Fall Rot

Fall Rot. (Case Red) was the second and decisive major German offensive of the Battle of France, launched on 5 June 1940 following the success of Fall Gelb. The operation aimed to conquer the remaining territories of Metropolitan France, shatter the reorganised French Army, and force the French Third Republic to capitulate. Its successful execution led directly to the Armistice of 22 June 1940 and the establishment of the Vichy regime.

Background and planning

Following the stunning success of Fall Gelb, which culminated in the Dunkirk evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force, the German High Command (OKW) swiftly turned its attention to the defeat of remaining French forces. The French military, now under the command of General Maxime Weygand, had constructed a new defensive line, the Weygand Line, along the Somme and Aisne rivers. The plan for Fall Rot, developed by Franz Halder of the OKH, called for a massive, multi-army group assault to breach these positions. Army Group B, led by Fedor von Bock, would attack west of Paris, while Army Group A under Gerd von Rundstedt struck east of the capital, with Army Group C (Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb) applying pressure against the Maginot Line.

The course of the operation

The offensive commenced on 5 June with heavy preliminary bombardments by the Luftwaffe and assaults across the Somme. Despite fierce resistance from units like the French 7th Army, German Panzer divisions, including those led by Erwin Rommel and Heinz Guderian, quickly achieved breakthroughs. The Battle of Abbeville and the Battle of the Aisne saw critical French positions overrun. By 9 June, German forces had crossed the Seine, and Paris was declared an open city, falling on 14 June. As the front collapsed, the French government fled to Bordeaux. The operation expanded with Army Group C's offensive, Operation Tiger, which breached the Maginot Line near Saarbrücken. The final phase involved a rapid German drive into the Loire Valley and southward, culminating in the capture of Lyon and Metz.

Aftermath and significance

The overwhelming success of Fall Rot led to the political collapse of the French Third Republic. Premier Paul Reynaud resigned and was replaced by Philippe Pétain, who immediately sought an armistice. The Armistice of 22 June 1940 was signed in the Compiègne Forest, in the same railway carriage used for the Armistice of 11 November 1918. France was divided into an occupied zone and the collaborationist Vichy state. The victory cemented Nazi Germany's dominance over Western Europe, allowed Adolf Hitler to redeploy forces for the planned Operation Sea Lion and the later Operation Barbarossa, and left the United Kingdom isolated. The campaign demonstrated the devastating effectiveness of Blitzkrieg tactics and combined arms warfare.

Order of battle

The German force comprised three army groups. Army Group B included the 4th and 6th Armies, with the Panzer Group Kleist providing armored spearheads. Army Group A fielded the 2nd, 12th, and 16th Armies, supported by Panzer Group Guderian. Army Group C consisted of the 1st and 7th Armies. Opposing them, the French deployed three army groups: the 3rd under Antoine-Marie-Benoît Besson, the 4th under Charles Huntziger, and the 2nd under Gaston Prételat, with remnants of the BEF and the Polish Army in France in support.

In popular culture

The campaign has been depicted in several notable films and television series, including the opening sequences of *The Sorrow and the Pity* and scenes in the epic *The Longest Day*. It features prominently in documentary series such as *The World at War* and *Apocalypse: The Second World War*. The offensive also provides a setting for numerous historical novels and is a frequent scenario in wargaming, including titles from the *Campaign* series and strategic computer games like *Hearts of Iron IV* and *Company of Heroes*.

Category:Battles of World War II involving France Category:Battles of World War II involving Germany Category:1940 in France