After the previous post about the Parisian Immortal Regiment a discussion arose: do they celebrate the Victory here, what occupation and liberation were like for the Parisians? I don’t want to give definite answers, nor do I want to draw any conclusions. But I suggest listening to eyewitnesses, looking through their eyes, and thinking about a few numbers.
German soldiers look at Paris from the Eiffel Tower, 1940
Robert Capa. Parisians at the victory parade, 1944
Here are some dry numbers.
- France was defeated by the Germans in a month and a half. She fought in World War I for 4 years.
- During the war, 600 thousand French died. There were one and a half million deaths in World War I.
- 40 thousand people took part in the Resistance movement (about half of them were French)
- The troops of De Gaulle’s “Free France” numbered up to 80 thousand people (of which about 40 thousand were French)
- Up to 300 thousand French served in the German Wehrmacht (23 thousand of them were captured by us).
- 600 thousand French were deported to Germany for forced labor. Of these, 60 thousand died, 50 thousand went missing, 15 thousand were executed.
And any large whole is better perceived through the prism of small events. I will give two stories from my good friends who were children in occupied Paris.
Alexander Andreevsky, son of a white emigrant.
Alexander's mother was Jewish. With the arrival of the Germans, the French began to hand over Jews or point out to the Germans people they suspected of being Jews. “My mother saw how her neighbors began to look askance at her, she was afraid that they would soon report her. She went to the old rabbi and asked what she should do. He gave unusual advice: go to Germany, work there for several months and return with documents that the Germans will issue But so that when entering Germany, my mother’s passport would not be checked, the rabbi told her to dump a jar of honey in her bag. She did so, and the German officer at the border disdained to pick up the documents stained and stuck together with honey. For four months I lived with friends. and then the mother returned from Germany and no one else had any suspicions towards her."
Francoise d'Origny, hereditary aristocrat.
“During the occupation, we lived in the suburbs of Paris, but my mother sometimes took me with her to the city. In Paris, she always walked hunched over, quietly, like a mouse, looking at the ground and not raising her eyes to anyone. And she made me walk the same way. But one day I saw a young German officer looking at me and smiled back at him - I was 10 or 11 at the time. My mother instantly gave me such a slap in the face that I almost fell down. I never looked at the Germans again. We were on the subway and there were a lot of Germans around. Suddenly someone called out to my mother. a tall man, she was very happy, she straightened up and seemed to look younger. The carriage was crowded, but an empty space seemed to appear around us, such a breath of strength and independence. I then asked who this man was. Mother answered - Prince Yusupov."
Look at a few photographs about life during the occupation and liberation of Paris, I think they give something to think about.
1. German victory parade at the Arc de Triomphe in June 1940 
2. Installation of German signs on Concord Square. 
3. Chaillot Palace. Oath of civil servants and police to the new government 
4. Champs Elysees, " new life", 1940
5. German propaganda truck in Montmartre. Broadcast music to commemorate the 30 days of the capture of Paris. July 1940 
6. A German soldier with a French woman on Trocadero Square 
7. In the Paris metro 
8. German newspaper saleswoman 
9. Andre Zyukka. Hot day, Seine embankment 
10. Andre Zyukka. Parisian fashionistas. 1942 
11. Tuileries Garden, 1943 
12. Return to horse traction. There was almost no fuel in the city 
13. Wedding in Montmartre 
14. Pierre Jaan. Remelting monuments into metal. 1941 
15. Sending workers to Germany. 
16. Deportation of Jews, 1941 
17. "Departure from Bobigny." From this station the trains went straight to the death camps. 
