Maurice Gamelin

Maurice Gustave Gamelin (20 September 1872 – 18 April 1958) was a senior French Army officer. Gamelin is remembered for his unsuccessful command (until 17 May 1940) of the French military during the Battle of France (10 May–22 June 1940) in the Second World War and his steadfast defence of republican values.

The Commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces in the Second World War, Gamelin was viewed as a man with significant intellectual ability. He was respected, even in Germany, for his intelligence and "subtle mind", though he was viewed by some German generals as stiff and predictable. Despite this, and his competent service in the First World War, his command of the French armies during the critical days of May 1940 proved to be disastrous. Historian and journalist William L. Shirer presented the view that Gamelin used First World War methods to fight the Second World War, but with less vigor and slower response.

Gamelin served with distinction under Joseph Joffre (1852—1931) in the First World War. He is often credited with being responsible for devising the outline of the French counter-attack in 1914 which led to victory during the First Battle of the Marne. In 1933 Gamelin rose to command the French Army and oversaw a modernisation and mechanisation programme, including the completion of the Maginot Line defences.

World War II

World War II (WWII or WW2), also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of "total war", the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust (in which approximately 11 million people were killed) and the strategic bombing of industrial and population centres (in which approximately one million were killed, and which included the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki), it resulted in an estimated 50 million to 85 million fatalities. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history.

French

French may refer to:

See also

Battle of France

The Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries during the Second World War. Beginning on 10 May 1940, German forces defeated Allied forces in a series of mobile operations, eventually leading to the conquest of France, Belgium and the Netherlands and the end of land operations on what had been the Western Front.

The German plan for the invasion of France consisted of two main operations. In Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes and then along the Somme valley to cut off and surround the Allied units, that had advanced into Belgium to meet the expected German threat. When British, Belgian and adjacent French forces were pushed back to the sea, by the mobile and well-organized German operation, the British government decided to evacuate the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) as well as several French divisions at Dunkirk in Operation Dynamo.

After the withdrawal of the BEF, the German forces launched a second operation, Fall Rot (Case Red) on 5 June 1940. While the depleted French forces put up stiff initial resistance, German air superiority and armoured mobility overwhelmed the remaining French forces. German armour outflanked the Maginot Line and pushed deep into France, with German forces arriving in Paris unopposed on 14 June. This caused a chaotic period of flight for the French government and ended organised French military resistance. German commanders met with French officials on 18 June with the goal of the forcing the new French government to acceptance all of the agreements in an armistice offered by Germany. Chief among the government leaders was Marshal Philippe Pétain, the newly appointed prime minister and one of the supporters of an armistice.

French Armed Forces

The French Armed Forces (French: Forces armées françaises) encompass the French Army, the French Navy, the French Air Force, and the National Gendarmerie of France. The President of the Republic heads the armed forces, with the title "chef des armées" ("chief of the armies"). The President is the supreme authority for military matters and is the sole official who can order a nuclear strike. According to SIPRI, as of 2014 France maintains the 5th largest defence budget in the world.

History

The military history of France encompasses an immense panorama of conflicts and struggles extending for more than 2,000 years across areas including modern France, greater Europe, and French territorial possessions overseas. According to the British historian Niall Ferguson, France has participated in 50 of the 125 major European wars fought since 1495, and in 168 battles fought since 387 BC, they have won 109, drawn 10 and lost 49: this makes France the most successful military power in European history - in terms of number of fought and won.