France

May 10-June 25, 1940

Strategic Context
Germany crushes Poland in September 1939 and signs a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union; this allows Adolf
Hitler to prepare for an offensive in the West. France and Britain resolve to rely on defensive fortifications such as the
vaunted Maginot Line until an economic blockade defeats Germany as it did in World War I. They expect Germany to

To view animation on PC: hit F5

place its main attack through the Low Countries, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg; this belief is reinforced by
the Mechelen Incident in which German plans fall into Belgian hands. Although Belgium and the Netherlands are
neutral, they secretly agree to the Dyle Plan, in which French forces race forward while allied forces fall back to a
defensive line roughly along the Dyle River. The actual German plan anticipates these maneuvers and places its main

To view animation on Mac: hit ⌘ + enter

attack through the Ardennes Forest, considered impassable for a large force. Italy is not officially at war with France
but three armies are deployed in the Alps and Italy is expected to declare war at the most opportune moment.

Stakes
+ A French victory would halt German
expansion and allow France and its allies to
take advantage of their superior economies.
+ A German victory would result in the total
defeat and occupation of France, leaving Britain
to face Germany alone.

By Jonathan Webb, 2009

 France, 1940
Strength

French Army & allies German Army & allies

Maurice Gamelin Adolf Hitler

Maxime Weygand Walther von Brauchitsch

109 French divisions 135 German divisions

40 allied divisions 32 allied divisions
3,000,000 men 3,300,000 men
2,700 tanks 2,600 tanks
2,000 aircraft 3,700 aircraft

Well Well
By Jonathan Webb, 2009
Europe c.1939
The battlefield is relatively flat with the exception of the Alps Mountains in the south (off map) and the low, marshy ground roughly north of Brussels. The densest forest cover is
the Ardennes Forest. The major body of water is the English Channel, which separates Britain from the other combatants. There are a number of major rivers, the most significant
being the Rhine and Meuse Rivers running north-south, and the Somme, Seine, and Marne Rivers running east-west. Urban cities and small villages are scattered throughout the
battlefield, the capital cities being London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxembourg, and Paris. The French-built Maginot Line, an extensive system of fortifications, extends along the
entire Franco-German border. The German objective is to reach the English Channel at Calais. The Allied objective is to hold the Dyle River line.
0 50 100 km German Army & allies
(Hitler/Brauchitsch)
N
English Rotterdam
Channel