18. At the walls of the Louvre. Food was distributed on ration cards, so many people planted vegetable gardens. 
19. Queue at the bakery on the Champs Elysees 
20. Distribution of free soup 
21. Entrance to the Paris metro - air raid warning 
22. Legionnaires of the anti-Bolshevik corps 
23. The French Volunteer Legion is sent to the Eastern Front 
24. Parisians spit on captured British paratroopers, whom the Germans are leading through the city. 
25. Torture of a Resistance member by the German police 
26. Captured members of the Resistance movement are led to execution. 
27. Robert Capa. German paratrooper captured by Resistance partisans 
28. At the barricade in Paris in August 1944 
29. Street fighting in Paris. In the center is Simone Seguan, an 18-year-old partisan from Dunkirk. 
30. Robert Capa. Resistance fighters during the liberation of Paris 
31. Shootout with German snipers 
32. Pierre Jamet. Procession of the Leclerc Division, Avenue du Maine. Liberation of Paris, August 1944 
33. Robert Capa. Resistance fighters and French soldiers celebrate the liberation of Paris, August 1944 
34. Parisian woman with allies 
35. Robert Capa. Mother and daughter who were shaved for collaborating with the occupiers. 
36. Robert Capa. Paris welcomes General De Gaulle, August 1944 
P.S. And now the French imagine themselves as the victorious nation in World War II, and participate in Victory celebrations...
Yeah...
On the eve of World War II, the French army was considered one of the most powerful in the world. But in a direct clash with Germany in May 1940, the French only had enough resistance for a few weeks.
Useless superiority
By the beginning of World War II, France had the 3rd largest army in the world in terms of the number of tanks and aircraft, second only to the USSR and Germany, as well as the 4th largest navy after Britain, the USA and Japan. The total number of French troops numbered more than 2 million people.
The superiority of the French army in manpower and equipment over the Wehrmacht forces on the Western Front was undeniable. For example, the French Air Force included about 3,300 aircraft, half of which were the latest combat vehicles. The Luftwaffe could only count on 1,186 aircraft.
With the arrival of reinforcements from the British Isles - an expeditionary force of 9 divisions, as well as air units, including 1,500 combat vehicles - the advantage over the German troops became more than obvious. However, in a matter of months, not a trace remained of the former superiority of the allied forces - the well-trained and tactically superior Wehrmacht army ultimately forced France to capitulate.
The line that didn't protect
The French command assumed that the German army would act as during the First World War - that is, it would launch an attack on France from the northeast from Belgium. The entire load in this case was supposed to fall on the defensive redoubts of the Maginot Line, which France began building in 1929 and improved until 1940.
The French spent a fabulous sum on the construction of the Maginot Line, which stretches 400 km - about 3 billion francs (or 1 billion dollars). Massive fortifications included multi-level underground forts with living quarters, ventilation units and elevators, electrical and telephone exchanges, hospitals and narrow-gauge railways. Gun casemates were supposed to be protected from aerial bombs concrete wall 4 meters thick.
The personnel of the French troops on the Maginot Line reached 300 thousand people.
According to military historians, the Maginot Line, in principle, coped with its task. There were no breakthroughs by German troops in its most fortified areas. But the German Army Group B, having bypassed the line of fortifications from the north, threw its main forces into its new sections, which were built in swampy areas, and where the construction of underground structures was difficult. There, the French were unable to hold back the onslaught of German troops.
Surrender in 10 minutes
On June 17, 1940, the first meeting of the collaborationist government of France, headed by Marshal Henri Petain, took place. It lasted only 10 minutes. During this time, ministers unanimously voted for the decision to appeal to to the German command and ask him to end the war on French territory.
For these purposes, the services of an intermediary were used. The new Minister of Foreign Affairs, P. Baudouin, through the Spanish Ambassador Lequeric, conveyed a note in which the French government asked Spain to appeal to the German leadership with a request to end hostilities in France, and also to find out the terms of the truce. At the same time, a proposal for a truce was sent to Italy through the papal nuncio. On the same day, Pétain addressed the people and the army on the radio, calling on them to “stop the fight.”
Last stronghold
When signing the armistice agreement (act of surrender) between Germany and France, Hitler looked warily at the latter's vast colonies, many of which were ready to continue resistance. This explains some of the relaxations in the treaty, in particular, the preservation of part of the French navy to maintain “order” in its colonies.
England was also vitally interested in the fate of the French colonies, since the threat of their capture by German forces was highly assessed. Churchill hatched plans to create an émigré government of France, which would give actual control over the French overseas possessions to Britain.
General Charles de Gaulle, who created a government in opposition to the Vichy regime, directed all his efforts towards taking possession of the colonies.
