The French Defeat of 1940: ReassessmentsJoel Blatt Why France, the major European continental victor in 1918, suffered total defeat in six weeks at the hands of the vanquished power of 1918 only two decades later remains moot. Why the stunning reversal of fortunes? In this volume thirteen prominent scholars reexamine the French debacle of 1940 in interwar perspectives, utilizing fresh analysis, original approaches, and new sources. Although the tenor of the volume is critical, the contributors also suggest that French preparations for war knew successes as well as failures, that French defeat was not inevitable, and that the Battle of France might have turned out differently if different choices had been made and other paths been followed. |
Contents
1 | |
13 | |
CHAPTER 2 MARC BLOCH AND THE DRÔLE DE GUERRE | 39 |
CHAPTER 3 MARTYRS VENGEANCE | 54 |
CHAPTER 4 DOMESTIC POLITICS AND THE FALL OF FRANCE IN 1940 | 85 |
CHAPTER 5 EDOUARD DALADIER | 100 |
CHAPTER 6 THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY | 126 |
CHAPTER 7 PRELUDE TO DEFEAT | 171 |
CHAPTER 8 FRANCE AND THE ILLUSION OF AMERICAN SUPPORT 19191940 | 204 |
CHAPTER 9 IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER | 245 |
CHAPTER 10 REFLECTIONS ON FRANCE BRITAIN AND THE WINTER WAR PRODROME 19391940 | 269 |
CHAPTER 11 FIGHTING TO THE LAST FRENCHMAN? | 296 |
CHAPTER 12 FRENCH DEFEAT IN 1940 AND ITS REVERSAL IN 19441945 | 327 |
CHAPTER 13 THE TRAUMA OF 1940 | 354 |
CONTRIBUTORS | 371 |
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Common terms and phrases
allemands alliance Allied ambassador American Anglo-French April Archives armistice army battle Bloch to Etienne Britain British Bullitt camps Carton Chamberlain Chief of Staff Command Communist Crémieux-Brilhac Daladier’s December defeat Diaries drôle de guerre Edouard Daladier Etienne Bloch étrangers Europe European fascism February forces Français France France’s Franco-British Franco-Soviet relations French government Gamelin Gaulle Général Georges Georges Bonnet German Germany’s Guy La Chambre Herbette Herriot Hitler ibid interwar Ironside Jean Jewish Journal June Laval Leclerc Litvinov London MAÉ Maginot Line Marc Bloch March Maurice Gamelin memory ment military minister Ministry Monnet Munich Nationale Nazi Germany November October Office pacifist pact Paris Paul Reynaud peace Pétain phoney war Poland political Popular Front President Raoul Dautry refugees réfugiés regime Roosevelt Sept September 1939 SHAT 7N Soviet government strategy Third Republic tion troops United USSR Vichy Vormeier Weygand Winter War World York