The immediate cause of France's involvement in World War II was Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. France had a mutual assistance pact with Poland,[1] and on September 3, 1939, France and Britain declared war on Germany.
Timeline of French involvement in World War II:
* 1939
* September 1: Germany invades Poland.
* September 3: France and Britain declare war on Germany.
* September 17: Soviet Union invades Poland.
* October 2: Germany invades Denmark and Norway.
* April 9: Germany invades Denmark and Norway.
* May 10: Germany invades Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
* May 26: France and Belgium surrender to Germany.
* 1940
* June 22: France signs an armistice with Germany, dividing the country into occupied and unoccupied zones.
* July 3: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gives his famous "Fight on the Beaches" speech, inspiring the French people to resist German occupation.
* August 25: The Battle of Britain begins.
* September 27: The Tripartite Pact is signed between Germany, Italy, and Japan.
* 1941
* December 7: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, and the United States enters the war.
* December 11: Germany and Italy declare war on the United States.
* 1942
* November 8: The Allies invade North Africa.
* November 27: The Battle of Stalingrad begins.
* 1943
* July 10: The Allies invade Sicily.
* September 3: Italy surrenders to the Allies.
* November 6: The Battle of Stalingrad ends in a decisive Soviet victory.
* 1944
* June 6: The D-Day landings take place, and the Allies begin the liberation of France.
* August 25: Paris is liberated.
* September 12: The Battle of the Bulge begins.
* 1945
* January 27: The Soviet Union liberates Auschwitz.
* April 30: Adolf Hitler commits suicide.
* May 8: Germany surrenders to the Allies, marking the end of the war in Europe.
France played a major role in World War II, and its involvement was crucial to the Allied victory. The French army was one of the most powerful in Europe, and its participation in the war helped to tie up German forces and prevent them from concentrating on other fronts. The French Resistance played a vital role in the liberation of France, and French intelligence provided valuable information to the Allies.