XX 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, USSR, Great Britain and France. During World War II, they defeated world fascism. France was forced to capitulate, but then revived and continued the struggle with Germany and its allies.
France in the prewar years
In the last prewar years, France experienced serious economic difficulties. At that time, the Popular 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 move away from the Popular Front program. Taxes were raised, the 40-hour work week was canceled, and industrialists had the opportunity to increase the duration of the latter. The strike movement swept across the country immediately, however, the government sent police units to pacify the discontented. France before the Second World War conducted an antisocial 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 Austria. Two days later, her anschlus occurred. This event dramatically changed the situation in Europe. A threat hung over the Old World, and first of all it concerned Great Britain and France. The population of France demanded that the government take decisive action against Germany, especially since the USSR also expressed such ideas, proposing to combine forces and stifle fascism, which is gaining strength, in the bud. However, the government still continued to follow the so-called. “Appeasement,” believing that if you give Germany everything she asks for, war can be avoided.
The authority of the Popular Front was melting before our eyes. Unable to cope with economic problems, Shotan resigned. After that, the second government of Blum was established, which existed less than a month before his next resignation.
Government of Daladier
France during World War II could appear in a different, more attractive light, if not for some of the actions of the new chairman of the Council of Ministers, Eduard Daladier.
The new government was formed solely from the composition of democratic and right-wing forces, without communists and socialists, nevertheless, in the elections, Daladier needed the support of the latter two. Therefore, he designated his activity as a sequence of actions of the Popular Front, and 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 yielded negative results. But this is not the most important thing in the activities of the Daladier of that period. Foreign policy in Europe was at that time at the limit - one spark, and the war would have begun. France in World War II did not want to choose the side of the defeatists. There were several opinions inside the country: some wanted a close alliance with Great Britain and the USA; others did not exclude the possibility of an alliance with the USSR; still others strongly opposed the Popular Front, proclaiming the slogan "Better Hitler than the Popular Front." The pro-German circles of the bourgeoisie stood apart from the above, who believed that even if it were possible to defeat Germany, the revolution that would come to the Western Europe with the USSR would spare no one. They offered to pacify Germany in every possible way, giving her freedom of action in the eastern direction.
A black spot in the history of French diplomacy
After the easy accession of Austria, Germany is increasing its appetites. Now she swung at the Sudeten region of Czechoslovakia. Hitler made it so that the region inhabited mainly by Germans began to fight for autonomy and actual separation from Czechoslovakia. When the country's government categorically rebuffed fascist antics, Hitler began to act as the savior of the “infringed” Germans. He threatened the Benes government that he could send his troops and take the area by force. In turn, France and Great Britain supported Czechoslovakia in words, while the USSR offered real military assistance in the event Benes appealed to the League of Nations and officially appealed for help to the USSR. Benes could not have taken a step without specifying the French and 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 inevitable, but history and politicians decided differently, reinforcing the main fascist by many times the military factories of Czechoslovakia.
On September 28, 1938, a conference of France, England, Italy, and Germany was held in Munich. 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 Sudeten region was now German territory, and areas dominated by Hungarians and Poles should also be separated from Czechoslovakia and become lands of the titular 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, this was, so to speak, the first surrender of France in World War II to the main aggressor in the history of mankind.
The beginning of World War II and the entry of France into it
According to the strategy of attack on Poland, in the early morning of September 1, 1939 , Germany crossed the border. The Second World War has begun! The German army, with the support of its aviation and possessing numerical superiority, immediately took the initiative in their hands and quickly seized Polish territory.
France in World War II, just as England declared war on Germany only after two days of active hostilities - September 3, still dreaming of appeasing or "appeasing" Hitler. In principle, historians have reason to believe that if there were no agreement according to which Poland was the main patron of Poland after the First World War, it would be obliged, in the event of open aggression against the Poles, to send troops and provide military support, most likely, no declaration of war it did not follow two days later.
A 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 is called the Strange War. It lasted about 9 months - from September 1939 to May 1940. It was named so because during the war, France and England against Germany did not carry out any military operations. That is, the war was declared, but no one fought. The agreement, under which France was obliged to organize an attack on Germany in 15 days, was not implemented. The German military machine calmly “dealt” with Poland, not looking back at its western borders, where only 23 divisions were concentrated against 110 French and English, which could dramatically change the course of events at the beginning of the war and put Germany in a difficult position, if not at all to smash. Meanwhile, in the east, behind Poland, Germany had no rival, there was an ally - the USSR. Stalin, not waiting for an alliance with England and France, concluded it with Germany, having secured his lands for a while from the Nazi offensive, which is quite logical. But England and France in the Second World War and specifically at 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 USSR unleashed a war. France and England reacted sharply to this, expelling the USSR from the League of Nations and preparing for war with it.
The situation was absolutely strange: in the center of Europe, at the very border of France, there is a world aggressor threatening all of Europe and, first of all, France itself, and she declares war on the USSR, which simply wants to secure its borders, and offers an exchange of territories, not treacherous capture. This state of affairs continued until the countries of Benelux and France suffered from Germany. The period of World War II, marked by oddities, ended here, and the real war began.
At this time, domestically ...
