France in the Second World War. The surrender of France in World War II

The 20th century in world history was marked by important discoveries in the field of technology and art, but at the same time it was the time of two World Wars, which claimed the lives of several tens of millions of people in most countries of the world. The decisive role in the victory was played by such states as the USA, the USSR, Great Britain and France. During the Second World War, they won a victory over world fascism. France was forced to capitulate, but then reborn and continued to fight Germany and its allies.

France in the prewar years

In the last prewar years, France experienced serious economic difficulties. At that time, the People's Front was at the helm of the state. However, after the resignation of Blum, the new government was headed by Shotan. His policy began to depart from the program of the Popular Front. Taxes were raised, a 40-hour workweek was canceled, and industrialists had an opportunity to increase the duration of the latter. Immediately in the country, a strike movement swept, however, to curb the discontented the government sent police detachments. France before World War II led an anti-social policy and every day had less and less support among the people.

By this time, the military-political bloc Axis Berlin-Rome was formed. On March 11, 1938, Germany invaded the lands of Austria. Two days later her anschluss happened. This event dramatically changed the state of affairs in Europe. Over the Old World, a threat loomed, and first of all it concerned Britain and France. The population of France required the government to take decisive action against Germany, especially since the USSR also expressed such ideas, proposing to unite forces and to strangle the growing fascism on the vine. However, the government still continued to follow the so-called. "Appeasement," believing that if Germany were given everything she asked, wars could be avoided.

The authority of the Popular Front melted before our eyes. Unable to cope with economic problems, Shotan resigned. After that, the second Blum government was established, which existed less than a month before its resignation.

Government of Daladier

France during the Second World War could appear in a different, more visible light, if not for some actions of the new chairman of the Council of Ministers Edward Daladier.

The new government was formed exclusively from the composition of democratic and right-wing forces, without Communists and Socialists, however, in the elections Daladier needed the support of the latter two. Therefore, he designated his activities as a sequence of actions of the Popular Front, as a result, received the support of both the Communists and the Socialists. However, immediately after coming to power, everything changed dramatically.

The first steps were aimed at "improving the economy." Taxes were raised and another devaluation was carried out, which ultimately gave its negative results. But this is not the most important thing in the activities of Daladier of that period. Foreign policy in Europe was at that time at the limit - one spark, and the war would begin. France in the Second World War did not want to choose the side of defeatists. There were several opinions within the country: some wanted a close alliance with Great Britain and the United States; Others did not exclude the possibility of an alliance with the USSR; Some opposed sharply against the Popular Front, proclaiming the slogan "Better Hitler than the Popular Front". Apart from those listed, there were pro-German circles of the bourgeoisie who believed that even if they could defeat Germany, the revolution that would come with the USSR to Western Europe would not spare anybody. They offered to pacify Germany in every possible way, giving it freedom of action in the eastern direction.

Black spot in the history of French diplomacy

After the easy accession of Austria, Germany is increasing its appetites. Now she swung at the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia. Hitler did so that the population inhabited mainly by the Germans began to fight for autonomy and de facto separation from Czechoslovakia. When the government of the country gave a definite rebuff to fascist antics, Hitler began to act as the savior of the "infringed" Germans. He threatened the Benes government that he could enter his troops and take the area by force. In turn, France and the United Kingdom supported Czechoslovakia in words, the Soviet Union offered real military assistance in case Benes appealed to the League of Nations and officially applied for help to the USSR. Benes also could not make a step without indicating the French and the British, who did not want to quarrel with Hitler. The subsequent international diplomatic events could greatly reduce France's losses in World War II, which was already imminent, but history and politics ordered differently, reinforcing the main fascist many times over by the military factories of Czechoslovakia.

September 28, 1938 in Munich held a conference of France, England, Italy and Germany. Here the fate of Czechoslovakia was decided, and neither Czechoslovakia nor the Soviet Union, expressing a desire to help, were invited. As a result, the next day, Mussolini, Hitler, Chamberlain and Daladier signed the protocols of the Munich agreements, according to which the Sudetenland was now the territory of Germany, and areas with a predominance of Hungarians and Poles should also be separated from Czechoslovakia and become the lands of the title countries.

