In this revisionist account of France’s crushing defeat in 1940, a global authority on French heritage argues that the nation’s downfall has lengthy been misunderstood. Philip Nord assesses France’s diplomatic and armed forces arrangements for struggle with Germany, its behavior of the conflict as soon as the scuffling with all started, and the political effects of defeat at the battlefield. He additionally tracks attitudes between French leaders as soon as defeat appeared a probability, determining who between them took benefit of the nation’s misfortunes to sabotage democratic associations and plot an authoritarian means ahead. Nord unearths that the longstanding view that France’s cave in used to be because of army unpreparedeness and a decadent nationwide personality is unsupported via fact.
 
in its place, he unearths that the 3rd Republic used to be no worse ready and its army failings no much less dramatic than these of the USA and different Allies within the early years of the battle. What used to be designated in France was once the betrayal through army and political elites who deserted the Republic and supported the reprehensible Vichy takeover. Why then have historians and politicians ever when you consider that interpreted the defeat as a judgment at the country as an entire? Why has the point of interest been at the failings of the 3rd Republic and never on elite betrayal? the writer examines those questions in a desirable conclusion.