Fall of France
- Date
- May–June 1940
- Category
- Military & conflict
- Region
- Western Europe (France)
- Era
- Modern
- Significance
Beginning on 10 May 1940, German forces invaded France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, bypassing the Maginot Line by driving armoured columns through the Ardennes. The rapid advance split the Allied armies; British and French troops were evacuated from Dunkirk in late May and early June.
Paris fell on 14 June, and France signed an armistice on 22 June, dividing the country into a German-occupied zone and the collaborationist Vichy state in the south. The defeat removed France as a major combatant within six weeks, left Britain to face Germany largely alone in Western Europe, and gave the Axis control of much of the European Atlantic coast, reshaping the strategic situation for the remainder of the war.
One piece of history in your inbox, weekly
New empires, events and features as they land — one good email a week. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Empires active in May–June 1940
- Soviet Union1922 CE – 1991 CE
- Empire of Japan1868 CE – 1947 CE
- French Colonial Empire (Second)1830 CE – 1962 CE
- British Empire1583 CE – 1997 CE
- Spanish Empire1492 CE – 1976 CE
- Portuguese Empire1415 CE – 1999 CE
Related military & conflict events
- D-Day: the Normandy landings6 June 1944
- Verdun and the Somme: the war of attrition and total war21 February – 18 December 1916 (Verdun and the Somme)
- Attack on Pearl Harbor7 December 1941
- German invasion of Poland and outbreak of World War II1 September 1939
- Operation Barbarossa: German invasion of the Soviet Union22 June 1941
- Battle of Stalingrad23 August 1942 – 2 February 1943
Further reading
The wider story
Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire
Fast-paced narrative of Portugal's seaborne empire.
Get it on Amazon →As an Amazon Associate, Human Saga earns from qualifying purchases.