France 1940
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Apr. 9 - another 10-week blitzkrieg followed the sitzkrieg
- Yellow plan captured Jan. 10 and Hitler changed to new Sickle Stroke plan with Bock's Army Group B in north at Belgium, Leeb's Army Group C in south at the Maginot Line, and Rundstedt's Army Group B in center at Ardennes
- Norway fought until June 7. Denmark fell 48 hrs.on the northern front
- Quisling betrayed Norway; French and Polish troops supported by the Royal navy and RAF took Narvik; Gen. Dietl saved German army and Luftwaffe controlled skies in South Norway.
- "The Dutch will not forget" - Divide and Conquer
Apr. 12 - FDR hesitant to pledge American defense of Greenland, but did establish a consulate in capital city of Godthaab. U.S. Army had only 5 active divisions of 80,000 men to face Germany's 140 divisions of 2 million men.
May 10 - western front attack began
- Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, France
- Luftwaffe bombed Rotterdam
- Fort Eben Emael on Albert Canal
- Churchill replaced Chamberlain as British PM - "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil. tears, and sweat" in speech to Parliament 5/13
May 13 - Ardennnes break-through into France
- Panzer group was "a revolutionary organization"
- French Maginot Line useless
- Guderian led Panzers at Sedan
- Rommel led 7th Panzer Div. at Dinant
- Giraud's French army in retreat
May 15 - Former Naval Person sent 1st telegram to FDR
- shopping list for planes and destroyers
May 16 - FDR speech to Congress asked for new defense spending, enlarged Army, 50,000 planes - speech was applauded by Congress and public opinion favored defense program
May 19 - Lindberg radio speech
June 4 - Dunkirk fell after 338,000 evacuated
- Churchill told parliament "We shall fight on the beaches"
June 20 - FDR appointed former Republicans to counter isolationists
- Henry Stimson as Secretary of Army
- Frank Knox as Secretary of Navy
- they joined Hull, Morgenthau, Hopkins as the "war cabinet"
June 13 - FDR signed $1.3B defense bill
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and heads Vichy government [from ILN 1940/06/29] ***************** De Gaulle (right) walks in London after his June 23 radio speech proclaiming a Free French government in exile [from ILN 1940/06/29] |
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June 22 - Fall of France