However, the North African administration rejected the offer to join the Free French. A completely different mood reigned in the colonies of Equatorial Africa - already in August 1940, Chad, Gabon and Cameroon joined de Gaulle, which created the conditions for the general to form a state apparatus.
Mussolini's Fury
Realizing that France's defeat by Germany was inevitable, Mussolini declared war on her on June 10, 1940. The Italian Army Group "West" of Prince Umberto of Savoy, with a force of over 300 thousand people, supported by 3 thousand guns, began an offensive in the Alps region. However, the opposing army of General Oldry successfully repelled these attacks.
By June 20, the offensive of the Italian divisions became more fierce, but they only managed to advance slightly in the Menton area. Mussolini was furious - his plans to seize a large piece of its territory by the time France surrendered failed. The Italian dictator had already begun preparing an airborne assault, but did not receive approval for this operation from the German command.
On June 22, an armistice was signed between France and Germany, and two days later France and Italy entered into the same agreement. Thus, with a “victorious embarrassment,” Italy entered the Second World War.
Victims
During the active phase of the war, which lasted from May 10 to June 21, 1940, the French army lost about 300 thousand people killed and wounded. One and a half million were captured. The French tank corps and air force were partially destroyed, the other part went to the German armed forces. At the same time, Britain liquidates the French fleet to avoid it falling into the hands of the Wehrmacht.
Despite the fact that the capture of France took place in short time, its armed forces gave a worthy rebuff to German and Italian troops. During the month and a half of the war, the Wehrmacht lost more than 45 thousand people killed and missing, and about 11 thousand were wounded.
The French victims of German aggression could not have been in vain if the French government had accepted a number of concessions put forward by Britain in exchange for the entry of the royal armed forces into the war. But France chose to capitulate.
Paris – a place of convergence 
According to the armistice agreement, Germany occupied only the western coast of France and the northern regions of the country, where Paris was located. The capital was a kind of place for “French-German” rapprochement. German soldiers and Parisians lived peacefully here: they went to the movies together, visited museums, or just sat in a cafe. After the occupation, theaters also revived - their box office revenue tripled compared to the pre-war years.
Paris very quickly became the cultural center of occupied Europe. France lived as before, as if there had been no months of desperate resistance and unfulfilled hopes. German propaganda managed to convince many French that capitulation was not a shame for the country, but the road to a “bright future” for a renewed Europe.
They prefer to remember the period of occupation in France as a heroic time. Charles de Gaulle, Resistance... However, impartial photographic footage shows that everything was not exactly as veterans tell and write in history books. These photographs were taken by a correspondent for the German magazine Signal in Paris in 1942-44. Color film, sunny days, the smiles of the French welcoming the occupiers. 63 years after the war, the selection became the exhibition “Parisians during the Occupation”. She caused a huge scandal. The mayor's office of the French capital prohibited its display in Paris. As a result, permission was achieved, but France saw these images only once. Secondly, public opinion could no longer afford it. The contrast between the heroic legend and the truth turned out to be too striking.
photo by Andre Zucca from the 2008 exhibition
2. Orchestra on Republic Square. 1943 or 1944
3. Changing of the guard. 1941
5. The public in the cafe.
6. Beach near the Carrousel Bridge. Summer 1943.
8. Parisian rickshaw.
Regarding the photographs “Parisians during the Occupation”. How hypocritical it is for the city authorities to condemn this exhibition for “lack of historical context”! The photographs of the journalist-collaborator perfectly complement other photographs on the same topic, telling mainly about the everyday life of wartime Paris. At the cost of collaboration, this city avoided the fate of London, or Dresden, or Leningrad. Carefree Parisians sitting in a cafe or in a park, boys roller skating, and fishermen on the Seine - these are the same realities of wartime France as the underground activities of members of the Resistance. It is unclear why the organizers of the exhibition could be condemned here. And there is no need for city authorities to become like the ideological commission under the CPSU Central Committee.
