What is the reason why France has received high votes in the United Nations? The answer may lie in their habitual gesture of raising their hands to vote. However, if there is anything that gratifies Germany after its defeat in World War II, it is that in 1940, Germany completely shattered France's honor and dignity.
On May 10, 1940, Nazi Germany swept through France with the pace of "blitzkrieg". France at that time should not be underestimated, with three million army forces, world-class weapons and mechanization, more artillery and tanks than Germany, and the world's second largest colonial empire. However, the German offensive lasted only forty-four days before France surrendered with a white flag, shocking everyone with the speed with which France became the laughing stock of the world.
However, some people think that France's surrender in World War II was a wise move, is this really wise or stupid? In fact, the reason for the defeat of France was very simple: they could not continue to fight. The root cause of this tragedy is that France's understanding of the situation has not been clear enough. Before World War II, France was complacent and enjoyed the status of the world's second most powerful country, full of confidence. Even in the face of rising Germany and the United States, France assumed that it would not be threatened, but was unaware of the ambitions of German Nazi-fascism. Their policy of appeasement of passive response and non-intervention led to Germany's arrogance and eventual incinence.
Even after the end of World War I, France remained unvigilant and continued to be confident. Faced with the German threat, they built only a discredited Maginot Line, believing that the wall was sufficient to block the German attack. However, Germany bypassed the Maginot Line and France began to recognize the crisis. Although the Anglo-French forces were large in the early days, surpassing Germany in tanks and artillery, Germany was far ahead in the number of fighters. Therefore, by the time the German army was menacing, it was too late for France to import fighters.
In addition, the German Manstein program was very successful, and the well-trained German army not only had high combat quality, but also extremely advanced tactical thinking, implemented a "blitzkrieg", won successive victories, and morale was high. In contrast, French tactical thinking remained stuck in World War I, and its combat quality and morale were inadequate. Therefore, the defeat of France was almost inevitable.
So why is morale so low in France? This is related to the historical background of France, and these historical factors doomed France to defeat. In World War I, France was ostensibly victorious, but at great cost, with more than a million killed, millions disabled, and a decimated population. This has led to an imbalance in France's population and a sharp decline in the young and middle-aged workforce. The industrial base was also hit hard, with France's industrial level falling sharply after the war, and steel production falling by three-quarters. Labor shortages and the destruction of its industrial base made the French economy even worse, unable to repay its debts from World War I.
France's allies Britain and the United States also turned their backs on them, and in order to maintain the "balance of power on the mainland", Britain and the United States pursued a policy of appeasement, lending and investing in Germany, making Germany struggle. France became a victim. As a result, France was already mired in pessimism, numbness, weakness and internal division when World War II broke out, and could not withstand the ravages of more war. Is there still point in continuing the fight for France? Surrender seems to be the option that best reduces casualties and losses.
The French official Regal once said: "The cowardly and incompetent republic has its best home." "If France insists on fighting, will Britain and America betray again? France certainly does not want to take that risk. In addition, the terms of surrender proposed by Hitler were relatively "generous", and France could retain the ruling class power and overseas colonies. But these benefits were limited to the bourgeoisie of France.
However, the way France surrendered was ridiculous. They became German "puppet army", paying high "occupation fees", and French youth were transported to Germany for hard labor. The ultimate beneficiary is only French capitalism. All this confirms the wise saying: capitalists shed dirty blood from head to toe.