Weygand, Maxime , 1867–1965, Some interesting facts... French general, b. Belgium. A career army officer, he was (1914–23) chief of staff to Marshal Foch, and in 1920 he directed the defense of Warsaw against the Soviet army and turned the tide of the Russo-Polish War in favor of Poland. Weygand subsequently served France as high commissioner in Syria (1923–24), chief of the general staff, and commander in the Middle East (1939–40). In World War II he replaced (May, 1940) General Gamelin as supreme Allied commander, but he could not avert the fall of France. After the Franco-German armistice (June), Weygand served in the Vichy government as minister of defense, delegate general to French Africa, and governor-general of Algeria. Dismissed (1941) as delegate general and arrested (1942) as a hostage for Gen. Henri Giraud (who had gone over to the Allies), Weygand was held by the Germans until 1945. After his return to France he was accused of collaboration with Germany, but was exonerated in 1948. ---------- http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/weygand.htm From 1931-35 he was Inspector-General of the army, after which he retired. In August 1939, aged 72 and with the Second World War looming, he was brought back from retirement and appointed commander of eastern Mediterranean operations at Beirut. In May the following year he replaced Maurice Gamelin as French Supreme Commander. Although expected to outline plans to defeat the Germans in his new capacity he instead recommended capitulation on 13 June 1940. For the next three months he was Minister of Defence in the newly-established Vichy government, until he was sent to North Africa as Algerian Governor General and Delegate General in French North Africa. However the Germans, somewhat suspicious of his activities, recommended to the Vichy government his recall in November 1941, after which he was returned to retirement. Recalled once again by Petain he was asked for advice in the wake of the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942. Weygand's counsel was simple if alarming: to return to war against Germany. Four days later, on 12 November, he was arrested and imprisoned by the Germans. With the Allies' victory and de Gaulle's entry into post-war government Weygand was briefly arrested and imprisoned for having served in the Vichy government. Following his release he was officially cleared of Vichy collaboration in 1948. ------ http://worldatwar.net/article/compiegne/ On June 17th the panic stricken government, formed by Marshal Petain, made a formal request for an armistice. Three days later a delegation led by General Huntziger left Bordeaux at 2pm intending to rendevous with the Germans at the Loire bridge in Tours at 5pm. After battling against the tide of retreating troops and refugees the envoys finally reached the river at 10pm. There they were directed to continue on to Chartres. Several of their number suspected that the Germans would hold the talks in the Palace of Versailles where the King of Prussia had been enthroned as Kaiser of a united German Empire in 1871 and where the humiliating Peace Treaty had been forced on Germany in 1919. The party continued on to Paris and spent the night before being directed to their final destination. In Bordeaux the commander of the French forces, General Weygand, waited anxiously for news of the delegation. At 8:30 pm, June 21, 1940 his phone finally rang: Huntziger, "I'm in the Wagon"; Weygand, "mon pauvre ami". The shock and recognition were instantaneous. German engineers had demolished the front wall of the museum and moved the car on to the track and placed it exactly were it had stood 22 years before when Weygand had read Foch's terms to the representatives of a defeated Germany. -------- http://perso.wanadoo.fr/lepoilu/ww2/ww2afrintro.htm From September 1940 General Weygand was nominated as CinC Army of Africa, controlling the whole of the French territories in Africa. He actively prepared the Army of Africa for, what he saw inevitable, the reopening of the hostilities against Germany (!?). Weapons and equipment, including tanks and armored cars were hidden. Troops were renamed or simply recorded as unarmed workers to escape the armistice cull. Plans for a general mobilisation were made, later to be activated after the US/British landings. As in mainland France, some weapon manufacture started in secret, notably the mounting of 75mm naval guns on lorries as Portee anti-tank guns. He went as far as purchasing US equipment directly (Weygand-Murphy agreement Feb 1941). He was removed by the Germans in November 1941 and partially