9. Rue Rivoli.
10. Showcase with a photograph of Marshal-collaborator Pétain.
11. Kiosk on Avenue Gabriel.
12. Metro Marboeuf-Champs-Elysees (now Franklin-Roosevelt). 1943
13. Shoes made of fiber with a wooden last. 1940s.
14. Poster for the exhibition on the corner of rue Tilsit and the Champs Elysees. 1942
15. View of the Seine from the Quai Saint-Bernard, 1942.
16. Famous milliners Rose Valois, Madame Le Monnier and Madame Agnes during Longchamp, August 1943.
17. Weighing of jockeys at the Longchamp racecourse. August 1943.
18. At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe, 1942.
19. B Luxembourg Gardens, May 1942.
20. Nazi propaganda on the Champs Elysees. The text on the poster in the center: "THEY GIVE THEIR BLOOD, GIVE YOUR WORK to save Europe from Bolshevism."
21. Another Nazi propaganda poster issued after the British bombing of Rouen in April 1944. In Rouen, as you know, the British executed the national heroine of France, Joan of Arc. The inscription on the poster: "KILLERS ALWAYS RETURN... TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME."
22. The caption to the photo says that the fuel for this bus was “city gas”.
23. Two more car monsters from the Occupation times. Both photographs were taken in April 1942. In the top photo is a car, the fuel for which is charcoal. The bottom photo shows a car running on compressed gas.
24. In the garden of the Palais Royal.
25. Central market of Paris (Les Halles) in July 1942. One of the metal structures(since the Baltard pavilions) from the era of Napoleon III, which were demolished in 1969.
26. One of the few black and white photographs of Zucca. It features the national funeral of Philippe Henriot, Secretary of State for Information and Propaganda, who advocated full cooperation with the occupiers. On June 28, 1944, Henriot was shot dead by members of the Resistance movement.
27. Playing cards in the Luxembourg Gardens, May 1942
28. Public in the Luxembourg Gardens, May 1942
29. At the Paris Central Market (Les Halles, the very “belly of Paris”) they were called “meat bosses”.
30. Central market, 1942
32. Central market, 1942
33. Central market, 1942
34. Rivoli Street, 1942
35. Rue Rosier in the Jewish quarter of Marais (Jews were required to wear a yellow star on their chest). 1942
36. in the Nation quarter. 1941
37. Fair in the Nation quarter. Pay attention to the funny carousel device.
I can’t imagine that, for example, in German-occupied Voronezh, soviet women there were queues for this very thing...
The caption under the photo reads:
"The line in front of the store on Italian Boulevard. One hundred pairs of artificial silk stockings are on sale today."
In the context of this wonderful photo, I want to bring you fragments from the book “Paris through the Eyes of a German” by Oscar Reile. It is very interesting...
Germans and the Eiffel Tower. Paris was calmly and busily busy
1. Summer 1940.
"... In the following weeks, the streets of Paris began to gradually come to life again. The evacuated families began to return, take up their former work, life again pulsed almost as before. All this, not least thanks to the measures taken by the commander of the troops in France and his administration. Among other things they were so fortunately appointed exchange rate French currency 20 francs = 1 mark. On the one hand, German military personnel could still afford something with their allowance, and on the other hand, the French population, not without enthusiasm, accepted German marks as payment for labor or goods sold.
Nazi flag over a Paris street, 1940
As a result, in the summer of 1940, a unique way of life was established in Paris. German soldiers were everywhere to be seen, strolling along the boulevards in the company of charming women, sightseeing, or sitting with their companions at tables in bistros or cafés, enjoying food and drinks. In the evenings, such large entertainment venues as the Lido, Folies Bergere, Scheherazade and others were overcrowded. And outside Paris, in the historically famous suburbs - Versailles, Fontainebleau - small groups of German soldiers who had survived the battles and wanted to enjoy life to the fullest met at almost any hour.
Hitler in Paris
... German soldiers very quickly settled into France and, thanks to their correct and disciplined behavior, won the sympathy of the French population.It got to the point where the French openly rejoiced when the German Luftwaffe shot down British planes appearing over Paris.
These correct, largely friendly relations between German soldiers and the French were not marred by anything for almost a year.
