SiMPLE | Forum

How was France during the war ? 1939-1945

I have already tallked a few about this period in an older post to explain the Maginot line in my point of view but now I just want to explain how was France during the war 1939-1940 and after during Occupation by nazis until the 8th May 1945.

1939-1940
France and GB declared the war to the Nazi Germany after invasion of Poland on 3 September 1939. GB came back with some troops in the north of France to prepare the war, planes, men, tanks, weapon, some boats too. French army was stayed on the Maginot Line and in the south East (remember Italy wasnt an allie and France didnt trust Mussolini).

General mobilisation order 1939, all men had to go the war like in 1914

This period was called the "Phoney war", in french "drôle de guerre" [Funny/weird war] because no battle in the front, no ennemy on the other side.
We can say that allies really frick up this period too because all Axie troops where in Poland.

French and britain soldiers on front line

10 May 1940, Battle of France
German would take lot of time to prepare the invasion, less than a year, time to prepare to troops and put them from Poland to the West and know from where to attack France. The Fall Gelb [in english Manstein Plan] changed a lot, they didnt know if they have to attack the Maginot Line what was the best defense in Europe or attack from Belgium (what was neutral).
They finally decided to attack in the Ardennes, great forest with high hills where Maginot Line stoped because of the landscapes.
They prepare a lot to know how to build bridges, prepare to troops to cross rivers etc.
At the same time of the invasion here in the forrest, they attack the front line near Sedan in the north.

Panzer crossing the Ardennes Forest

The Blietzkrieg
With Air Supremacy, nazis were free to move all into Paris. Planes were bombing all the defenses, and had no really ennemy planes, french or GB. All the french troops stated in the East from Paris on the Maginot line couldnt move easily.
But nazis were defeated at the first tank battle of history

French B1, Panzer couldnt destroy them easily because of their shielding

How Germany defeated France, by going to Paris where the govermnent was and all instutions

The defeat June 1940
The 14 June 1940, nazis troops enter in Paris without battle because the army wasnt stayed here.
The 22th, France capitulated with Petain, the winner of 1918 [General/Marechal].
The signature began the 17th but wasnt effective until the 22th of June. And all troops didnt want to surrender like on the Maginot Line after new Gouvernment, some troops continued to fight in July.

In 17 June, General De Gaulle left France to London, the 18th of June that's the first call on BBC radio. The 22th that's the second call we have recorded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf-ozFGZdG0
Remix of his 2nd call

Battle of french Alps June 1940
The other front line was in the mountains in South East of France at Italian border.
Italian didnt cross the Alps.
By the way the Battle of Menton is really funny to know. 9 french soldiers against 5000 italians soldiers.
Results : 2 french wounded, 700 italian killed

Battle of Pont-Saint Louis/Battle of Menton

How France was occupied
Germany didnt invade all of the country, after 22 June, the french gouvernment still exists, France has to pay Germany every year 400 Millions francs for the SS army troop stayed in France.
France is divided in 2 zones, the occupied zone, north and atlantic coast, and the rest is the free zone. Colinies were still under french gouverment command but they were not really influended by it except Algeria were battle happend in september between english and french because GB wanted to have the french navy for them or to sunk to prevent nazis to get it.

1940-1942 First occupation
Some refugees left their home from France to the south to stay in free zone or to go to Algeria/Portugal and take boat to London or USA. But the main of them just stayed in South of France.
The occupation was really hard, german were everywhere, they were helped by the gestapo, the french politic police. Rationing was teh daily life. Resistance was born in free zone because the Free Zone was gouverned by Petain, the 1914-1918 hero who become an old man, with some antisemitism ideas. He has a strong policy against jews too, communists, didnt like Charles De Gaulle who was coordinate the just born Resistance from London.

Main slogan of Petain was "Work, Family, Homeland"

1942, invasion of the Free-Zone, not the end for Regime de Vichy [Petain]
In November 1942, allies invaded north of Maroco, regarding to that, Berlin invade the Free Zone to prevent all thing what could happen in south of France.
Petain is still the gouvernment, deportation of jews are more intanse, that's the time where Resistance was really born in other regions of France. Radio transmissions to London were the main acts of the Resistance. Not all were armed or experienced in military and lot of young guys born in the end of 1920's.
I can tell some stories about resistance's acts like the one of the first resistant Jean Moulin, killed by SS (and Klaus Barbie) in 1943 or the Maquis du Vercors in the Alps where Resistance created a no go zone for SS.

Jean Moulin, escaped France to London to meet Charles de Gaulle and came back in France to coordinate Resistance on the ground
In 1943-44 GB started to drop weapons and other stuffs by plane in Maquis zones where resistance was.

Resistance zones, they were coordinated from London

1944, year of change in France
If people lived "normally", the resistance grew up a lot with the Normandie Landings. Lot of men and women joined the resistance to start the operations against nazis.
I have already spoke about this period in my last post. I could say a lot about some men and women or operations by resistance during the war.

In middle August, there was the Provence landings and at the end of the month, Paris was liberated by General Leclerc.
Churchill didnt want landings in south or immediatly liberate Paris, he wanted to go to Berlin directly to be there before soviets come (that explains why Italy was liberated from Mussolini later too, Allies didnt want to have lot of troops in Italy).