replaced by General Juin as Commander of North African Forces. ------- On Warsaw 1920: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FRweygand.htm In July 1920, Weygand was sent to Poland to help Marshal Josef Pilsudski. Leading an army of 600 French officers, Weygand defeated the Red Army in Warsaw on 24th August. http://home.golden.net/~medals/1918-1921war.html The advance of the Red army 1920. Until the spring of 1920, Poland was pushing or at least holding the Bolsheviks back. By the summer of 1920 however, the Bolsheviks began to gain strength as they were winning their civil war in Russia. By the summer of 1920, the Bolsheviks were advancing into Poland. It indeed looked as if Poland would be totally defeated. Fearing a total Bolshevik victory, the Western Allies (most notably France) begged Pilsudski to accept peace with Lenin, thereby granting Russia much territory (the Curzon Line). Pilsudski refused, and the Red Army approached Warsaw by August. Peace overtures made by Lenin were not sincere. Lenin felt that he had already won the war and would soon be able to continue the Bolshevik Revolution westward. Pilsudski knew that Lenin could not be trusted. The Battle of Warsaw, 1920. Between the 13th and 16th of August, 1920, a battle raged in and around Warsaw between Polish and Bolshevik forces. At stake was the future of Poland as well as the future of Europe. Red Army commanders made a tactical error when a large part of their force diverted north of Warsaw in order to cut Polish supply lines from the Baltic Sea. Pilsudski had set a trap and sprung it, taking full advantage of the Russian error. The result was the diverted Red Army force itself became cut off from their supply line, and the remaining Red Army force was decimated. General Wladyslaw Sikorski commanded a force (including some French tanks) that defended the city of Warsaw. This turn in the tide was regarded by many as a miracle, and became known as the "Miracle on the Wistula". So badly defeated was the Red Army, that it began a general retreat on all fronts. The Polish forces pursued the retreating Red Army, defeating them again at the Niemen River in September. ----------
Kai-Petri, thank you for posting this information about General Weygand. Regarding the above, I believe this information is in error. This from pages 149-150 of _Bitter Glory, Poland and it's Fate 1919-1939 _ by Richard Watt. My comments in brackets: "Few Allied leaders could comprehend how the Poles had put together this sudden series of victories [around Warsaw in August of 1920] that came close to annihilating the fighting potential of the Soviet army. The Allies could not believe that Pilsudski, the untrained soldier with his ridiculous title of marshal, could possibly have brought off these battles. It was assumed in Western capitals that [French general] Weygand must, of course, have done it. [Weygand was a member of the Allied mission to Poland, he held no post in the Polish Army and was there should the Poles call on him for military advice.] But Weygand himself never made that claim; in fact, he specifically denied it, stating that "the victory was completely Polish; the plan was Polish; the army was Polish." (citation - M. Weygand, Memoires: Vol. II, Mirages et Realite, p. 166) Weygand is an interesting figure. While I don’t think he can rightfully accused as collaborating with the Germans, he certainly was a strong supporter of the Vichy regime and its goals. He was politically reactionary, had he had his way France would have been ruled in an authoritarian manner by a cabal of Catholic strongmen. If he were to be compared to another figure in Europe at the time a good match for him would have been Franco of Spain. Weygand saw his own countrymen of a leftist political persuasion as more of a danger then he saw the Nazis. I suspect he would rather have Hitler rule in Paris then Leon Blum. There was a joke about Weygand during the 3rd Republic, if you took him by the ankles and shook him upside down priests would fall out of his coat pockets. - James [ 16. May 2003, 10:11 AM: Message edited by: James Quinn ]
Welcome to the forums James. I agree, I was sure I had read amongst my cluttered library that Weygand was not and did not take the credit for Polands actions. Need to get some of my books in some sort of order as by time I see half of posts I move on to another that I have info to hand on.... Your statement..Weygand saw his own countrymen of a leftist political persuasion as more of a danger then he saw the Nazis..... Was that not the view of the majority of High ranking French military officers at the time?
