The Road to Invasion: Germany’s Strategic Gambit

Following the swift conquest of Poland in September 1939, Nazi Germany turned its attention westward. The question was not whether to attack France and the Low Countries, but when and how. While Allied forces braced for a repeat of World War I’s static trench warfare, German commanders devised a revolutionary approach that would shock the world.

At the heart of this strategy lay a daring proposal from General Erich von Manstein – instead of a frontal assault through Belgium as in 1914, the Wehrmacht would launch its main armored thrust through the “impassable” Ardennes Forest, cross the Meuse River at Sedan, then race to the English Channel to cut off Allied forces in Belgium. Hitler enthusiastically endorsed this plan on February 17, 1940, recognizing its potential for decisive victory.

The final operational plan, codenamed Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), called for Army Group B to invade the Netherlands and Belgium as a diversion, while the powerful Army Group A executed the main Ardennes breakthrough. Army Group C would pin down French forces along the Maginot Line. This masterstroke of deception and mobility would become the blueprint for blitzkrieg warfare.

The Storm Breaks: Conquest of the Low Countries

On May 10, 1940, Germany launched its western offensive with simultaneous attacks on the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. The Dutch defenses crumbled in just five days under a combination of airborne assaults and armored thrusts. German paratroopers seized key bridges at Moerdijk and Rotterdam, while the 9th Panzer Division raced to link up with them.

The bombing of Rotterdam on May 14 proved decisive – with the city in flames and no hope of relief, Dutch commander General Winkelmann surrendered the following day. Queen Wilhelmina had already fled to Britain, establishing a government-in-exile that would continue the fight.

Belgium fared little better despite its modern fortifications. The vaunted Eben-Emael fortress, considered impregnable, fell to just 75 German glider troops who landed on its roof. By May 17, Brussels had fallen, and King Leopold III surrendered on May 28 despite Allied protests, leaving a dangerous gap in the northern front.

The Ardennes Breakthrough: France’s Downfall

While Allied attention focused on Belgium, the decisive blow came through the Ardennes. General Heinz Guderian’s XIX Panzer Corps achieved the unthinkable – moving seven divisions through the dense forest in just two days. On May 13, German pioneers established bridgeheads across the Meuse at Sedan against demoralized French reservists.

What followed was a textbook example of blitzkrieg:
– May 15: Guderian’s tanks reach Montcornet, 70km behind French lines
– May 20: The 2nd Panzer Division reaches the English Channel at Abbeville
– May 24: German forces take Boulogne and surround Allied troops at Dunkirk

French counterattacks, including Colonel Charles de Gaulle’s 4th Armored Division at Montcornet (May 17) and Laon (May 19-20), proved too little, too late. The Allied high command, paralyzed by confusion and communication failures, failed to organize an effective response.

The Human Cost and Strategic Consequences

The six-week campaign had staggering results:
– Over 2 million Allied soldiers captured
– France’s army effectively destroyed as a fighting force
– Britain forced into the humiliating Dunkirk evacuation
– Nazi Germany established as master of continental Europe

Psychologically, the victory shattered French morale and reinforced the myth of German invincibility. Politically, it led to France’s surrender on June 22 and the establishment of the Vichy regime. Militarily, it validated blitzkrieg tactics that would dominate early World War II campaigns.

Legacy of the 1940 Campaign

The fall of Western Europe demonstrated:
1. The superiority of combined arms warfare over static defense
2. The decisive impact of air power and mobility
3. The dangers of outdated military thinking

For the Allies, the disaster spurred military reforms that would bear fruit in later campaigns. The French resistance and Free French forces kept fighting, while Britain under Churchill resolved to continue the struggle alone. Ultimately, Germany’s swift victory planted the seeds of its eventual downfall by overextending its forces and bringing the powerful British Empire and later the United States into direct confrontation.

The lightning campaign of 1940 remains one of history’s most stunning military achievements – a cautionary tale about the perils of unpreparedness and the transformative power of innovation in warfare. Its lessons about the importance of mobility, initiative, and combined arms coordination continue to influence military strategists to this day.