London
Maas River

Antwerp
Dunkirk

Cologne
Calais
Dyle Brussels
River

Namur

Arras
Ardennes
Forest
Amiens Somme River
Rhine River
Sedan
Luxembourg

Aisne River
Seine River
Oise River Verdun

Marne River Moselle Maginot

Paris Meuse
River Line
River

Loire River

French Army & allies

(Gamelin)
The French
German
The Germans
Advanced
Army
The are
evacuation
Group B deployed
bombers
18. Army
seek
elements
attacks to
of Dunkirk inreduce
viciously
the three
ofrelentlessly
French army
remains
begins.
7. Army groups.
terror-bomb
theattacks
remnants
Hitler
of Army Army
the Group
major
areisshoved
Group of
Dutch
persuaded1cities
Army
backand1bycomprises
Army,
byinGroup
succeeds
Luftwaffe
German 1.,
the cutting
Low
1:
in
18.2.,Army
7.,
Germanit 9.
Countries.
commander,
pushing toArmies
off 6.from
them Army and
reinforcethe
Goerring,
back. the
Group
thetoBritish
splits
French
Panzer the
Dutch
allow Expeditionary
A easily
BEF
armies.
Group
Army’s pushes
from
his aircraft
Kleist Force;
French
thethe
isolation. 7.itsArmy
Belgian
Dutch
annihilates
to complete
German objective
and
Army,
French
the isforcing
to
advances
Belgian
bombers
BEF’s
9. reinforce
Army Armies
into
destroy a is the
Belgian
destruction.
but an the retreating
back,
Netherlands
ordered
entire Dutch
surrender
British aided
section
to by
aircraft
halt by
of
and Belgian Armies along the Dyle Line. Army Group 2 comprises 3., 4. and 5. Armies; its objective is to hold the Maginot Line. Army Group 3 comprises 8. Army; its objective is to
German
anyways
while
Rotterdam
Hitler
take Panzer
off
to airborne
totocover
allow
from Group
make
the Antwerp.
the hometroops
anKleist
infantry which
example,and
islands
to Theforcing
catch4.rest
to seize
Armyof
defend
up. key
Army
This
the push
the fortresses
Dutch north,
allowsGroup
evacuation encircling
1 reaches
toGamelin and
surrender. panic
armada
to deployFrench
the
Gamelin rear
in 6. Dyle
costly 1.
services.
begins
and Line
Army.
10. andThe
dogfights
shifting
Armies. Army
consolidates;
BEFGroup
although
French
The launches
halt 1 German
7. Goering
Army
order rushes
isafails
south.counterattack
to
6. Army
eventuallythe
German
to destroy Dyle
probes
lifted
6. ArmyatLine
the
and Arras
this
BEF.
pinstothe
Panzerbut
reinforce
defensive
German it isand
Group
BEF 4.repelled.
the
lineresumes
Kleist
and
Frenchretreating
with
18. French
1. little
Armies
Army
its
defend against any outflanking of the Maginot Line through Switzerland. The Germans are deployed in three army groups. Army Group B comprises 6. and 18. Armies; its objective
while
advance,
belatedly
Belgian
result.
7. and
is to
Panzer
advance
brushing
advance
Group
Meanwhile,
10.
Army
Armies
intowhile
aside
on
Kleist
also
Army
the Low
Dunkirk
theFrench
breaks
launch
Group
Dutch
Countries,
while
7.
through
Army
encircled
and
the
counterattacks
AArmy
continues
enticing
hinge
reaching
retreatsFrench
Frenchto
of French
1.
the
advance;
into
to
armies cutitsArmy
to
Channel.
off 2.
own
rush
heroically
and
Panzer
the 9.
German
prepared
in toGerman
meet
Armies
Group fights
4.atArmy
advance
lines.
Kleist
it. Army
Sedan,
on tofollows
tie
opening
Unrealized
Groupemerges
armies down
A comprises
closely
German
an
from
but
by 80-km
the
the
4.,
behind,
the forces.
gap
attacks
12.,French,
Ardennes12.between
16. Armies
French
and
are
Army
and
weak
and
16. them.
1.Armies
Group
drives
Panzer
Army
and Gamelin
establish
surrenders
towards
AGerman
Groupmakes activates
Sedan
9.its
Kleist;
a objective
only
front
itsArmy
way French
after
running
where
arrives
throughthe
6.to
is only
Army
east-
vast
the
fill
to attack
with
west
majority
reserves
Ardennes
weakest
the and
gaps of
2.the
andand
elements
anyways.
with BEF
9. divisions
Armies
is
Panzer of
Theevacuated
approach
from
French
Group
British Army
to
Kleist
9. Britain.
Royal
andtheGroups
infront
2.
Navy
theFrench
lines.
2
Armies and
lead.
arrivesarmies
French
3 while
defend.
on in
the6.
German
the
Army
German south
coast attacks
4.,
to
2. however
12.
begin
and and
north
9. an 16.
are
at
Armies’Armies
in
Laonlittle
evacuation butadvance
position
is beaten
headquarters
of to affect
remainingguard
back
are by
Kleist’s
fighting
German
activated
troops
through the Ardennes, cutting off French armies in the north. Army Group C comprises 1. and 7. Armies; its objective is to tie down French armies on the Maginot Line. flanks
inin the
air
from
the attacks.
north.
against
north.
the counterattack.
reserve.
0 50 100 km German Army & allies
(Hitler/Brauchitsch)
Landmarks Subordinates
DUT
N Nations
18
Army Group B
(Bock)
Army Group B
(Bock)
RES
6 9
BELG
7 2
4
Army Group 1 BEF
(Billotte)
12
Army Group A
Army Group A (Rundstedt)
1 KL (Rundstedt)

