Notes
DUNKIRK
- The Germans break through the Dyle Line of defenses and the Ardennes and rush to the coast
- They surround approximately 500,000 troops by May 27 (17 days)
- The British realized they were surrounded and ordered the navy to put together an evacuation
- Also civilians
- Almost 340,000 troops are rescued in a weeks time
- The Germans hold up while this occurs?
- Seen as a small Allied victory
- The rest of France fell relatively quickly after the Dyle line fell and the British evacuated
- Italy declares war on France June 10
- Paris falls June 14
- Rest of France falls June 22
- Reasons:
- The Maginot line proved useless
- The Germans used their tanks much better
- The Luftwaffe was too strong
- Political dissention in France
- The terms of surrender are accepted by a new anti-war French Prime Minister known as Marshall Petain
- He accepts the new borders of France in the south with the capital city at Vichy
- They were puppets to the Germans
- He became a collaborator like Quisling
- The Free French Army that had escaped to England were organized by a General Charles De Gaulle
Summary
Germans pushed all the British soldiers to the coast of Dunkirk; however, they did not attempt to gun them all down. On the other hand, they allowed 340,000 British troops to be rescued by civilians and navy boats. After this evacuation of Dunkirk, the rest of France fell fairly quickly -- Paris falls June 14th.
Quote
"Humanitarianism is the expression of stupidity and cowardice." - Hitler
subjunctive question
Why did Hitler exactly allow the evacuation of his enemy's to take place?