Military Innovation: Germany Vs. France Essay

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In contrast, the French hung on to fighting concepts that had been centuries old so that mostly anyone with a little military background could have guessed their response strategies in case of a war.

French Generals such as Ferdinand Foch and Philippe Petain were famous for their ingenuity during WWI, when the very concept of involving originality into warfare had brought them victory. However, considering the fact that Foch no longer lived to see his country fighting WWII, and, the fact that Petain seemed unwilling to share his knowledge with those involved in fighting against the Germans at the time, it would be easy to understand what kept France from properly using its forces.

The Germans had learnt a basic rule when concerning warfare: speed and maneuverability make the difference between a successful campaign and a fruitless one. Napoleon was known to have a fondness for offensive campaigns, being aware that static defensive tactics are useless in most cases. Ironically, the German offensive in France had been very similar to one performed by Napoleon years before. If the French were to look back at their military expertise, they would have found that Napoleon would have done the same thing as Hitler if he were to lead the Germans at the time. The French army had been encircled so fast that a number of soldiers did not even have the chance to shoot a bullet.

The Maginot line was considered to be one of the most efficient defense lines in the world. This encouraged the French to believe that there was no need for them to prepare for a counter-offensive in the 1930s.

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The "Maginot mentality" influenced the French defeat to such a degree that the Germans used just the brute force of their armies to break into the French lines as if they were non-existent.

The French industry had suffered during the 1930s, as a result of labor strikes breaking out across the country. Apparently, these events happened as a result of communist labor union leaders being instructed by Stalin to stop working. Stalin apparently did this because he wanted to keep close relations with Hitler through any means possible. The French government was having difficulties dealing with the situation, and, in some cases, it had to replace the missing workers with army troops.

One can easily consider that the French were responsible for a great deal of the German success in the campaigns in France. If it had not been for the French leaders who were lacking ambition and good leadership abilities, the Germans might have had a hard time making their way into France. Moreover, the French might have even had success in fighting back the Germans if they were to use their military forces correctly. Instead of acting against their oppressors, the French preferred to stay put, until they could no longer receive supplies, or conduct an offensive for that matter.

In spite of the fact that in 1939 the French had one of the most effective armies on the planet, they could not use it to its full potential, because of the deficient leadership that the army had at the time.

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