Mark Gerges, Assistant Professor from the Department of Military History at Ft. Leavenworth, marked the 75th anniversary of the fall of France to Nazi Germany with his program at Lawrence Central Rotary. This historic event occurred in June 1940. Gerges’ explained that the fall was not a result of superior German military skill or resources, as some have claimed. Rather, France fell as the result of a number of small twists of luck and the initiative of a few German leaders.
Gerges used maps to highlight the planned movement of allied forces and German onslaughts. The French front was brittle; it had had no depth of resources. Half as many men were in the French army in 1940 compared to its force in 1914. But Germany was not as strong as they claimed either. In particular, the German tanks were not as plentiful along the French front as portrayed in the media. The photos of hefty German tanks were of tanks actually located in Norway, not on the French border.
Gerges also emphasized the strength and weakness of the two different command and control models that the Germans and the Allies used. The Germans encouraged individual initiative and maneuvering; the French used a “fan” approach where central control managed troop movements. Gerges believe that the German model is what gave them the victory.
Gerges will speak on “The Fall of France” at KC Library on Tuesday, June 30, at 6:30 p.m.
