SKIP KEYS HELP THE BBC PAGE ARCHIVED LONGER FIND ARCHIVING WAR HOMEPAGE ARCHIVE TIMELINE SITE CONTACT FACT FILE THE FALL OF FRANCE MAY 1940 BELGIUM NORTH WEST GERMAN VICTORY LEADING OCCUPATION LAST BRITISH EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK LEFT THE UK FACING THE GERMANS OPERATION ENEMIES STRATEGY ASSAULT ENSURE RAPID IN REALITY LITTLE REVOLUTIONARY FRANCE GENERAL CHARLES DE GAULLE JUNE 1940 YOUNG FRENCH REFUGEES THE GERMAN ADVANCE ARMIES SMALLER THAN AIR SUPERIORITY HALF TROOPS MAGINOT LINE FORTIFICATIONS GERMANY SWISS THE BELGIAN SIMPLY GERMAN FORCES ADVANCED NEUTRAL PARACHUTISTS STRATEGIC BRIDGES LANDING AIRFIELDS HOLLAND SURRENDERED AIRBORNE TROOPS FRONT BROKEN THE NEXT DAY GERMAN TANKS ROLLED WEST BELGIANS THE DYLE BORDER IN THE SOUTH THE RIVER MAAS THIS WAS ABANDONED 15 MAY SUED FOR PEACE THE ARDENNES CAVALRY SEMOIS 13 MAY CROSSED MEUSE AIDED WAVES THE NARROW BREACH GENERAL HEINZ GUDERIAN OISE REACHED THE CHANNEL 20 MAY CUTTING OFF THE ALLIED REASONS HITLER PAUSE GAVE THE ALLIES ENOUGH OPPORTUNITY DUNKIRK OFFENSIVE POSITIONS THE SOMME TWO DAYS FIERCE BROKE TOWARD THE SEINE ATTACKED AISNE EVENTUALLY TURNED FRENCH FORCES HOLDING GENERAL MAXIME WEYGAND PREMIER PAUL REYNAUD THE BATTLE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES THE ONLY REYNAUD GOVERNMENT DIVIDED SURRENDER PARIS RHNE VALLEY RESIGNED MARSHAL PHILIPPE PTAIN THE HERO THE BATTLE OF VERDUN WORLD WAR PTAIN IMMEDIATELY ARMISTICE SIGNED RETHONDES RAILWAY CARRIAGE NORTHERN FRANCE WAS TO THE SOUTH EAST CONTROL FILES COMMISSIONED AUTHORS BRITISH ARMY ROYAL AIR FORCE ROYAL NAVY WAAF ALLIED COMMONWEALTH MERCHANT NAVY MEDICAL UNITS FIRE DUTY AIR RAID PRECAUTIONS LAND ARMY VOLUNTEER BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC CONSCRIPTION EVACUATION DECLARATION OF WAR CIVILIAN INTERNMENT TORPEDOED GRAF NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN RATION BOOKS NARVIK NAVAL BATTLE BRITAIN GARRISONS ICELAND CHURCHILL PRIME MINISTER FORMATION THE HOME GUARD BATTLE OF ARRAS BATTLE CALAIS BOULOGNE SIEGE OF MALTA BATTLE OF CHANNEL ISLANDS INVADED THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN ITALY BRITISH SOMALILAND THE BLITZ EGYPT AGREEMENT TARANTO RAID SIDI EAST AFRICAN CAMPAIGN BATTLE OF CAPE MATAPAN SIEGE OF TOBRUK GREECE CAMPAIGN IRAQ OPERATION BREVITY CRETE SYRIAN OPERATION BATTLEAXE PLACENTIA BAY CONFERENCE PERSIA OPERATION CRUSADER BURMA CAMPAIGN HUNGARY ROMANIA JAPAN FALL OF HONG KONG FALL OF SINGAPORE MALAYA INVASION BRITISH BORNEO WASHINGTON CONFERENCE THE PACIFIC WAR COUNCIL CHANNEL DASH BATTLE OF JAVA SEA BRUNEVAL RAID MISSION INDIA ST NAZAIRE RAID INDIAN OCEAN RAID BAEDEKER RAIDS MADAGASCAR CAPTURED TREATY BATTLE OF GAZALA PQ17 DIEPPE RAID BATTLE OF ALAM HALFA SECOND BATTLE OF BEVERIDGE REPORT LANDINGS FRENCH NORTH AFRICA CASABLANCA CONFERENCE CHINDIT OPERATIONS BATTLE OF MEDENINE WASHINGTON CONVOY RUHR AIR OFFENSIVE MARETH LINE BERMUDA CONFERENCE SECOND WASHINGTON CONFERENCE DAMBUSTERS RAID ALLIED LANDINGS IN SICILY HAMBURG PEENEMNDE FIRST QUEBEC CONFERENCE DODECANESE ISLANDS MOSCOW CONFERENCE BERLIN CAIRO TEHERAN CONFERENCE BATTLE OF MONTE CASSINO ANZIO LANDINGS AMIENS PRISON BIG WEEK DEFENCE IMPHAL KOHIMA BALKAN AIR FORCE GOLD BEACH JUNO BEACH OPERATION OVERLORD NORMANDY LANDINGS PEGASUS BRIDGE SWORD BEACH ATTACK CAEN OPERATION BLUECOAT CLOSING FALAISE GAP FRENCH RIVIERA THE GOTHIC ANTWERP BRITISH EXPEDITION TO SECOND QUEBEC CONFERENCE ARNHEM SCHEIDT ESTUARY BATTLE OF THE BULGE BATTLES MANDALAY MEIKTILA YALTA CONFERENCE RHINE CROSSINGS SPRING OFFENSIVE ENTER RANGOON LIBERATION BELSEN VE DAY POTSDAM CONFERENCE GENERAL ELECTION HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI VJ DAY RELATED HOLIDAY LORRY DRIVER THE ROYAL SIGNALS LETTER HERO MORE STORIES EXPLORE THE ARCHIVE CONTENT THEIRS UNLESS EXTERNAL TERMS OF USE PRIVACY COOKIES POLICY