16
Army Group 1 9
(Billotte)

2 1 Army Group C
6 (Leeb)
3
10
RES
4
Army Group 2
(Pretelat)

5 7

Symbol guide
Army Group 3
(Besson)
8
Subordinates

French Army & allies

Opposing forces deployed south in Alps
(Gamelin)
 Both sides regroup for the battle forGerman
France itself. The
Panzer
German
The Group
4.
French Army
Kleist
armiesdestroys
opens the
French
continue to10. offensive
Army
conduct aGerman
while armiesGroups
byPanzer
attacking
fighting are French
retreat deployed
Kleist
as in three
10.
the and
Army army groups.
Guderian
German which
armies Army tough
offers
break Group Bresistance.
through
advance comprises
French
on 4.,It6.,is9.,eventually
defences
all fronts. 18.on
ItalianArmies
1. and
their Panzer Group
defeated,
respective
and Kleist;
forcing
4. Armies
objective is to smash the French left wing. Army Group A comprises 2., 12., 16. Armies and the new Panzer Group Guderian; its objective is to break through the French center after
fronts. its
7.The
finally
Army
French
to retreat
launch armies tomust
avoidcontinue
anB offensive envelopment.to retreat
Panzer to avoid
Group aencirclement.
Guderian attacks
Parisshortly
is declared
after, asplitting
free cityFrench
to avoid
4. and
destruction;
2. Armies. 2Hitler
The hastily
Germanoccupies
infantry solemnly
it.
armies
Panzer
Army Group attacks. ArmybutGroupit quickly grinds
C comprises 1. and to haltitsinobjective
7. Armies; the frigid, rough
is to break theterrain. Meanwhile,
Maginot Line. Three ItalianArmy
armiesGroup
– not yet surrenders.
at France
war with France – threaten the tiny
make
GroupslowGuderian,
but steadyfollowed
progress
by 12.
against
and 16.
FrenchArmies,
armies
advances
which as
stage
far aslocal
the counterattacks
Swiss border while
in an
Army
effective
Group fighting
C pierces retreat.
the Maginot
Panzer Line
Groupin two
Kleist
places.
isthe
requests
French Armyan armistice
of the butofPanzer
Alps. The rest Group
the French armies Kleist advances
are deployed in threeafter
army the armistice
groups. is signed
Their objectives to ensure
are merely German
to hold the Weygandcontrol ofruns
Line which thefrom
western coast.
the Channel to
ransferred
Army Group
east.
2 is
Seeing
now completely
that France surrounded.
has absolutely no chance of winning, Italy declares war.
Maginot Line. Army Group 3 comprises 7. and 10. Armies; Army Group 4 comprises 2., 4. and 6. Armies; Army Group 2 comprises 3., 5. and 8. Armies.
0 100 200 km German Army & allies
(Hitler/Brauchitsch)
Landmarks Army Group B
(Bock) Subordinates
Army Group A
N 4 18
(Rundstedt) Nations
KL
6
9 12
10 2
7 16
6 GU
KL 4 1 Army Group C
2 3 (Leeb)
PARIS

Army Group 3
(Besson) Army Group 4 7
8
(Huntzinger)

Army Group 2
(Pretelat)

KL

ITAL 4 Army Group West

ITAL 7 (Savoia)

ALPS
ITAL 1

Symbol guide

Subordinates

French Army & allies

(Weygand)
 France 1940
Casualties & Aftermath
French Army & allies: German Army & allies:

2,300,000 163,000
or or
77% 5%

Germany’s conquests did not end with France. After flirting with the idea of invading
Britain, until losing the air battle in late 1940, Germany invaded the Soviet Union in
June 1941. The German offensive initially made rapid progress but stalled in winter
1941-1942, and was clearly defeated by 1943. In June 1944, Britain and the now-
Allied United States returned to France with an amphibious invasion of Normandy.
In August 1944, they liberated Paris to cheering crowds. In May 1945, Germany
surrendered unconditionally. By Jonathan Webb, 2009
 The Art of Battle:
Animated Battle Maps
http://www.theartofbattle.com
By Jonathan Webb, 2009