Most Germans and French in July 1940 hoped for a quick peace, so Hitler's readiness in his public speech on July 19, 1940 for peace negotiations with Great Britain and the sharply negative response of Lord Halifax a few days later seemed to be almost ignored or perceived tragically . But the illusion turned out to be deceptive. There were, perhaps, many Frenchmen in the occupied French territories who took with great interest General De Gaulle’s call to continue the fight against Germany and understood what the statements of the English lord could mean in the future. For this period of time, the circle of such Frenchmen, according to the Abwehr, was still very narrow. Moreover, most of its members wisely behaved quietly and expectantly."
Hitler and his entourage pose in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1940. Left: Albert Speer
2. End of October 1941.
“...industry and the economy continued to work rhythmically, at Renault’s enterprises in Boulogne-Billancourt, trucks for the Wehrmacht rolled off the assembly line uninterruptedly. And at many other enterprises, the French, without any coercion, produced products for our military industry in large volumes and without complaints.
However, at that time the situation in France was significantly determined by the fact that the French government in Vichy made serious efforts to defeat not only the communists, but also the supporters of General De Gaulle. Their instructions to all those under them executive authorities were something like this.
In cities in the occupied French territories, it was easily established that the French police organs cooperate closely and without friction with the organs of our military administration and the secret military police.
Everything gave us the right to believe with confidence that a significantly larger part of the French, as before, stood for Marshal Pétain and his government.
Column of French prisoners at the Palace of Varsailles in Paris
And in Paris, life went on as usual, as before. When the guard company marched along the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe to the music and drums, as before, hundreds and even thousands of Parisians gathered on the sides of the streets to admire the spectacle. Rarely could one read anger and hatred on the faces of the spectators. Rather, the majority looked after the German soldiers with obvious understanding, often even approval. It is the French, thanks to their great andglorious military past and traditions, show greater understanding for such performances that demonstrate strength and discipline. And is it impossible to look at how, in the afternoon and evening, German military men strolled along the boulevards, in taverns, near cafes and bistros at every turn, chatting affably with Frenchmen and Frenchwomen?
Parade of German troops in Paris
... not all of these French were ready to act against us as spies and saboteurs. Millions of them, at least at that moment, did not want to have anything to do with the activities of those compatriots who had already united in groups directed against us. Many of the best representatives of the French did not even think about fighting against Germany. Some believed that they should support the head of their state, Pétain, while others determined their position due to strong hostility towards Great Britain. An example of this is Admiral Darlan.
3. Summer 1942.
"... Laval in his radio address went so far as to say, among other things:
“I wish Germany victory, because without it Bolshevism would reign throughout the world.”
“France, in view of the immeasurable sacrifices of Germany, cannot remain passive and indifferent.”
The effect of these statements by Laval cannot be underestimated. Thousands of workers in a number of French factories for several years, until 1944, worked unconditionally for the German defense industry . Cases of sabotage were very rare. True, it should be noted here that not very many workers all over the world can be persuaded to enthusiastically rush to destroy jobs with their own hands and thereby deprive themselves of a piece of bread.”
Paris March. Triumphal Arch
4. Summer 1943
"A person walking through Paris during the day in the summer of 1943 could easily get the wrong impression of the state of affairs. The streets are busy, most shops are open. The menus of the busy restaurants still offer a rich selection of dishes and delicacies. Their stocks of wonderful wines and various types of champagne seemed inexhaustible Many military personnel and staff members made purchases as in the previous two years.
It was still possible to buy almost everything: clothes, furs, jewelry, cosmetics.
Staff employees could rarely resist the temptation to compete with Parisian women in civilian attire. Dressed in French dress, powdered and made up, you wouldn’t even recognize them as German women in the city. This brought to mind a high official from Berlin who once came to visit us at the Lutetia Hotel. He recommended that I put an end to it.
Then I gave a presentation (though of little benefit) to the women's auxiliary staff subordinate to me. One of them, named Isolde, then appeared at my office and said: “If you can’t stand my makeup, then transfer me to Marseilles. There in our department I know someone who finds me beautiful just the way I am.”
Isolde was transferred to Marseille."
Military parade on the Champs Elysees
Not far from the Arc de Triomphe. France. June 1940
Walking around Paris
German tour at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Please note, unlike the photo above, the fire does not burn (apparently due to savings or by order of the German command)
German officers in a cafe on the street of occupied Paris. 07.1940
German officers near a Parisian cafe
German soldiers try French "fast food"
Parisian shopping. November 1940
Paris. Summer 1940 People like this Frenchwoman will later find their own...
