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France in WW2
The French participation in World War 2, in both the European and Pacific theaters of the war. Questions regarding the Vichy government are also welcome here.
3,918 Questions
What was the password of the Allied forces on D-Day in 1944?
A well-known sign/countersign is that used by the Allied forces on D-Day during World War II: the challenge/sign was "flash", the password "thunder", and the countersign (to challenge the person giving the first code word) "Welcome".
Source: Wikipedia.
What was France population in the 1880's?
About 29 million in the area of today's France.
Annexations in 1795-1810 brought the total for the then French Empire to about 40m in 1810, but nearly all of the newly-acquired areas were lost in 1815.
Yes. The British were worried that the French fleet might be seized by the Germans (even though the fleet had been left out of the armistice treaty) and used against them. Orders had been given by Admiral Darlan, the French naval commander, to sink the boats rather than let the Germans seize them, but that wasn't known to Churchill (that order was obeyed by the fleet in Toulon in 1942, when the Germans decided to invade the rest of France). A French naval squadron in the port of Mers El-Kebir, cannons facing the port, was cornered by mines dropped by English planes and shelled without warning or mercy. 1297 French seamen lost their lives (versus two English seamen). The resentment in France was huge and exploited for years by the Nazis' propaganda.
Why did Germany lose to Great Britain and France?
they didnt. they lost to the bristish Russians and Americans mostly(canadians were their to) the french were defeated already. Basicaly the reason they lost was because Hitler got greedy. he was about to finish off the british when he invaded russia. the Russians used their scorched earth tactic theyhad emploid on napoleon in the previous century and it worked. the Russian winter hit and Hitler had to retreat.he fled back to Berlin being chased by Russians then began to loose territory as the british/Americans closed in on Berlin from the west and russia from the east. and that's how it kinda happened Hitler bit off more then he could chew.
AnswerHitler did indeed bite off much more than he could, but he was immensely destructive. AnswerThey didn't lose to France. They actually took over France for awhile. Britain, on the other hand, they never lost to. Mainly because of the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. He didn't back down to Hitler, even during the Battle of Britain. They never gave in, and didn't plan to, so Hitler backed down. We made Hitler fight a two-front war. The Soviets, British, and Americans all together defeated Germany.yes he even attacked usa and russia wich gave him a big prob
Why didn't Britain and France stop Hitler before he came to powerful?
He wasn't stopped in Germany for two reasons 1: Before world war 2, he actually made a pretty prosperous Germany, it rose economically, expanded it's borders, and became a successful country under his rule. He was seen as someone who would help pull the country out of the economic turmoil caused by their loss in world war 1 and was praised by many Germans who thought he was the greatest leader since Charlemagne. 2: After he became leader of Germany in 1934 (Or 33, I forget which) he banned all other political parties, effectively perpetuating himself as leader of the Third Reich and Germany. Some people in Germany did oppose him, but not enough to overrule what he was doing, many people abroad saw his terrible potential and wanted to stop him (It was even suggested by Ian Flemming {Before he was famous for the James Bond novels} To Winston Churchill that Hitler be assassinated.
Why was Norway involved in world war 2?
Yes. From the start of the Nazi invasion on April 9, and occupation ended May 8, 1945.
I do not know the answer, but there's probably a very good chance that it was conquered.
Yes. Germany invaded Norway on April 9, 1940. Norway lost in 2 days.
Norway capitulated (Though Norwegian armed forces countinued fighting the Germans until the German capitulation the 8th of April 1945) on 10 June 1940, two months after Wesertag, this made Norway the invaded country which withstood the German war machine for the second longest time. Only the Soviet Union provided the Germans with a more prolonged fight.
Who was the leader of Germany during 1911?
Kaiser Wilhelm By 1911 the country was run by Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg but in key area such as the armed forces and foreign policy the General Staff dictated to the government. In 1908 the Kaiser had given an absurd interwiew to the Daily Telegraph in which he claimed that he personally had won the Boer War for Britain. People just fell about laughing and the politicians clipped his wings.