Hi Urgh, I don't know the answer to your question. I know the political philosophies of some individual French military leaders, but I doubt that anyone has ever attempted to do a wide survey to get the overall group's bias. There certainly were more then a few French military leaders who supported a more authoritarian method of rule then was practiced under the 3rd Republic. Martin Alexander, in his book _Republic in Danger_ tackles this topic to a degree. However beyond establishing Gamelin's political philosophy and contrasting it with the philosophies of Weygand and Petain not a great deal more of substance emerges. - James
I have no knowledge on the subject but welcome to the Forums, James. I am sorry I missed you first post! Good one! Hope to meet you here often!
Thanx James Quinn, Yes, I was actually "sorta" aware of the "trap" after reading some Polish articles but yet they were very "patriotic" so I was not sure how to handle it...Thanx for correction.I was hoping for people to come along and maybe you´ll be able to share some views on Warsaw 1920 or Weygand later on... One site for interested: http://members.lycos.co.uk/jozefpilsudski/index2.html [ 16. May 2003, 02:32 PM: Message edited by: Kai-Petri ]
Nice thread! I have always have général Maxime Weygand in ahigh stime. He was certainly the best man to take command of the game in 1940. Unfortunately, he took command of it when the game was already lost. Although he was an old man by then, Weygand was one of the few French military minds who actually had some account of mobile warfare notions. This is precisely what he learned when he was an advisor in Poland. He clearly saw the advantages of mobile warfare in the East. And you guys have to understand that France was such a chaos because the left wing, the Laboral Front did such a mess in the government that it could hardly work. Thanks to their democracy, France nearly faced civil war in the 1930s... it was like Spain, a fertile terrain for civil war. The French military was of course right to fear communism.
The French military was of course right to fear communism. And such a pity it ended up with facism instead then Friedriche
Friedrich, I have never read anything about Weygand that made me think he had any insight into how war would be fought in WWII. He was most certainly "old school". He was a believer in the French school of military thought that emphasized firepower and the “methodical battle”. While Weygand was in command of the French military (1931-1935 I think) very little modernization or motorization occurred. Of course we will never really know what tactics Weygand would have encouraged had he been put in charge of an intact French military. As it was the army he inherited was in bad shape and Weygand pretty well threw in the towel soon after accepting command. There are many observations about Weygand being openly defeatist almost from the moment he took command. While he was in charge he talked about France defending her remaining territory for “French honor”, not to actually defeat the Germans. As soon as Weygand believed honor had been preserved he forcefully argued with the government to sign an armistice. Regarding France being in bad shape due to leftist governments, the only leftist government France had in the 1930's were the 10 or so months she was under Blum and the Popular Front government. And who started French rearmament? Well, Blum and the Popular Front. If memory serves the budget for the French army more then doubled under the Popular Front. Had France not gone through this brief period of government imagine how much worse they would have been prepared then they ended up being? While most people are surprised to learn this, it was actually the politically conservative leaders of France, Britain and the U.S. who were loath to authorize re-armament in the 1930’s. It was the conservative who felt they could buy off German with appeasement. The leftists had fewer illusions. - James
James, your from the yahoo group right? Again welcome aboard..Weve been missing France a little on here.. Regards.
Hi Urgh, I visit several forums. For about four years I have been a regular contributor to the History Channel's WWII forum but the administrators have ruined that forum and most of steady members have left it during the last few months. For years I have also taken part in discussions at the France1940 forum (Yahoo group), and the Russian Battlefield forum. Since THC no longer gives me an outlet for good historical discussion I have started visiting Historic Battles and this forum. - James
Yep, I thought I had seen the name on the France 1940 group....Visit that one to read...some good stuff on there, but have not posted on it yet. Someone on here directed me to it good site with some knowledgeable folk on France etc. Freidriche you should pop over and have a look at that on yahoo groups.