A German tank PzKpfw V "Panther" drives near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris
In the Paris metro. 01/31/1941
Fräulein is walking...
On a donkey through Paris!
German units and a military band are preparing for a review in Paris
German military band on the streets of Paris
German mounted patrol on one of the streets of Paris
German machine gunner against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower
German prisoners walk along a Parisian street. 08/25/1944
Paris. Past and present
About the uprising in Paris
(TIPPELSKIRCH “HISTORY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR”):
“The 1st American Army had the task, if possible, to bypass and encircle Paris in order to rid the city of fighting and destruction. Very soon, however, it became clear that such precautions were unnecessary. Hitler, however, ordered the defense of Paris until last person and blow up all the bridges across the Seine, regardless of the inevitable destruction of architectural monuments, but commandant General von Choltitz did not have forces sufficient to defend this city with a million people.
From the personnel of the occupation authorities and rear services, they managed to scrape together 10 thousand people. They, however, would not be enough even to maintain the authority of the German authorities within the city in the face of the well-organized forces of the French Resistance Movement. Consequently, the defense of the city would result in street battles with senseless casualties. The German commandant decided to come into contact with representatives of the Resistance Movement, which became more and more active as the front approached and threatened to provoke fighting in the city, and to conclude a kind of “truce” before the city was occupied by Allied forces.
This kind of “truce” was violated only in some places by overly impatient members of the Resistance Movement, which was immediately followed by energetic resistance from the German side. The commandant refused to blow up the bridges over the Seine, thanks to which the wonderful buildings located near the bridges were saved. architectural monuments cities. As for interests German army, then they did not suffer at all, for the Americans had crossed the Seine long before in other places. Paris remained in this transitional state until August 25, when one of the French tank divisions entered it.”
p.s.
“If German rule brought us prosperity, nine out of ten Frenchmen would put up with it, and three or four would accept it with a smile.”
writer Andre Gide, July 1940, shortly after the defeat of France...
The aggravation of contradictions between the powers in the 30s led to the formation of two warring blocs: the Anglo-French-American and the German-Italian-Japanese. The German-Italian-Japanese bloc took shape in the form of the “Anti-Comintern Pact” and pursued the goal of not only redividing the world, but also establishing fascist regimes throughout the world, which posed a great danger to humanity. England, USA And France set as their task to weaken dangerous imperialist competitors by directing their aggression against the Soviet Union.
Having attacked Poland, Nazi Germany sent 53 divisions, 2,500 tanks and 2,000 aircraft to the front. The Polish army, despite the heroic resistance of individual military units(in the battle of Bzura, in the defense of Warsaw), was unable to withstand the onslaught of German troops, which were rapidly advancing into the interior of the country. Poland was defeated.
England and France, which were allies of Poland, declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. But, having entered the war, they still hoped to send fascist troops against the USSR and did not conduct active operations, although 110 French and 5 British divisions on the Western Front were opposed by only 23 German divisions. On September 12, 1939, at a meeting of the Anglo-French Supreme Military Council, it was decided to pursue passive defense tactics in the war with Germany.
Thus began the “strange war”, which lasted from September 1939 to May 1940. Neither side launched active military operations. This allowed Germany to quickly defeat Poland and prepare for new military campaigns; naval military battles were somewhat more active. German submarines sank the English battleship Royal Oak, the aircraft carrier Koreas and a large number of English and French merchant ships.
At the beginning of the war, the United States declared its neutrality. The ruling circles of the United States hoped to use the created situation in the interests of their enrichment and strengthening of their power. At the same time, they encouraged Germany to advance eastward. However, growing contradictions with the fascist bloc forced the United States to focus on rapprochement with England and France.
Germany, building up its armed forces, developed plans to capture countries Western Europe.
On April 9, 1940, she launched the invasion of Denmark and Norway. Denmark immediately capitulated. The population and army of Norway resisted the German armed forces. England and France attempted to help Norway with their troops, but they failed, and Norway was occupied.
