Help with France?

[LoneWolf3945]

Sup guys!
I am playing as France and I am having trouble getting the little entente achievement. I have tried attacking Germany in 36, then in 38 when they invade Czechoslovakia and i always encounter the same problem...

Germany has insane defense i mean in 36 i am fighting them and they have 200+ defense and i am confused as to why that is?
What can i possibly do to beat them at all?
Because every time i manage to break through a random division appears (though that could be because of my low recon) and it still beats me with the 200+ defense.

Thanks

 

[Kaosium]

Sup guys!
I am playing as France and I am having trouble getting the little entente achievement. I have tried attacking Germany in 36, then in 38 when they invade Czechoslovakia and i always encounter the same problem...

Germany has insane defense i mean in 36 i am fighting them and they have 200+ defense and i am confused as to why that is?
What can i possibly do to beat them at all?
Because every time i manage to break through a random division appears (though that could be because of my low recon) and it still beats me with the 200+ defense.

Thanks

Their defense is probably not your problem, it's more likely your own divisions need more firepower. All defense does is (partially) block some (hopefully all) of their Soft and Hard Attack, but even if they have a thousand for defense if you have a thousand for Soft Attack they'll be on the run soon enough. Try building a lot of artillery and putting it into your infantry divisions, about two or three per (regular) division and maybe one ART for the Colonial troops. Don't worry much about width playing those scenarios as odds are neither of you will have enough divisions to fill up the width of most--if not all--of the battles.

 

[Bernard95]

As someone who plays France often, your problem is that you're trying to do it in '36. While it is possible, you can't really expect to beat the Germans with no prep time. Just like the poster above says, it's a "you" problem not a "them" problem. Focus yourself on Inf Equipment I and arty primarily, and then put a handful of factories on support equipment, trucks, and light tanks. Since your civilian industry is solid at the start, build nothing but military factories and you'll have a fair number to work with by the time you intervene in the Sudetenland Crisis, plus you're only going to get more as you invade the Germans and Italians. Conveniently for you, most of the German industrial base isn't far from the border too.

Some other tips:
1) Don't worry about your colonial holdings; recall everything and change your colonial divisions to real 7/2 infantry.
2) Offense is the key to victory. You start with motorized and light tanks, so beat the Germans at their own game- seize everything you can while they're distracted by the Czechs.
3) Italy will hardly put up a fight. From your starting forces, select everything that's in the southern half of France and then throw in a few of the converted colonial divisions to make 24.
3a) Be wary that your frontline will split as you turn south to Rome; you don't want the Axis coming in from Venice or Austria, so have some troops on standby to form a new army.
4) Get rid of "Disjointed Government" asap. Once your PP is back to normal, bank it so you can up your manpower law during your push for Berlin. You will be out or low by the time you've secured the Rhineland.
5) If you're a bit paranoid, extend the Maginot line to cover the Belgian border. Even a few levels can make things far more difficult for the Germans.