Certainly not, James. Do you have any idea why the French Army was not modernised in the early 1930s? Why the armoured and motorised divisions suggested by Pétain and Weygand to be created were not created until the middle 30s? Because the Maginot Line had costed much more than expected and the French goverment had a strong deficit in every aspects. I will come with many more facts about the French left wing and the harm it made to the French Army.
Maybe lack of money Freidrich, and the fact that when it came to rearmament, not withstanding Britains problems at the time with the issue, many French with money did not want to pay for it. The amount of right wing orginisations withing Francce and even French military before ww2 becomes the statement held by many of better Hitler than Blum. France after World War l The French had put aside their political and social divisions during the war, but as soon as peace was signed the conflicts resumed between Socialists and Communists and the Right and Extreme Right parties. The opposition was made worse by their differences in matter of religion. The Left was traditionally anticlerical, while the Right was in favor of reestablishing relations with the Vatican. In addition the example of the Russian Revolution gave rise to movements of protest among workers who were joining trade unions. The legislative elections of November 1919 brought a coalition of the Right and Center called the National Bloc and the Horizon-Blue Chamber (La Chambre bleu horizon), with Raymond Poincaré and Aristide Briand. The Bloc National was really a nationalistic and pro-Catholic alliance promoted by the Church and Big Business and represented in the press by the extreme-rightist newspaper L'Action Française. However, France's economy was declining, the franc was losing much of its value due to the inflation, unemployment reappeared and multiple strikes took place at the end of 1919 and in 1920. Public opinion was divided. There seemed only one solution to the worsening financial situation of France: make the Germans pay their war debt! So in 1922 Raymond Poincaré received the specific mandate to make the Germans pay up because they had so far craftily delayed and postponed their payment. But the Germans soon proved incapable of paying, even after having their debt reduced thanks to an American mediation. Raymond Poincaré fell in 1924 and was replaced by a coalition of Radicals and Socialists named the Cartel des Gauches. The current President of the Republic, Millerand, who belonged to the Bloc National, had to resign, and he was replaced by a moderate Republican, Gaston Doumergue, while a Radical, Edouard Herriot, became Premier. Unfortunately the financial situation of France was getting worse, the franc slid further down and prices soared. Herriot, when he saw that he could not count on Germany's payment of its war debt, raised taxes and cut government spending. But it was too little a remedy. Herriot resigned in April 1925, and so the only savior in sight was Poincaré, who returned as President du Conseil in July 1926. Poincaré's efforts following the last measures of Herriot redressed the situation. French industry started to grow, and by 1930 it would be 40% above its pre-World War I level, thanks particularly to the development of the automobile, of petro-chemical and electrical industries. Workers' salaries were low, but they obtained a reduction in work time to only eight hours per day. Women were also making progress in the work place, in industry and offices; however, they still did not have the right to vote. Exports improved too, but in 1929 an ill Poincaré resigned. A series of Center-Right governments followed and while France was enjoying prosperity in almost a state of euphoria, a terrible crisis was brewing. A Terrible Crisis In October 1929, Thursday, October 24, exactly, now known as Black Thursday, the New York Stock Market crashed and did not recover. In fact the crisis hit the whole world, with perhaps the exception of Russia. At first an international crisis, it soon turned into a world economic and social catastrophe. Unemployment grew and social as well as racial tensions grew. In Germany, the Nazis gained 107 seats in the Reichstag in 1930, then 250 seats. On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was named Chancellor of Germany by Hindenburg. On March 23, 1933, Hitler obtained full powers. Then on August 2, 1934, when Hindenburg died, Hitler became both President and Chancellor under the title of Reichsfahrer: He was the absolute master of Germany, in fact a full-fledged dictator supported by the gigantic organization of the Waffen S.S. and Himmler's "Gestapo" (Geheime Stoats Polizei). As Hitler was taking power, France's unemployment reached 1.3 million. The