France was next in line. Nazi Germany developed a plan for its capture through neutral states: Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg. The German military command, resorting to provocation, organized a raid on the German city of Freiburg, blaming Dutch and Belgian aviation for this. On May 10, 1940, the German government gave the order for the invasion of German troops into Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg. At the same time, the German offensive against France unfolded. The period of the “Phantom War” is over.
The short-sighted policy of the ruling circles of England and France led to dire consequences. On May 14, the Netherlands capitulated. Large formations of French, Belgian and English troops found themselves pressed to the sea near Dunkirk. Only a part of them were able to evacuate to the British Isles. Belgium and its troops capitulated on May 28.
Occupation of France by Nazi Germany
On March 21, 1940, the head of government became Paul Raynaud. During the German offensive against France, which began on May 10, 1940, the government showed a complete inability to organize a rebuff to the aggressor: on June 14, Paris was surrendered to the enemy without any resistance. Two days later, Reynaud resigned. The new government was headed by a marshal Petain, On June 22, France accepted the terms of surrender dictated to it by Germany. As a result of defeat in the war, two-thirds of France's territory, and from November 1942, the entire country was occupied by Nazi troops.
Under the terms of surrender, the government Petena supplied Nazi Germany with raw materials, food, industrial goods, and labor, paying it 400 million francs daily.
The Petain government, whose residence was in the city of Vichy, ceased the activities of representative institutions and dissolved all previous political parties and public associations, allowed the creation of fascist organizations. Germany was provided with military bases, ports, and airfields in the French-owned territories of the Middle East and North Africa.
The struggle of the French people
The French people did not accept the fate that the new rulers of the country had in store for them. As the well-known rightly noted 
historian A. 3. Manfred, “national forces turned out to be higher than their leaders.”
Arose in the country resistance movement, which united the patriotic forces of France.
Along with the Resistance movement within the country, the patriotic anti-fascist movement “Free France” arose outside of France. It was headed by someone who emigrated to England General de Gaulle, who was part of the last government of the third Republic. On June 18, 1940, in a speech on London radio, de Gaulle called for resistance and unification of all French people who found themselves outside their country for various reasons. On August 7, 1940, de Gaulle received Churchill's consent to the formation of volunteer French armed forces in England. In France, de Gaulle's supporters also began to create their own organizations.
After the German attack on the USSR in France at the beginning of July 1941, a National Front, which included communists, socialists, Christian democrats, radical socialists and representatives of other parties. The National Front set itself the task of expelling the fascist occupiers from French territory, punishing war criminals and their collaborators, restoring sovereignty and ensuring democratic government elections. Creation new organization gave a massive character to the Resistance movement.
At the same time, an armed struggle between franc-tireurs (“free shooters”) and partisans led by communists was unfolding in the country. By the summer of 1944, the number of franc-tireur and partisan detachments was 250 thousand people. Tens of thousands of them were arrested, imprisoned in concentration camps, and many were executed, including eight members of the Central Committee of the PCF. In total, 75 thousand French communists died for the freedom and independence of their homeland, for which it was called the “party of those executed.”
In November 1942, an agreement on joint action was concluded between the PCF and de Gaulle's supporters. In May 1943, the National Council of the Resistance was created, which was a significant step in uniting all anti-Hitler forces in France. On June 3, 1943, the French Committee of National Liberation (led by de Gaulle and Giraud) was formed in Algeria, which essentially became the Provisional Government of France.
The rallying of anti-fascist forces into a united front made it possible to begin preparing an armed uprising against the occupiers. At the beginning of 1944, all the fighting organizations of French patriots - participants in the Resistance - merged into a single army, the "French internal forces» with a total number of 500 thousand people.
In the summer of 1944, armed uprisings began in France, covering 40 departments of the country. Almost half of the occupied territory was liberated by the forces of the rebel patriots. Resistance fighters helped detachments of Anglo-American troops land and gain a foothold in and liberated the cities of Clermont-Ferrand and others on their own.
On August 19, 1944, French patriots raised an anti-fascist armed uprising in Paris, and on August 25, the leaders of the uprising accepted surrender from the German commandant. Soon the Provisional Government headed by de Gaulle arrived in Paris.