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They declared war on Germany the day after Germany invaded Poland in September of 1939. Their strategy was a defensive one so they deployed their army along their border with Germany and waited for the Germans to attack. the Germans took full advantage of the French (and British) passivity and took all the time they needed to get ready. For months absolutely nothing happened. Finally the Germans were ready and they attacked in May of 1940. The french army was outflanked, out maneuvered and outfought. Paris fell and the French capitulated. The Germans occupied the northern two thirds of France until 1942 when they occupied the rest of it in response to the Anglo American invasion of French North Africa.

They provided the battlefields.

They formed resistance groups all over France as well as the Maquis. Those who escaped to Britain at Dunkirk and later, joined the Free French Forces, some in the battle of Britain fighters, some in the 1st F. F. Army fighting in Libya with the Long-Range Desert Group. Under Leclerc who in Feb. 1941 led an epic 570 mile march to capture Kufra a vital group of 5 Oases in central Libyan desert. He later led his forces in the south of France,in 44-45 he directed winter operations in Alsace and eventually led his troops into Germany and Austria. Now a Maj.-Gen. he received the formal surrender of Paris. The Free French fought in many Theatres of the war.

Much of France joined with Nazi Germany. This fact is usually sugar coated as not to offend our French friends. But the truth is Vichy French forces killed many American soldiers as they landed in North Africa at the begining of American participation in WWII. There were even French SS troops fighting to the death in Berlin as the Allies finished off the Nazis. Also French sent thousands of Jews off to their deaths in the East under Hitler. This part of history should be taught along side of the "French Resistence" stories.

France was beaten very quickly by Germany in about six weeks in May and June of 1940. After that France was occupid by German troops for most of the rest of the war and the French was modelled on that of Germany and was very friendly toward Germany although France never actually signed a peace treaty with Germany, thus they were still technically at war, and France never went to war against the allies. France was liberated from the Germans by british and American troops in 1944.

They also helped the allies with the "Resistance" networks, against German troops (sabotage,intelligence,...)

Mostly as an occupied country. Although there was a resistance movement that spread across the entire country and they helped the allies whenever they could

France is/was a major country so it is not easy to summarize their role in WWII. I will make a few points:

Military - in 1939 it was widely assumed that the French Army was the finest in the world. Their army was large - about 5mm including all reserves. They were well equiped with tanks and planes. They had extensive fortifications on the eastern border. Trying to avoid the massive casualties of WWI the French decided to sit tight and wait on the Germans to move, then counterattack. They misjudged the German attack and counterattacked too far north. The Germans cut off the cream of the French army and quickly overran the rest of the nation.

About half the country was occupied by German troops, mainly in order to secure the continent from British invasion. The south part of the nation was independently run until 1944, called the Vichy republic.

Many French cooperated with the German occupiers or just tried to get along best they could under difficult economic circumstances. French industry manufactured many of the goods used by the German army including a large part of their trucks. Many French civilians were conscripted by the Germans into forced labor units, some being sent to factories in Germany.

Some French joined the underground and tried to make it difficult on the German army. While highly publicized after the war, the efforts of the French underground were minor pin pricks compared to the major war efforts of other nations. The underground did supply some useful intelligence at different times to the Allies.

Overseas, the Frenchman DeGaule took gradual leadership of the scattered French forces. He became the spokesperson for the French people, at least the one the Allies listened too. After the war, riding high in popularity, he became leader of the French nation.

After Normandy in June 1944, France was quickly liberated from the Germans. The German counteroffensive in the 'Battle of the Bulge' was an attempt to reoccupy most of France before they could mobilize their army against Germany. It failed and the French army then added to the Allied forces that completed the conquest of Germany.

After the war, the French took retribution on the Germans by forcing many to work in hideous conditions in coal mines and other forced labor. About 20% of the German nation (Rhineland and other portions) were occupied by the French army.

France tried to permanently seize territory from Germany but was defeated in referendums. Additionally about a million ethnic Germans were forced to leave France.

France went on to loose their empire in varies wars including Algeria and Vietnam. They developed atomic weapons in order to ensure that they would be difficult to occupy by larger powers in the future.

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