What is the national emblem of France?
Several different emblems represent France. These include the Gallic rooster (le coq gaulois), Marianne (an allegoric feminine picture or statue), the French flag (blue, white, red), la fleur de lys (a symbolic lily flower) are the best known emblems of France. In popular media, the Eiffel tower is also used to hint at France.
Where did the Normans celebrate their victory of 1066?
William the Duke of Normandy landed at Hastings at 1066
Who was the leader of the French Resistance during World War 2?
French Army Marshal Petain was "Head of State". Like all extreme right-wingers, the Vichy regime had a deep-seated loathing of the word "republic", which it associated with liberalism and socialism. After WW2 Petain was convicted of treason and sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Marshal Petain had fought in World War I and was known as the victor and hero of the terrible battle of Verdun, which was won by the Allies (mostly the French) through great determination. Because this battle became to the French a symbol of heroism and the strength of France, Petain himself became a symbol of these things at a moment of defeat for France--so he enjoyed enormous, almost cultlike popularity at first because there was almost nothing else to be proud of just then.
What was the weakness in the Maginot line?
Because it lulled the French into a false sense of security. The were so confident their concrete wall would keep the pesky Germans out, they over-estimated the difficulty the Germans would have moving armour through the Ardennes in Belgium - the only obvious way into France. Charles de Gaulle had warned them that the Ardennes were not impenetrable, but the Maginot Line was erected anyway. In April of 1940, Germany set up a small diversionary force in front of the Maginot Line and began moving the bulk of their troops and armour through the "impenetrable" Ardennes forest (the tanks kept to the road and the troops marched through the woods).
The next month (May), Germany arrived behind the Maginot Line. That would be humiliating enough in itself, if a fatal flaw had not been discovered - the cannons that pointed East, towards Germany, could not be turned around. The French at the line were quickly overwhelmed, and Germany conquered the entirety of France by July.
Epic fail.
Who paid to have France rebuilt after World War II?
The UK repaid their World War 2 in full by the 1990's and I believe the French paid the debt back in full too too but before the UK was able to. Some of the debt was forgiven by the US and United Nations under the Marshall plan. Some of the debt was forgive because the allied forces did do some damage in France. The US and United Nations did provide money for the repairs via gifts and loans. If you need the exact amount and date of payment in full try searching the National Archives website or read up on the Marshall plan on this site under references in the Military Companion book. I ran out of time to keep researching.
many countries in Europe fought along side with the American colonies because they wanted to get revenge from previous wars against England.
Name two countries Hitler took over before World War 2 started?
The crisis peaked in the months after Poland rejected Nazi Germany's initial offer regarding both the Free City of Danzig and the Polish Corridor. After a series of ultimatums, the Germans broke from diplomatic relations and shortly thereafter, Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. This led to the outbreak of the Second World War in Europe when on 3 September 1939, the United Kingdom and France both declared war on Germany.
To what extent was the French nobility responsible for the crisis that destroyed the ancient regime?
The nobility were very rich by birth, they were born into very important families.
They did not have to pay any taxes, were allowed to be presented at court, could live in the chateau de Versailles, and when they were elected to become the favorite of let's say Marie Antoinette, they could also obtain several privileges and high placed functions with matching salary.
This class system was part of the old regime of France, and the poor people really hated it, for they did have to pay huge amounts of taxes and did not have privileges One man once said to a member of the nobility "what have you ever done do deserve all these privileges? Nothing. All you did was take the trouble to be born".
When Louis XVI tried to push through a new law that would assure the nobility to pay taxes as well and give up some of their (often ridiculous) privileges so that the poor people weren't under so much pressure, they objected very strongly and did not want to give up anything.
Who was the french sailor who led Frances major exploration of norht America in 1534 and 1535?
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer who led expeditions to North America in 1534, 1535, and 1541. Cartier was looking for the northwest passage. Canada was named by Jacques Cartier.
Why was France defeated so quickly in World War 2?