Daladier and Chamberlain guaranteed the inviolability of new borders and peace in Europe for a "whole generation" of national heroes who returned to their homeland.

In principle, it was, so to speak, the first surrender of France in the Second World War to the main aggressor in the history of mankind.

The outbreak of World War II and the entry into it of France

According to the strategy of the offensive against Poland, on the early morning of September 1, 1939 , Germany crossed the border. The Second World War began! The German army, with the support of its aviation and possessing numerical superiority, immediately took the initiative in its own hands and quickly seized the Polish territory.

France in the Second World War, just as Britain declared war on Germany only two days after active hostilities - September 3, still dreaming of appeasing or "appeasing" Hitler. In principle, historians have reason to believe that if there was no treaty according to which France was the main patron of Poland after the First World War, obliged in the event of an open aggression against the Poles to enter their troops and provide military support, most likely no declaration of war Did not follow two days later.

Strange war, or How France fought without fighting

The participation of France in the Second World War can be divided into several stages. The first one is called "Strange War". It lasted about 9 months - from September 1939 to May 1940. It is named so because in the conditions of war France and England against Germany did not conduct any military operations. That is, the war was declared, but no one fought. The agreement, under which France was obliged to organize an offensive in Germany within 15 days, was not carried out. The German military machine quietly "dealt" with Poland without looking back to its western borders, where only 23 divisions were concentrated against 110 French and British divisions, which could dramatically change the course of events at the beginning of the war and put Germany in a quandary if not to lead to it at all Smashing. Meanwhile, in the east, behind Poland, Germany did not have a rival, there was an ally - the USSR. Stalin, without waiting for an alliance with Britain and France, concluded it with Germany, securing his land for some time from the onset of the fascists, which is quite logical. But England and France in the Second World War and specifically in its beginning behaved quite strangely.

The Soviet Union at that time occupied the eastern part of Poland and the Baltic states, presented an ultimatum to Finland on the exchange of territories of the Karelian peninsula. The Finns opposed this, after which the Soviet Union unleashed a war. France and England reacted sharply to this, excluding the USSR from the League of Nations and preparing for war with it.

The situation is absolutely strange: in the center of Europe, at the very border of France, there is a world aggressor that threatens all of Europe and, most of all, France itself, and she declares war on the USSR, which simply wants to secure its borders, and offers an exchange of territories, and not Treacherous seizure. This state of affairs continued until the countries of Benelux and France suffered from Germany. The period of World War II, marked by weirdness, it ended, and the real war began.

At this time in the country ...

Immediately after the outbreak of the war, a state of siege was imposed in France. All strikes and demonstrations were banned, the media subjected to severe censorship of wartime. Regarding labor relations, wages were frozen at the pre-war level, strikes were prohibited, no vacations were granted, the law on a 40-hour working week was abolished.

France during the Second World War conducted a rather tough policy inside the country, especially with regard to the PCF (French Communist Party). The Communists were declared almost outlawed. Their mass arrests began. Deputies were deprived of immunity and brought to trial. But the apogee of the "struggle against the aggressors" was the document of November 18, 1939 - "Decree on Suspects." According to this document, the government could conclude almost any person into the concentration camp, finding it suspicious and dangerous for the state and society. In less than two months of the decree, more than 15,000 communists were in the concentration camps. And in April of the following year another decree was adopted, which equated the communist activity with treason, and the citizens convicted of this were punished with the death penalty.

Invasion of Germany into France

After the defeat of Poland and Scandinavia, Germany began to transfer the main forces to the Western Front. By May 1940, there was already no advantage that had such countries as England and France. The Second World War was destined to move to the land of "peacekeepers" who wanted to reassure Hitler, giving him everything he asked for.

On May 10, 1940, Germany began its invasion of the West. In less than a month, the Wehrmacht managed to break down Belgium, Holland, smash the British Expeditionary Corps, and also the most efficient French forces. All of Northern France and Flanders were occupied. The fighting spirit of the French soldiers was low, while the Germans even more believed in their invincibility. It remained a small matter. In the ruling circles, just as in the army, ferment began. On June 14, Paris was surrendered to the fascists, and the government fled to the city of Bordeaux.

