What allowed the french to flee from France?

Answer 1

Firstly, the evacuation at Dunkirk in late May and early June of 1940 included 100,000 French soldiers.Later on, individual Frenchmen made their way across the Channel to England; experienced local fishermen would know every bay, cove, and inlet, and it was impossible for the Germans to watch the entire French coastline opposite England every night of the year. France also has lengthy borders with Switzerland and Spain. Frenchmen could make their way from Spain to Free French garrisons in North Africa or across country to Portugal and thence to Allied controlled areas or countries.

The rapid fall of France in 1940 came as a surprise to everyone (not least the German Army High Command) and was due to failures in the French military leadership.

Firstly, the Allies were totally unprepared for German blitzkrieg tactics.Despite having more and better tanks and aircraft, the Allies used them incorrectly.Tanks were divided up into small units and assigned to infantry divisions as support units.In contrast, the Germans massed all their tanks and mechanized units into panzer divisions, which they then grouped together into panzer armies and used to smash a hole in the French line and rapidly exploit the gap created.Allied air power was held back, to be committed as was seen necessary, a reactive mindset. German aircraft were assigned as direct air-to-ground support for the panzer divisions, helping to blast the gap and break down stubborn strongpoints - a proactive use of air power.

The Allies believed the main German attack would come through Belgium (as in 1914); this attack, however, was a feint, designed to draw Allied forces into the Low Countries, away from the main German attack, which came through the Ardennes Forest - the weakest part of The French line.Once they'd broken through, the Germans swiftly crossed the Meuse river, some units then swinging north to cut off Allied troops that had advanced into the Low Countries, and others heading for Paris.The bulk of the French army, including their best units, stationed in the Maginot Line, were outflanked and cut off, and thus not available to either form a new defence line or for any counterattack.

Gamelin, the French commander, didn't understand modern warfare and didn't trust modern technology.French Army Headquarters contained only 1 radio and no telephones, Gamelin preferring to communicate with his subordinates in the field by carrier pigeons, which he believed to be a more reliable method. Unaware of the speed that all-mechanized forces could move, Gamelin calculated the Germans couldn't possibly reach the river Meuse in less than 9 days, allowing plenty of time to move reserves up to defend the river line. In reality, the Germans reached the Meuse in 2 days, and were across in 3