French economy was on a downslide and the nation's deficit growing. French governments fell one after another. There were to be forty-two governments in the interwar period, each one lasting no more than six months, and nobody knew how to put an end to the crisis. And then the Stavinsky scandal exploded: It was a financial scandal that ended with Serge Stavinsky's death (suicide or murder) in December 1933. Stavinsky was a plain swindler with protectors in high places. He issued large amounts of bonds with the minimal (not to say nonexistent) warranty of the Bayonne Municipal Pawnshop. The French, exasperated by the economic situation, used the Stavinsky scandal as an outlet for their frustration and anger. The Royalists of the Action Française encouraged a group of thugs to create confusion and to beat up Communists and Radicals. There was also the fascist Croix de Feu organization, a pseudo-Nazi association that organized anti-government riots. The Left faction of the government fought back, and as these two factions were at odds, France seemed close to a revolution. The worse was fortunately averted thanks to a leftist coalition that led the Popular Front to victory, a coalition of Communists, Radical-Socialists with the backing of the C.G.T. union,'in May 1936 with Léon Blum as its leader. Blum came to power under very difficult circumstances because the French had hoped for social progress and wanted more welfare, a more equal distribution of wealth— and they strengthened their demands with strikes. Léon Blum, unfortunately, was not able to realize the deep economic and financial reforms that were expected of him, and in 1936 the government had to devaluate the franc. In March 1937 Blum had to announce that he had to delay the promised and expected reforms. In France Blum was also confronted by the rise of secret organizations such as La Cagoule, and the Comité Secret d'Action Révolutionnaire (The secret committee of revolutionary action). Outside of France, Blum had to deal with the rise to power of Hitler, Mussolini and the Spanish Red Terror. Too few people supported Blum's policy and many did not want to pay more taxes to pay for the promised social services or to prepare for war. Blum was aware of the perilous international situation and wanted to start a rearmament program,....... but when he and his Popular Front asked the French to subscribe to national defense loans, many chose to take their money outside of France....... The failure of Blum marked the end of the Popular Front in 1937 and many Frenchmen were heard crying:.... "Better Hitler than Blum!" .... France's Decline at the Eve of World War 11 Blum was replaced by Edouard Daladier, who chose Paul Raynaud as his minister of finances, who favored drastic fiscal measures, with new taxes and budgetary economies. In spite of some gains in industrial production, the economic situation of France remained bad, and to make things worse, France was experiencing a steep decline in its demography. From 1921 to 1936 the country had only gained two million inhabitants and in 1936 France still had to count on 2,200,000 foreign workers. There were more deaths than births and the French population was getting older, a dangerous trend for the future of the nation.
Dont read any further unless you have an interest in France and some reasons why before ww2.. The list below is cherry picked by me as for obvious reasons would be too big to reproduce here.. Have left out much of the left/right wing violence before the war and am still amazed now at the number of governments before the war... Intersting points in here with Laval and Degaulle publications. Freidriche if still reading this far, seems to me that the only problem France had with rearmament and military ideas was in fact the French people themselves....Nothing comes for free and if the people with the money would rather move it out of the country than pay taxes or vote out govt that wish to increase taxes then there is no money for defence or for that matter anything else. Saying that, even into the late 30s French military was still demanding to hold on to light calvalry forces rather than change over to mechanised forces. Its too easy to say one political side was at fault for Frances problems before ww2..The whole of France left and right was equally responsible and guilty.. 