Operation Richelieu: Crossing the Border
As the German Ambassador in Paris was being informed of the declaration of war, the massive offensive began with an enormous artillery barrage which could be heard for miles over the rolling hills of Alsace-Lorraine and the Rhineland. French troops hastily poured from the defensive barrier of the Maginot Line, and headed straight for the poorly defended Siegfried Line on the German border. Caught completely by surprise, the defenders panicked and all defensive measures on the frontier crumbled as the French overran the meagre fortifications. In fact, most of the troops on the border were not German, but Axis troops, with a multitude of divisions hailing from Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia. Most of the foreign troops were poorly equipped, and there was a break down of communications as the German High Command tried desperately to rally the badly organised foreign defenders.
Within hours, the French Army had penetrated far into German territory, as the Axis defenders retreated to the cover of Stuttgart and Freiberg, the two largest cities close to the frontier. Small towns and villages on the border were quickly captured after little resistance, and many Germans woke to find French troops marching down their streets. French forces, encountering little confrontation in the countryside, had already captured the major roads which lead to Stuttgart and Freiberg. Over twenty infantry and eight tank divisions now beared down upon the two poorly defended cities. Within a week, it was easily imaginable that they would be in French hands.
Meanwhile, Hitler’s Headquarters in Rastenburg, East Prussia had descended into utter chaos, as the German High Command entered damage control. Hitler continually blamed his Generals for the unexpected French invasion. He immediately ordered all available divisions in the Eastern Front to be sent to the Western Front. However, Germany required as many troops as possible to counter the massive manpower of the USSR, so no more than ten divisions were ordered to the West by Hitler on the first day of the French offensive. Hitler initially believed that the French Army was weak, and could be mopped up in matter of weeks. At any rate, the Germans were facing a massive defeat at the hands of the Fascist French, and the German Army, even if Hitler did not, knew the gravity of the situation.
The Eve of Battle – notice the mixed Axis defenders and the lack of adequate German divisions required for defence.
Occupation of the Lowlands
By the 23rd of June, French forces were converging on Freiberg, Stuttgart and Saarbucken, and Field Marshall Gamelin knew three major victories were immanent. As the sun dawned over a subdued Paris on the clear morning of the 23rd, the Ambassadors for Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands were summoned to the French Foreign Ministry. Bombardier, the polite and diplomatic French Foreign Minister, courteously, yet firmly informed the three Ambassadors that French troops were entering their countries (as the four diplomats spoke) to safeguard their neutrality against an immanent attack by the aggressive and ruthless Nazi German army. A formal German ultimatum called upon the two governments to see to it that no resistance was offered. If it were, it would be crushed by all means and the responsibility for the bloodshed would be “borne exclusively by the Royal Belgian, Dutch, and Luxembourg Governments.” In Brussels, the Hague and Luxembourg City, the French envoys made their way to the respective Foreign Ministries with similar messages.
At the Foreign in Ministry Brussels, while French artillery barrages rocked and rattled the windows, Jacques de Gasconie, the French Ambassador to the Belgian Royal Court, started to take a paper out of his pocket as he entered the Belgian Foreign Minister’s office. Paul-Henri Spaak (the Minister) stopped him.
“I beg you, Mr Ambassador, I will speak first. The French Army [Spaak said, not attempting to hold back his feeling of outrage] has aggressively and callously attacked our country. The French Republic will be held responsible by history. Belgium is resolved to defend herself.” The unhappy French diplomat then began to read the formal German ultimatum, but Spaak cut him short. “Hand me the document,” he said. “I should like to spare you so
painful a task.”
French troops crossed the Belgium frontier, and immediately encountered firm resistance from the Royal Belgium Army. Meanwhile, the small nation of Luxembourg folded to the French demands, and let French troops occupy her without resistance. As Belgium put up resistance, The Hague confirmed that the Netherlands would also be resolved to defend herself from this “outrageous act of aggressiveness”. The British government, which had rejoiced when France declared war on Germany just three days before, now found that Paris was perusing an aggressive policy of occupation against smaller nations. London immediately issued a Memorandum stressing that His Majesty’s Government was dismayed at the act of aggression on the part of the French. Meanwhile, France issued a Memorandum stating that the French government would not enter in alliance with Britain and the Commonwealth, and instead would pursue an independent line of action against Berlin. However, as the Memorandum assured, “some co-operation between France and Britain could be possible in fighting the common enemy.”
