What happened to France during the German occupation?

Paris fell to Nazi Germany on June 14, 1940, one month after the German Wehrmacht stormed into France. Eight days later, France signed an armistice with the Germans, and a puppet French state was set up with its capital at Vichy.

What was life like in Paris during ww2?

For the Parisians, the Occupation was a series of frustrations, shortages and humiliations. A curfew was in effect from nine in the evening until five in the morning; at night, the city went dark. Rationing of food, tobacco, coal and clothing was imposed from September 1940.

How much of France was occupied by Germany?

Germany occupied three-fifths of mainland France: the areas with the most economic potential and the Atlantic and Northern coasts. The Militärbefehlshaber in Frankreich (MBF) (the German Military Command in France) was set up in to administer this “occupied zone.” Otto von Stülpnagel took control of it in October 1940.

What did France want to do with Germany?

In his view, Germany should be forced to pay large amounts in reparations to Belgium and France. Clemenceau also wanted Germany to be broken up into small states again and banned from re-uniting.

Why was Germany able to defeat France so quickly?

How did the German Army move so quickly through France? Between the world wars, the German army developed the Blitzkrieg tactics. This strategy was based on high-speed and mobile attacks on the enemy’s weak points, and it proved devastating in France.

What did the French eat during ww2?

What French people ate during WWII

• Margarine or lard for butter.
• Chicory for coffee.
• Roasted corn for coffee/tea.
• Jerusalem artichoke or Swede for Potatoes.
• Saccharine for sugar.

Why did Germany defeat France so quickly?

France suffered a humiliating defeat and was quickly occupied by Germany. Its failure was a result of a hopelessly divided French political elite, a lack of quality military leadership, rudimentary French military tactics.

Do French hate German?

Originally Answered: Do French people still hate Germans? No, in general; maybe only some of the (very) old people who suffered from WW2 still hate the Germans. It does help a lot that the Germans, did acknowledge their crimes during WW2 and sincerely apologized to the other countries.

Why was France so harsh on Germany?

Originally Answered: Why did the French wanted to punish Germany so badly during the Treaty of Versailles for their crimes in WW1? Because France was invaded and humiliated by the Germans twice, in 1870 and in 1914. They wanted to make sure the Germans didn’t dare to invade them again.

Was Vichy France neutral?

The armistice maintained Vichy’s formal neutrality between Axis and Allied powers. The armistice also involved the complete demobilization of remaining French armed forces; and Germany continued to hold French nationals as POWs—none of which conjures the imagery of a military alliance or co-belligerence.

How many French collaborators were executed?

At the close of the war, France punished many Nazi collaborators: 9,000 were summarily executed during the liberation campaign, 1,500 were executed after a trial, and 40,000 were sentenced to prison.

When did Germany occupy France?

Italian-occupied France was an area of south-eastern France occupied by Fascist Italy in two stages during World War II. The occupation lasted from June 1940 until the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces on September 8, 1943, when Italian troops on French soil retreated under pressure from the Germans.

What was France like during World War 1?

France’s input during World War 1 was much larger than their output due to the fact that the war mostly fought in the western front which included France. They offered many men in the war and served as more of a defensive nation. They were dragged in the war due to Russia and in a way they took the hit for Russia.

What happened to France during World War 2?

France and Britain declared war on Germany when they invaded Poland in September 1939. After the Phoney War from 1939 to 1940, within seven weeks, the Germans invaded and defeated France and forced the British off the continent. France formally surrendered to Germany.

What caused the fall of France in World War 2?

The Fall of France Hitler’s plan. Hitler was eager to follow up his victory over Poland in 1939 by attacking in the west, but bad weather forced the planned offensive to be postponed. Start of the attack. Race to the coast. Second act. Legacy. Find out more.