Allies landing in south of France, Provence

Why did it happend ? Because De Gaulle said he would retire all his french troops from Italy if France isnt liberated first.
Paris was liberated by french army with tanks and the resistance inside the city.

French resistants fighting nazis troops

France was liberated after Battle of the Bulge, some cities like Lorient were liberated in 1945 ! (Lorient is located in Bretagne, west side, on atlantic coast)

When allies troops were going to Germany, they enter in german country.
Germany attached 2 french departments Alsace and Lorraine (Strasbourg). There, french people speak german and french. I let you what I have seen once in a museum, that explains everything

Thanks for reading me !

2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich

One of great (maybe the greatest) SS Panzer Division Nazi army, Das Reich was the main division in the East and West side of the war.
They fought in Ukraine in 1941-42 until Koursk in begin of 1943, after that, the Division will be stayed in the South of France near Toulouse.
During the campain in eastern Europe, men will change a lot, they are not just soldiers, but real nazi ideologists, they participated in lot of slave massacres, exterminate lot of jews to conquer lands, destroy eastern races, and were pure anti-communists.

After the return in France (a part of the division participated in south-east of France to take the Toulon port in 1942 after invasion of the free zone) the Division become an occupation division, they are joined with some french men and wait order from Berlin.
In April-May 1944 after 1 year in France, all the nazis are anxious, they think about debarquement in France but doesnt know where, Normandie ? North, Atlantic Coast ? South Coast ? In Italy, the country is in trouble at this time, Allies are at Rome borders and try to defeat Cassino line and italian communists want to kill Mussolini.

In May 1944 main order from Berlin : Prepare for the road, allies prepare to attack from France, be ready.
They Stay in south of France but Resistance and people are axious too, they want to fight SS (this impression is not the same in French Alps where resistants were more contain and followed order to do nothing, the Resistance was more in direct contact with allies than in center and south of france where communists groups were more in "Anarchy"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maquis_du_Vercors ).
Lot of crimes happens on some villages, kills civils, hangings men, women or children (dont forget they believe in superior race, had angry against jews, slaves or communist after Eastern Europe operations).

June 1944 : Order : Move to the north after Debarquement of Normandie, destroy all resistance on the road.
In 7-8 june 1944 the Panzer division will take the road to the north to push out allies to the ocean. They will massacre lot of villages and cities.
Main of them : Tulle, 117 killed
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulle_massacre#Massacre

Oradour, 642 killed
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oradour-s … e_massacre

Argenton, 67 killed
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_ … sur-Creuse

All of those crimes are the main (they did this until May in different villages). Why all those crimes ? For revenge against Resistance what kidnapped, killed some SS soldiers.

Georges Blind, the smiling shot

After Argenton massacre, the division started to watch planes in the sky. A soldier would say after this time that was the first time they were afraid. Afraid because the planes were not german.

Destroyed Panze in Normandie

They will lost lot of Panzer in the road to the north, and during the battles in normandy and lot of victories against shermans, they have to reply to the East of France in french-german departments in Ardennes.
After the battle of the bulge, they will participate to the last battle in Hungary, they will be finally defeated near Budapest by the red army.

Red army during Budapest battle

You have to know that's why the Division was "important" and alive after all, because the division is not like in Civilization or Age of Empire, you can have a part of it in lot of regions and after Normandy they fusion lot of SS army group to keep divisions alive.

They were hell on Europe, were personnal fighters for the Führer, they were complete nazis as soldiers and ideologist.

Das Reich Division symbol

I have watched an interview from one of them in 1980, he was still a dumbass nazi. Just a sentence :
" Why we were so much mean with some population ? Because I saw all of their [slaves/communists] crimes. "

Oradour sur Glane after 642 killed

Eastern Europe massacre

Hanging in Tulle

Destroyed Tiger by US army

Hello, I have just translated rules into french, It's Tuia to add them into the rules topic ?
An other question, why is there no direct download for battlefield 1942, there are only download links for expansions and new maps pack (or I didnt see all the download links) ?

English:

- Attaquer la base principale ennemie non-capturable (basebombing) n'est pas autorisé. Vous n'avez pas le droit de sniper la base ennemie ou sniper depuis votre base principale (basecamping). Vous ne pouvez pas faire feu sur les avions décollant des aérodromes. Les autres véhicules doivent aussi pouvoir quitter leur base.
Néanmoins il est permis de faire des attaques aériennes sur les canons antiaériens ou de bombarder l'artillerie qui est à l'intérieur de leur base.
- La règle d'interdiction de basecamping/basebombing ne s'applique pas à la carte Battaille d'Angleterre et les cartes style Capture The Flag (CTF) [Capturer le drapeau].
- Tout forme de triche est interdite et se suivra d'un bannissement permanent du serveur.
- "Pixel-shooting" ou pointer l'artillerie sur le ciel à un point précis de la carte sans aide de jumelles est interdit.
- Merci de respecter les autres joueurs. Les comportements à déranger ou empêcher les autres joueurs de jouer correctement sont interdits.
- Les insultes insistantes et répétées ne sont pas autorisées.
- Les noms de joueurs offensants ou sans caractères ou très peu sont interdits.
- Ne pas inonder le chat ou utiliser massivement les appels radios
- Il est interdit d'utiliser les jeeps ou les tanks comme des "taxis" pour aller plus rapidement vers un avion ou un tank.
- N'insultez pas nos administrateurs, merci de respecter ceux qui donnent de leurs temps et efforts dans la gestion du serveur.
- N'essayez pas de contourner un bannissement, cela résultera d'un bannissement beaucoup plus long.

