The Fall of France, 1940 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Verdun

Verdun and its horrors were ingrained in the soul of France. Almost 500,000 battle casualties and the mutiny of its army, along with distrust of Germany, shaped defense policy after the Great War.

Answer: construct the Maginot Line

Prior to WWII, the French government poured millions of francs into the construction of a formidable defensive barrier known as the Maginot Line. This defensive barrier was built to disuade German aggression and give the nation time to mobilize in event of hostilities.

Answer: France

France actually had more tanks and armored fighting vehicles than Germany prior to hostilities. The flaw in their armoured philosphy was to use them in support of the infantry, whereas the Germans used the panzers as an armoured spearhead.

Answer: the Phoney War

The interlude between actual hostilities in the West is also known as the Bore War, the Joke War and the Strange War. However, it is most commonly known as the Phoney War.

Answer: Case Yellow

'Fall Gelb' or Case Yellow was the codename for the German invasion of the Low Countries. It called for the occupation of Belguim, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Answer: Von Manstein

General Erich von Manstein submitted a plan that was a substitute for Halder's plan which called for a breakthrough in the secluded and lightly defended Ardennes as opposed to an attempt at Sedan.

Answer: Case Red

'Fall Rot', or Case Red called for military operations on France after the conquest of the Low Countries.

Answer: Lightning War

The concept of Blitzkrieg or Lightning War was nothing anyone had seen before. Rapid armoured breakthroughs preceded by massive air assaults left the BEF and the French unable to mount a cohesive battle plan. (Arguably, the campaign against Poland in September 1939 had used a broadly comparable approach. However, it had not been carefully examined by the French and British military).

Answer: a rumour

The rumour that German armoured formations had crossed the Meuse caused a panic. This was classic 'tank fright'. Units began to withdraw without orders from higher authority; from there the rout was on.

Answer: Compiegne

The armistice that ended hostilities between Germany and France was signed at Compiegne. Compiegne was the exact location where the armistice was signed that ended the First World War.

On Hitler's orders the armistice was signed in same rail carriage that had been used for the German armistice of November 1918. Archive footage and eyewitnesses indicate a delighted, thigh-slapping Hitler. Whether he actually danced a little jig or not is disputed.