Based on the jokes from WWII, they must have not recovered that tenacity in time. "We have these gently used WWII French rifles. They've only been dropped once"
1. The German army in 1940 was utterly unstoppable. They didn't just conquer France, they conquered half of Europe. The French army was seen as the best army in the world at the time, but they were utterly unprepared for the new way of warfare the Germans introduced.
2. Petain.
Of course, our friends across the pond also think state healthcare is communism, and republicans are “literally” nazis so, I wouldn’t truck too much with such statements.
Where they failed is in terms of their officers, command&control and training. The French Generals made some horrible mistakes and never managed to recover.
It isn't clear that Chamberlain believed what he said, politicians are sometimes cleverer than they appear.
This is not really the case. The most important things the British could do against the Germans was the Blockade. And the Blockade was available at literally any time since WW1.
And the Germans were already in full buildup, they delay between 1938 and 1939 helped the Germans far more then it would have helped the Allies. Not to mentioned it took out the Czech military.
Specially since its only when the Germans invaded Prague that the British really started the buildup.
And in the end, the British army was kind of useless in the Battle of France, since the breakthrew happens in Verdun and the British were in Belgium.
Not really. Those offensive were very unlikely to win the war. They look more impressive on a map then in reality. He really had no strategic plan, its was basically 'Lets attack and hope for the best'.
Source: am English, am attempting to become decreasingly ignorant over time.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_France
EDIT: Wait, crap, I forgot Brexit. I guess your statement remains _technically_ incorrect, since England is in (the continent of) Europe but not in the EU.
France was the most populated and richest country in Europe for a very long time.
Despite this, what one could consider natural French territory, Belgium and Netherland France never managed to hold for a significant amount of time.
And then they decisively lost the global great power struggle against Britain despite France being much richer and having larger population.
France is constrained by pretty natural frontier boarders that when looking the Medieval Kingdom of 1223 and modern day France, it doesn't seem like its the most amazing achievement.
Specially considering its German neighbors, for 1000 years were far more fractured, and France never managed to really take full advantage of that situation.
What's natural about this? Those countries had been fendong off occupyers for centuries by the time the French made any serious progress during Napoleon. If you're refering to the Rhine/Maas delta, after the Roman empire it never was a (significant) border again, at least not in the Netherlands.
Where is the center of power of the French crown? And then measure how far away the lowlands are.
The French kings have been struggling to control Flanders for literally more the 1000 years.
Given how much larger and richer France was, and how incredibly valuable that land is, the most successful military in history should have managed it.
> Those countries had been fendong off occupyers for centuries
Yes but if they had been opposed by the best military in history then they shouldn't have been able to.
It's a sad irony to see 'Dunkirk Spirit' being rolled out at a time of crisis, despite it being a rout of the British army. It was a logistical triumph, which no doubt allowed the British army to live to fight another day. But I also consider Dunkirk Spirit to be about standing helplessly on a beach while being machine gunned by German pilots, while 30,000 Frenchmen die, guarding your rear.
The Allied Army was surrounded because of a Break threw in the South. The British Army could literally do absolutely nothing and they don't do anything to lose the overall battle.
In fact British keeping minimal organization alive and managing even limited counterattack had a strong effect German planning.
And then of course despite massive help by the British Pétain essentially stabbed them in the back.
You clearly have never been to Switzerland.
Attacking your opponent's strengths is a time proven rhetorical strategy.
Swift Boat Vets successfully depicted war hero Sen John Kerry as a pacifist. Ditto Sen Max Cleland.
Sen John McCain was mocked as weak for being a POW.
Ad nauseum.
More nauseating is that it works. "Balanced" media coverage signal boosting the agitprop, muddying the waters, begatting cynicism and apathy.