The Battle of France

The Battle of France, also known as the Western Campaign (Westfeldzug), the French Campaign, and the Fall of France, was a Second World War German attack on France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Following the German invasion of Poland on September 3, 1939, France made a declaration of war on Germany. France launched the modest Saar Offensive in early September 1939 and withdrew to its starting positions by mid-October.

German armies defeated the Allies and captured France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands in six weeks, beginning on May 10, 1940. Italy also attempted to attack France when it entered the war on June 10, 1940. By June 6, 1944, the German land offensive on the Western Front had ended.

On the German side, there were two major operations during the Battle of France. The armored German units of Fall Gelb (Case Yellow) broke through the Ardennes along the Somme Valley, shutting off and enclosing the Allied units heading to Belgium. Following the evacuation of the Belgian and French forces to the sea, the British withdrew their own men as well as several French divisions from Dunkirk in Operation Dynamo. On June 5, when the British forces had withdrawn, Fall Rot (Case Red) began. The remaining French divisions resisted but were quickly defeated. On June 14, German forces invaded Paris.

Date: May 10, 1940 - June 25, 1940

Location: Low Countries, France

Participants: Germany - France