1923 February 15 General Estienne delivers a lecture in which he predicts that an independent mechanized armored force would become the basis of future military success February 15 1920 Term of compulsory military service reduced from 3 years to 1½ years under President Raymond Poincare September 1923 March 29 Premier Poincare forms a new cabinet and pushes a 20% across the board increase in taxes through the National Assembly 1924 May 11 Le Cartel des Gauches (Leftist coalition) dominated by the Radical-Socialist Party of Edouard Herriot wins the general election on a platform opposed to Poincare's occupation of the Ruhr and across the board tax increases 1924 Jun 1 Governmentof Le Cartel des Gauches resignes July 1924 National Defense bonds worth 4 billion francs disappear from the Treasury - the theft remains unsolved Gross National Product reaches pre-World War level The Dawes Plan reduces German reparations payments April 6 1925 The Bank of France informs the Government that it is about to reach the debt limit of 41 billion francs November 22 The Government of Premier Painleve resigns following the defeat of its proposed fourteen year 1% tax on capital by 3 votes in the Chamber of Deputies July 17 Aristide Briand's tenth cabinet resigns after the Bank of France refuses to raise the debt ceiling to permit repayment of short term government loans - The franc falls to 50 to 1 against the dollar July 21 The Chamber of Deputies topples Herriot's cabinet by a vote of 290 to 273 - The Mur d'argent ("Wall of Silver") supporting the Bank of France in its refusal to raise the debt ceiling holds firm 1928 The Poincare government devalues the franc by 80% against the dollar September 15 The Poincare government creates an Air Ministry - Victor Laurent-Eynac appointed first French Air Minister 1930 January 4 Construction of the Maginot Line authorized by the National Assembly April 16 Chamber of Deputies passes 1930-31 budget increased spending on infrastructure, social welfare and benefits for the civil service - Creation of the PMU (Pari-Mutual Urbain) June 30 Last French occupation troops withdrawn from the Rhineland January 27 Pierre Laval forms his first cabinet - Aristide Briand becomes Foreign Affairs Minister and Pierre Etienne Flandin Finance Minister February 10 Laval cites, "the need to confide to a high military authority the mission of coordinating all measures for the defense of French territory against air attacks, to betaken by different ministries" in appointing Marshal Petain to the post of Inspector General for Air Defenses. General Weygand replaces him as Inspector General of the Army and is himself replaced by General Gamelin as Army Chief of Staff 1932 February 6 Laval government resigns July Major Charles de Gaulle publishes his first book on military philosophy, Le Fil de l'Epee (The Edge of the Sword) October 28 Edouard Herriot reveals the disarmament proposals that the Government intends to make at the Geneva Conference - Leon Blum intervenes to assure Socialist backing for a vote of confidence which the Chamber of Deputies approves by a vote of 430 to 20 1933 January 28 The Boncour cabinet resigns after the Socialists join conservatives to defeat a proposed 5.5% increase in taxes and an equivalent reduction in expenditures needed to balance the budget by a vote of 193 yes to 300 no January A committee of public awareness formed by the Federation of Business Owners organize demonstrations to cry, "To the Devil with taxes! Parliament too! Dictators! Dissolve!" February 16 Shopkeepers in Paris and provincial centers close their stores for a few hours to protest the new tax increases May Revue politique et parlementaire publishes a preview of Charles de Gaulle's book Vers l'Armee de Metier (Towards a Professional Army) September 22 Paris disarmament talks between France, Great Britain and the United States end in an agreement to suspend French disarmament and German rearmament for four years. October General Becart writing in L'Officier de Reserve argues against replacing horse cavalry with light mechanized divisions 1934 February 3 Daladier fires Paris police prefect Jean Chiappe who reportedly held a favorable view of the extreme rightists February 6 Daladier asks the Chamber of Deputies for a vote of confidance - Leaders of the rightist leagues call for a show of force by their members at the place de la Concorde - The demonstration turns into a riot - The police are overwhelmed as they try to close access to a bridge leading to the National Assembly - They open fire killing 15 rioters and wounding over a thousand May 10 Lion Feuchtwanger, Heinrich Mann and Romain Rolland establish la Bibliotheque allemande de la liberte (German library of liberty) in Paris to mark the first anniversary of the Nazi book burnings in Germany July 5 The National Assembly approves a revision to the tax code lowering direct taxation 1935 May 2 Foreign Minister Pierre Laval and Soviet Ambassador Vladimir Potemkin sign a five year mutual assistance pact June 7 Pierre Laval forms a new cabinet composed of moderates and right leaning Radical- Socialists - The Chamber of Deputies accords the cabinet full powers to legislate by decree "in defense