I though Allies bombed this city to the ground like lot of german cities and french cities on the atlantic coast. Impressed

Without talking about that the "But u are brainwashed to see that." is an offense to what my family had during the war and all my country had with nazis crimes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oradour-s … e_massacre

You're welcome ICQ I was thinking when would you come here

I knew this detail but I didnt know a large part of asian youngers was in majority to adore him.
That happens when education fails... Even on this forum there are some extremist lover for nazis, I dont have to spote them, we all know which guys I'm talking about.

I'll post later about an other story of WWII. There are some post on french army ministery sometimes for anniversary days and they axplain what happen in some days in the past. Yersterday it was a french commando tried to spot V2 site. I will not talk about it but there are sometimes good stories

I have seen this story too about japonese pilots falling in the sea because they were tired.
I recently checked how japan lost north of China to the Russia and the run to Iroshima between US and USRR to have the control of Japan, very interesting

Just share the trailer for the Miyazaki's movie about the creation of the Zero :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imtdgdGOB6Q

If you have watched Spirited Away or Mononoke Princess it's realy not the same movie here with an historic and realistic vision about the main chief engineer of the Zero. How Japan wanted this plane, a little bit the relations with germans too.
You can also watch the movie Porco Rosso with biplan and hydroplanes in italy, adriatic sea !

You mean the role of Switzerland during the world war ? You can add Sweden in neutral countries.
And in an other way Spain too, but Spain was near Germany during the war, Portugal was a great place for spyer from both sides too, many french soldier/spyer/politics escape Europe to USA or England to prepare the resistance

Yeah Diony then I can understand
But to explain more about maginot line it was really strong I have checked lot of documents about it, it was second cites every where on border with full weapon (because german knew not a lot about it, lot of fake news by french medias at this period to hide reality about maginot line to and why german lost lot of times to prepare thé attack).
I dont like this period a lot because we lost thé war of course but also how France was weak and was like you know a guy who knows they are strong after 1st world war and know they have an army and that's it. Like Brasil in 2014 defeated by german at world cup lol.
During the 1930 with great crises you know all countries were fucked up in Europe, germany and Italy choose dictatures, spain was in civil war (I invite you to read thé book from George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia) ans choose Franco after it. Only France and GB stayed in democracy, and I dont know a lot about how was GB in 1930's and after how Churchill arrived to be Prime minister but for France we had lot of troubles to like in germany, royalists were strong during this times, communists too and at begin a new left wing won elections and started a social reforms with first vacations for People, etc. And that's weird for me (I never talked about it specially with friends during school) because for me in 1930 I never understand why french People focus do strikes to get holidays and not focus about army.
I dont remember which general or guy near Hitler said after the war or during the war, hé said when SS came back in Rhenanie (french word for the région on the left of germany near Luxembourg, France, where coal is located, weapon factories, Steel...) well germany didnt have right to put army back here (with 30k men) and he said " if France reacted to us and attack us to push out us, it would be easy for them, but France didnt react, and we knew France and GB would never win easly after it"
That was in 1936,we could never had second world war if France and GB reacted to the occupation of Rhineland...

Thank you Arkos too ! I didnt know a lot about secret weapons like this, I though it was only paper projects what never created.
That's like the V2, never though if germans succedded to strike London with.

And to come back to you Dyony, look how Belgium resisted to german in 1st world war, they lost 90% of country and resisted with the rest all the war, german failed to defeat them ahah

Italy is a wonderful country, and few years ago when I discovered the map of Cassino in game. Then I have checked the story of the battle of Italy. In fact Allies didnt want a lot to liberate Italy first (like the invasion of south of France during summer 1944) and for many months, allies would lost lot of men before the final battle of Anzio and Cassino.
Because Cassino was to strong (because of the river to cross and the mountains), allies landed in Anzio behind Gustave line (where is Cassino) to divide SS troops and capture Cassino.
Why Cassino ? Because it's in middle of Italy between Roma and Napoli, and Cassino was the main strong border between Roma and allies troops.

Then check the map operation :

And how Cassino was bombed before (not french but polish troops helped by indian troops) :

Cassino is now like this after a rebuilt. The region is not really rich, but if you love nature and landscapes, come here !

Zatoichi you have no shame ? Most of your posts ( 1127 post and -21 reputation by the way) concern ban appeals.
You really look like a troll and you have the nerve to insult everybody, to act like a teenager doing his crisis

That's you the guy who always pixelaim on Aberdeen ?

learn ? You didnt go to school why do you order him to learn something ?
The only thing you have learn from foreign country is english