How Did The German Tactics Affect The Fall Of France?

The swift and relentless Fall of France came as a great shock to the established world of 1940. France, in all her glory, had always been a European powerhouse, the only to rival Britain. The Fall of France was a pivotal loss for the Allied forces as it knows provided Nazi Germany the ability to launch an assault on Britain and provided the Nazis control of the coast of most of the coast of Europe. The Fall of France can be attributed to the effectiveness of Germany tactics, specifically Blitzkrieg and the Manstein Plan, the French were out gunned still suffering from the crippling Depression and due to poor leadership from the high command of the military.

The swiftness and the effectiveness of the German tactics, namely Blitzkrieg and the Manstein Plan, played a crucial part on the Fall of France. Blitzkrieg tactics was a doctrine developed by Germany’s military high command that promoted
The French High Command have been heavily critised for their inefficiency during the siege of France. Again Kiesling highlights that “the army that mobilized for war in September 1939 lacked cohesion, training and leadership.” Major General RH Barry labels the allied command as “slow and unimaginative in thought”. Colonel A. Goutard attacks the French clinging to “outmoded tactics and of being incapable of adapting of the innovative tactics of the enemy”. He also suggests that the when French leadership that when new tactics and unexpected movements were used, French army leaders resigned themselves to defeat. Petain suggested that France lost because of the nation’s moral laxness and pleasure seeking. Air Minister La Chambre effectively demonstrates the ineffectiveness of the French leadership saying “the French General Staff in 1914 was prepared for the war of 1870, and in 1940 for the war of 1914.” These sources effectively show that the leadership of the French forces was highly