland, were together superior in industrial resources, population, and military manpower, but the German Army, or Wehrmacht, because of its armament, training, doctrine, discipline, and fighting spirit, was the most efficient and effective fighting force …

What did the British gain by defeating the French in the war?

The Treaty of Paris was signed on February 10, 1763, officially bringing an end to the French and Indian War. The British were awarded Canada, Louisiana and Florida (the latter from Spain), thereby removing European rivals and opening up North America for Westward expansion.

Why did the invasion of France happen?

The battle began when German forces invaded France through the Ardennes Forest near southern Belgium. France believed that the Ardennes Forest was too thick for Germany tanks and forces to move through and did not extend the Maginot Line any further north.

What if France kept fighting in World War II?

If France Kept Fighting: How World War II Might Have Gone Very Differently. France surrendered to the Nazis in 1940 for complex reasons. The proximate cause, of course, was the success of the German invasion, which left metropolitan France at the mercy of Nazi armies. But the German victory opened profound rifts in French society.

Why did the British decide to fight in WW2?

In their mind the British Army would provide a strong contingent to fight alongside the French, rather than mobilising a massive Great War style ‘new army’ with scores of divisions. That decision would have far reaching effects for the British Army over the first half of the Second World War.

Why did France have more tanks than Germany in WW2?

Prior to May 1940, the combined French and British forces had almost one thousand more tanks than the Germans, and French tanks had better armor and more powerful main guns. France was also the recognized global leader in artillery, and had a marked advantage over Germany in this regard.

Did the British Army make any mistakes in WW1?

Bottom line, the British Army made mistakes throughout the war, on both the strategic and tactical levels. So did every bugger else that fought. War is as much about mistakes as it is about successes, you just hope that in the end you have more of these.