Immediately after the outbreak of war in France, a state of siege was introduced. All strikes and demonstrations were banned, the media were subjected to strict censorship of wartime. Regarding labor relations, wages were frozen at the pre-war level, strikes were banned, holidays were not granted, the law on 40-hour work weeks was repealed.
France during the Second World War pursued a rather tough domestic policy, 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 were put on trial. But the climax of the “struggle against aggressors” was the document of November 18, 1939 - “The Decree on the Suspicious.” According to this document, the government could put almost any person in a concentration camp, considering it suspicious and dangerous for the state and society. In less than two months after the decree, more than 15,000 communists turned up in concentration camps. And in April of the following year, another decree was adopted that equated communist activity with treason, and those convicted of this were punished with the death penalty.
German invasion of France
After the defeat of Poland and Scandinavia, Germany began to transfer the main forces to the Western Front. By May 1940, there was no longer the advantage that countries such as England and France had. The Second World War was destined to move to the lands of the "peacekeepers" who wanted to reassure Hitler by giving him everything he asked.
On May 10, 1940, Germany launched an invasion of the West. In less than a month, the Wehrmacht managed to break down Belgium, Holland, defeat the British Expeditionary Force, as well as the most combat-ready French forces. All northern France and Flanders were occupied. The fighting spirit of the French soldiers was low, while the Germans even more believed in their invincibility. The matter remained small. In the ruling circles, as well as in the army, fermentation began. June 14, Paris was surrendered to the Nazis, and the government fled to the city of Bordeaux.
Mussolini also did not want to miss the sharing of trophies. And on June 10, believing that France was no longer a threat, he invaded the state. However, the Italian forces, almost twice as large in numbers, were not successful in the fight against the French. France in the Second World War managed to show what it is capable of. And even on June 21, on the eve of the signing of the surrender, 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 broke off all diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom. On June 17, 1940, her government rejected the English proposal for an indestructible alliance and the need to continue the struggle to the last.
On June 22, a truce was signed between France and Germany in the Compiegne Forest, in the carriage of Marshal Foch. France, it promised serious consequences, primarily economic. Two-thirds of the country became German territory, while the southern part was declared independent, but required to pay 400 million francs a day! Most of the raw materials and finished products went to support the German economy, and especially the army. More than 1 million French citizens were sent as labor to Germany. The economy and economy of the country suffered huge losses, which subsequently will affect the industrial and agricultural development of France after the Second World War.
Vichy mode
After the capture of Northern France in the resort town of Vichy, it was decided to transfer the authoritarian supreme power in the southern "independent" France into the hands of Philippe Petain. This marked the end of the Third Republic and the creation of the Vichy government (from whereabouts). France did not show its best side in World War II, especially during the years of the Vichy regime.
At first, the regime found support among the population. However, it was a fascist government. Communist ideas were banned, Jews, like all territories occupied by the Nazis, were driven to death camps. For one killed German soldier, 50-100 ordinary citizens overtook death. The Vichy government itself did not have a regular army. There were a few armed forces necessary to maintain order and humility, while the soldiers did not have any more serious military weapons.
The regime lasted quite a long time - from July 1940 until the end of April 1945.
Liberation of France
On June 6, 1944, one of the largest military strategic operations began - the opening of the Second Front, which began with the landing of the Anglo-American allied forces in Normandy. Fierce battles began on the territory of France for its liberation, together with the allies, the French themselves carried out actions to liberate the country as part of the Resistance movement.
France in the Second World War disgraced itself in two ways: first, having been defeated, and secondly, collaborating with the Nazis for almost 4 years. Although General de Gaulle tried his best to create the myth that the whole French people fought for the independence of the country as a whole, not helping Germany in anything, but only weakening it with various sorties and sabotage. “Paris has been freed by French hands,” de Gaulle said confidently and solemnly.
The surrender of the occupying forces occurred in Paris on August 25, 1944. The Vichy government after this existed in exile until the end of April 1945.
After that, something unimaginable began in the country. Face to face, those who were declared bandits under the fascists, that is, partisans, and those who lived happily with the fascists, met. Often there was a public lynching of the minions of Hitler and PĂ©tain. The Anglo-American allies, who saw this with their own eyes, did not understand what was happening, and urged the French partisans to reason, but they were simply furious, believing that their time had come. A large number of French women declared fascist sluts publicly disgraced. They were pulled out of the houses, dragged to the square, there they shaved and led along the central streets so that everyone could see, often at the same time they ripped off all their clothes. In the first years of the Second World War, France, in short, experienced the remnants of that recent, but such a sad past, when social tension and at the same time the revival of the national spirit intertwined, creating an uncertain situation.
The end of the war. Results for France
The role of France in World War II was not decisive for its entire course, however, there was still some contribution, at the same time there were negative consequences for it.
The French economy was almost destroyed. Industry, for example, provided only 38% of production from the pre-war level. About 100 thousand Frenchmen did not return from the battlefields, about two million were held captive until the end of the war. Most military equipment was destroyed, the fleet sunk.
French politics after World War II is associated with the name of the military and political leader Charles de Gaulle. The first post-war years were aimed at restoring the economy and social well-being of French citizens. France’s losses in World War II could have been much lower, or maybe they would not have happened at all if the governments of England and France hadn’t tried to “pacify” Hitler on the eve of the war, but would have immediately dealt with the not yet strong German a fascist monster that nearly swallowed the whole world.