of the franc and to guard against speculation" until October 31 by a vote of 324 to 160 July 16 The Government issues 29 decrees cutting public expenditures by 10% and reducing salaries and benefits of public employees 1936 January 22 Laval forced out of office after the British Government abandons the Hoare-Laval Pact which would have divided Ethiopia between Mussolini and Haile Sallasie March 10 The signatories to the Locarno Pact, except Germany, gather in Paris to discuss Hitler's re-occupation of the Rhineland three days earlier - Britain and Belgium oppose any French military action against Germany June 5 Leon Blum forms the first Popular Front Government without Communist ministers July 14 The Popular Front organizes a grand parade to mark Bastille Day led by Paul Faure, Leon Jouhaux, Maurice Thorez, Benoit Frachon, Marcel Cachin and Premier Leon Blum - The Right protests the against identification of the Republic with the Revolution - The Salengro Affair begins, L'Action Francaise and Gringoire publish a series of articles accusing the Interior Minister of desertion and giving information to the Germans in 1915 - The same papers begin attacking the Blum Government as a "Jewish conspiracy" while more traditional conservative publications content themselves with referring to it as a "Communist conspiracy" August 11 Aircraft manufacturers nationalized and reorganized into six regional companies September 4 Edith Piaf makes her debut at the Alhambra .....if any one stil reading thats put in for me cos I love Edith Piaf.... September The Government agrees to allow business to recoup salary increases through price increases - Inflation fears spur a flight of capital 18 billion francs are moved out of the country during the month September 26 The Government devalues the franc by 30% against the dollar 1937 March 7 The ambiguous policies of the Popular Front Government spur a flight of capital out of the country, rising inflation and fear of a further devaluation of the franc - Blum announces "a pause is necessary" signals an end to reforms and a return to monetary orthodoxy June Finance Minister Vincent Auriol demands full powers over financial policy - The Chamber of Deputies agrees to the Minister's demand them but the Senate refuses. December 17 The War Council votes to retain two regiments of horse cavalry scheduled to be replaced with mechanized units at the urging of General Massiet 1938 March 10 Chautemps government resigns in the face of financial crisis and the German invasion of Austria March 13 Leon Blum appointed Premier April 2 France and Great Britain recognize the union of Austria and Germany April 8 Leon Blum resigns following the Senate's 214 to 47 vote rejection of his economic program May 23 Great Britain assures France that it will come to her aid in case of a German attack but refuses to risk a World War to save Czechoslovakia - Paris premier of Bertolt Brecht's play Grand'peur et Misere du IIIe Reich (The Great Fear and Misery of the Third Reich). September 18 After a meeting between Neville Chamberlain, Edourd Daladier and Foreign Minister Georges Bonnet, France agrees to follow British appeasement policy - Czechoslovakia offered French and British guarantees of her new frontiers in return for ceding the Sudetenland to Germany September 29 Daladier signs the Munich Pact allowing Hitler to occupy the Sudetenland September 30 Daladier given triumphal welcome on his return to Paris November 12 Daladier informs General Gamelin that the Government will provide 25 billion francs for rearmament in 1939 1939 March 6 Ensign Aubert convicted of delivering information on the French Mediterranean Fleet to the Abwehr executed by a firing squad at Toulon March 21 National defense decrees issued regarding increased production in armament factories, additional manpower for the armed forces and reduction of the civil administration The rest as they say is history...
Friedrich, I like to think I have a pretty good grasp on French military policy during the inter-war era. The lack of unlimited funding was only one reason why the French did not motorize their military during the inter-war years. The main reason was doctrinal. The French army simply did not see lack of fully motorization as as large of an issue as we do today using hindsight. Also worth noting is that the Maginot Line was not funded out of the French military budget. The Maginot Line was a separate budget line then the rest of the army and had it's funding voted on separately then the rest of the military budget. I can write more about this if you are interested. It really is an important point to this discussion. As a separate topic, is that a picture of Hitler that you have used on your profile? If so, why have you chosen this image? - James