There are two different but related reasons for it. One was that the French (and British) generals just did not understand how the improvements in airplanes and tanks since the first war had changed the operational capabilities of armies, but the Germans did. The allies were still thinking in terms of marching infantry making massed assaults against enemy positions. The Germans understood that with tanks and trucks an army could move at twenty miles an hour for hours on end and just go around fixed fortifications and marching infantry and attack anywhere anytime they wanted to. For a good desription of what this meant read chapters 20 and 21 in "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by William L. Shirer. For more detail read "The Collapse of the Third Republic" by the same author. The second reason was defeatism among the government, the military leadership and the people of France. France had been so utterly traumatized by World War I that they were willing to do almost anything to avoid another one. There were a lot of people who felt fewer people would get killed if they lost quickly than if they fought for a long time and won. As the German advance turned into a seemingly unstoppable onslought, this way of thinking came to dominate the French councils. For more information, again read the Shirer books. Michael MOntagne
AnswerWell, the French are much maligned for the Maginot Line, but the Maginot Line did precisely what the French wanted the Germans to do: attack through Belgium. Intent on fighting the war on Belgium's soil, the English and French Armies entered Belgium to assist and the Germans caught the French off balance by attacking through the Ardennes which was thought to be unsuitable for armor. The French troops rushed to where they thought the Germans would attack--the flat plains of northern Belgium--leaving the southern Ardennes region completely exposed, and getting themselves cut off and surrounded. Very few French troops were left in the way of the German army, and were basically crushed.Once the Germans obtained such a tactical surprise, it was followed by a strategic victory. Unable to cope with the blitzkrieg tactics, the French sued for peace - England was annoyed that France had asked for terms without informing England
AnswerIn addition to above:On tactical level the Germans had a lot of luck :
The French troops at sedan at the end of the maginot line and ardennes were (because it was judged German troops would not steer through ardennes and cross rivers) very very poor quality.
At the sound of rattling tanks they panicked and most fled (it was a french tank approaching!).
No one learned about the "molotov cocktail" ambush method to have some stopping power if no antitank guns (or rifles) are at hand especially with the puny German tanks PnzI, II and T35, T38.
No one realised that french petrol stations should have been molested BEFORE the German tanks would reach them. MAny of the (Rommel) Tanks simply took fuel from these stations and thus created thereto never seen penetration distances!
The "front" of the blitzkrieg was in fact no more than a few panzer battalions with constant aerial stuka support. the MASS of the German infantry was ON FOOT or on HORSE drawn lorries far far in the rear. Technically with a clever outflanking manouevre these German tanks could have been surrounded, isolated and knocked out (De Gaulle tried and his tanks were successful tank vs tank) but that required cooperation between land forces in all directions and the airforce... and there France had (very surprisingly) very little numbers..and the british fighters were ordered not to go to far inland (which led to resentment amongst french that brits were not prepared to join fights so that France felt they took all the blows and Britain stayed clear and thus France was quick to surrender and considered Britain should feel the bloodshed on their own soil for once...).
There were miles of traffic jams in Luxemburg and French bomber planes could have EASILY wrecked havoc there... but they simply did not think of that possibility.
The few french tanks and demolition engineers that were rushed to Belgium to stop the crossing of Germans (Rommel) at the meuse (Dinant) were held up by fleeing civilians and by the belgium road blocks and demolitions on their path as well.
A lot of stupidity and imbecility, but in all fairness that blame should be directed to governing and decision makers levels and not to the common fighting french soldier.
They fought as brave as they did 4 years later.
By putting my best efforts and performing my duties & responsibilities effectively,
by taking initiative & giving use full ideas for organisations benefits,
by doing my work smartly and within time limitprovided,
by helping others.
France has a lot of cities. Im pretty sure this answer is correct because i found it in a book. France's 3 largest cities have to be:
1.Lyon
2.Nice
3.Bordeaux
I don't know the order of the largest cities in France though, see if you can find it and improve this answer in the proper order.
What was the code name for the Invasion of Italy?
As far as i know the code name was confidential or was not present but it is often called the Salerno D-Day
