We speak of the breakthrough it's done
but actually the break was along a wide front extending for fifty miles from my
mother in Belgium to a society further north.
The Allied armies had swung like a gate into these positions.
The German armies had swept over Holland broken the line of the Albert canal
and for all anyone knew we were preparing to smash against the Allied front with
all that power that was the situation dangerous
but I'm still are on the evening of May thirteenth on the fourteenth and fifteenth.
It became clear
that the German break through south of namo I was in the greatest strength
and that's the French ninth.
Aami attack while moving into position had been shattered.
Without doubt this was the point of mortal danger
and the French High Command ought as the abandonment of these positions.
Although they had not yet been attacked those positions four abandoned solely
because of the situation developing along the my message
that in the meantime the French Seventh Army had been ordered to
make its historic forced march far to the south.
Into the area threatened by the rapidly advancing German spearheads they sign me
was not used to attack the German flag
but rather was used as a plug to restore the broken front.
Throughout the allies that placed their faith not in our fence fight in defense
and the defense was doomed to failure because it was confronted with an entirely
new technique in warfare the planes tank infantry team in action.
The world was staggered by the speed with which the German armored columns moved.
What was the secret
that unable to move so far so rapidly the secret lay in the organization of the
strike and spear forces came.
First closely followed by motorised divisions which peeled off farming solid walls
and through the car
that farmed raised the supply trucks to feed the ever lengthening column.
It was obvious
that if the allied situation was to be restored the German column would have to be
cut on May seventeenth general to go all the time to the German flank
and captured a few prisoners
but his night mechanized forces were like a pinprick ing the side of a rhinoceros a
subsequent attack met with even less success.
The means for a really successful counterattack against the German Carta simply did
not exist where numbers of divisions were required only handfuls of companies
and the talents were of a level a valiant attempt to cut the
German Karta was made by a group of slow moving British tanks.
Just south of Iraq
but lack of sustained striking power doing this valiant to destruction on May
twenty first the German sphere had reached the channel part of Abbeyville
protecting their flank along with saw the Germans fanned out to the north and east.
This was to be the press example of annihilation on May twenty eighth the Belgian
Army compressed into a small space and wary of battles lay down its arms
that left the desperate French
and British defenders with their backs to the sea out the small channel partners
don't care one of the greatest disaster has resigned in the making.
A British Army faced annihilation.
But out of the fog in the midst bombing the channel he must arrange Amada Navy crab
fishing boat pleasure yacht anything that would float he going to pull a button
that come to rescue
that I overhead British fighter planes pass them the water to a sometimes
I'll be long haul allied suicide units
and all the German tanks long enough for the miracle of Dunkirk to take
two hundred eleven thousand five hundred British troops
but a hundred twelve thousand five hundred French
and Belgian were rescued over three hundred thousand battle tested men grimly
determined to go back again with a new tool new weapon with which to blast the
hated Nazis out of this World War three men are like rubber ball the harder they
fall.
The higher they bomb hitting the British by this time was a man who had been poncing
all his life.
Winston charged with trying for years to warn the world about Germany.
Meantime the situation the face of France was as nearly hopeless as a military
situation can be two fifths of the French army was lost.
There were fewer than fifty divisions left to defend the front almost two hundred
miles long running from the northern end of the marginal line to the sea
and behind
that ten front line there were no reserves despairing
people of power sent their children to sell crack.
That some miracle would keep them from harm the the
best men of the French army without adequate arms
or equipment to brace themselves for the coming blow the first blow fell on June
Sept the French Resistance was determined
but by June eighth the left flank army had been shattered
and a general withdrawal was obvious to the line of the mine and the same.
On June ninth the German.
Main attack came within two days the German army
and motorized divisions brought out into the open terrain with this break through
the usual of the Battle of France was decided and from
that time on there was official talk of an armistice.
Now what about the famous marginal lines.
Let's go back and take a lots on June fourteenth.
The Germans launched two attacks against the Maginot Line In both cases
penetrations were affected but we must remember
that this was against fortifications defended by man defied of hope in the meantime
Mr leaning now thinking is safe
and his division racing across the board in the hands of
the data.
Has cricket into the back of its neighbors
denies resistance in France was no longer possible.
The government face to alternative rock tired to North Africa
and carry on from there or give up the struggle.
France's leaders were old and tired and the oldest and most part.
This Marshall paid tax egged on by men like Le Baron who saw in the German victory
his chance for personal power on June sixteenth Petain house
but on Armistice the news is carried to Hitler.
Who received this word of a great nation.
All in a characteristic manner.
Also characteristic with his terms for the armistice.
It must be signed in the coach
when Marshal Foch met the defeated Germans in the last war.
The French delegation arrives. The pay the final price the French disunity.
And the treachery of some of its leaders a
final price a price but for centuries to come the French won't forget.
More than three fifths of their country was to be blacked out by a military
occupation.
The remainder was to be controlled by a French government acceptable to him like.
A tax of four hundred million francs a day was to be imposed on the French people.
To support the German army of occupation.
Nearly two million French prisoners of war were to be taken into Germany
and kept there of hostages.
To work as slaves are run of hunger tuberculosis
or other diseases in concentration camps.
Men deliberately
and permanently separated from their families in order to decrease the French birth
rate. I'm not so limiting France as a world power in future generations.
French the various men women
and children must play Bond farmer in a factory for the naps a master race.
Or star there will be a class of subject alien race.
We need not hesitate to call them play.
Frank children were to grow up on such inadequate food
that many would reach the age of twelve before they grew new teeth
and for any attempts to protest against these restrictions thousands of innocent
French civilians would be executed.
This was the price the French were to pay as they signed the Armistice of the
master of the master race let's go to Paris to tour the streets of what was once
the flitting of light.
You notice no cheering crowds here to welcome in the new order
of the court.
When the people of Paris come to the streets again it is to hear the voice of
dictators telling them what they must do.
How they must live. What they must say.
What they must think telling them how to be slaves gone
and for the public of France. Gone.
Ms free speech in a free representative government gone news liberty equality
fraternity. These are the French with their ears they listen.
But their minds and their hearts.
These are down on the Mediterranean where the battle colors of the regiments are
being taken to Africa our diplomats to grasp the people we spent during depart.
But they don't. Yes You know the France has hope a rallying point.
Chiles to go a soldier in the great tradition of fascist not surrender.
He will continue to fight gathering about a memorial for punishment from all over
the world to come the Free French army fighting print.
Yes the people we say watch their colors go.
Not knowing the two years later those same flags would again be unfurled in North
Africa alongside the Stars
and Stripes alongside the Union Jack once more their leaders General de Gaulle in
the famous general Shiro stand united in the common cause with the leaders of their
allies once more the red white
and blue the French raised on high ground of the ashes of the defeat of the
truly ation of France. So has been born again.