Fall of France
Also called: Battle of France
German armour broke through the Ardennes and defeated France in six weeks; the British escaped by sea from Dunkirk and France signed an armistice.
Heinz Fremke · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Source
On 10 May 1940 Germany opened its western offensive by attacking the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Its main armoured force drove through the lightly defended Ardennes to the Channel, splitting the Allies in two. More than 300,000 British and French troops were evacuated from Dunkirk to Britain (26 May – 4 June).
German troops entered Paris on 14 June, and on 22 June France signed an armistice at Compiègne. The north was occupied by Germany and a collaborationist Vichy regime ruled the south. From London de Gaulle called for resistance and led Free France.