Mussolini also did not want to miss the trophy division. And on June 10, believing that France no longer poses a threat, carried out an invasion of the territory of the state. However, Italian troops, which were almost twice as large as the number, were not successful in the struggle against the French. France in the Second World War had time to show what it is capable of. And even on June 21, on the eve of the signing of the capitulation, 32 Italian divisions were stopped by the French. It was a complete failure of the Italians.

The surrender of France in World War II

After England, fearing the transfer of the French fleet into the hands of the Germans, flooded most of it, France severed all diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom. June 17, 1940, her government rejected the English proposal for an inviolable alliance and the need to continue the struggle to the last.

On June 22 in the Compiegne Forest, in the carriage of Marshal Foch, a truce was signed between France and Germany. France it promised severe consequences, primarily economic. Two thirds of the country became the territory of Germany, the southern part was declared independent, but obliged to pay 400 million francs a day! Most of the raw materials and finished products went to support the German economy, and first of all the army. More than 1 million French citizens were sent in the form of labor to Germany. The economy and economy of the country suffered huge losses, which will subsequently affect the industrial and agricultural development of France after the Second World War.

Vichy Mode

After the seizure of Northern France in the resort town of Vichy, it was decided to transfer the authoritarian supreme authority in the southern "independent" France to the hands of Philippe Petain. This marked the end of the existence of the Third Republic and the establishment of the Vichy government (from the location). France in the Second World War showed itself not from the best side, especially in the years of the Vichy regime.

At first the regime found support among the population. However, this was a fascist government. Communist ideas were forbidden, the Jews, just like in all territories occupied by the fascists, were driven to the death camps. For one dead German soldier, death was overtaken by 50-100 ordinary citizens. The Vichy government itself did not have a regular army. There were a few armed forces necessary to maintain order and obedience, while the soldiers did not have any serious military weapons.

The regime lasted quite a long time - from July 1940 to the end of April 1945.

The Liberation of France

June 6, 1944 launched one of the largest military-strategic operations - the opening of the Second Front, which began with the landing of the Anglo-American Allied forces in Normandy. Fierce battles began in France for its liberation, together with the allies, the French liberated themselves as part of the Resistance movement.

France in the Second World War disgraced itself with two points: first, having suffered defeat, and secondly, cooperating with the fascists for almost 4 years. Although General de Gaulle did his best to create the myth that the whole French people as a whole fought for the country's independence, without helping Germany in anything, but only weakening it with various sorties and sabotage. "Paris is liberated by French hands," de Gaulle confidently and solemnly repeated.

The capitulation of the occupying forces occurred in Paris on August 25, 1944. The Vichy government then existed in exile until the end of April 1945.

After that, something unimaginable began in the country. Face to face met those who were declared bandits under the fascists, that is, partisans, and those who, under the fascists, lived in clover. Often there was public lynching of the henchmen of Hitler and Petain. The Anglo-American allies, who saw it with their own eyes, did not understand what was happening, and called on the French partisans to make out, but they were simply furious, believing that their time had come. A large number of French women, declared fascist sluts, publicly disgraced. They were dragged out of the houses, dragged to the square, there they shaved and escorted through the central streets to see everyone, often at the same time they ripped all their clothes off. The first years after World War II, France, briefly, experienced the vestiges of that not-so-distant but sad past when social tension and, at the same time, the revival of the national spirit intertwined, creating an uncertain situation.

End of the war. Results for France

The role of France in the Second World War was not decisive for its entire course, but some contribution still existed, at the same time there were negative consequences for it.

The French economy was practically destroyed. Industry, for example, gave only 38% of production from the pre-war level. About 100 thousand French did not return from the battlefields, about two million were held captive until the end of the war. Military equipment was mostly destroyed, the fleet sunk.

The policy of France after the Second World War is associated with the name of the military and political figure Charles de Gaulle. The first post-war years were aimed at restoring the economy and social welfare of French citizens. The losses of France in the Second World War could have been much lower, and maybe they would not have existed if, on the eve of the war, the governments of England and France did not try to "pacify" Hitler, but immediately with one hard blow dealt with the German- Fascist monster, who almost swallowed the whole world.