Question
Why did Germany want to conquer France first?
Answers
Answered by
GPT 3.5
Germany wanted to conquer France first for several reasons:
1. Military Strategy: France was perceived as the strongest military power in Europe at the time. By defeating France, Germany hoped to eliminate its main continental rival and weaken the Western Allies.
2. Revenge and Nationalism: Germany sought to avenge its humiliating defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, which resulted in the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany. Conquering France was seen as a way to restore Germany's national pride and regain this territory.
3. Geographic Advantage: France shared a long border with Germany, making it a convenient target for invasion. Moreover, France's eastern frontier was relatively unprotected due to the assumption that any German attack would come from the east.
4. Economic Resources: France was one of the wealthiest nations in Europe, with abundant natural resources, industrial capacity, and a large colonial empire. Germany sought to plunder these resources to fuel its war machine and strengthen its own economy.
5. Operational Necessity: Germany's military strategy in World War II was based on the concept of blitzkrieg, or lightning war. Conquering France quickly would allow Germany to secure its western flank and concentrate its forces for future offensives in the East against the Soviet Union.
1. Military Strategy: France was perceived as the strongest military power in Europe at the time. By defeating France, Germany hoped to eliminate its main continental rival and weaken the Western Allies.
2. Revenge and Nationalism: Germany sought to avenge its humiliating defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, which resulted in the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany. Conquering France was seen as a way to restore Germany's national pride and regain this territory.
3. Geographic Advantage: France shared a long border with Germany, making it a convenient target for invasion. Moreover, France's eastern frontier was relatively unprotected due to the assumption that any German attack would come from the east.
4. Economic Resources: France was one of the wealthiest nations in Europe, with abundant natural resources, industrial capacity, and a large colonial empire. Germany sought to plunder these resources to fuel its war machine and strengthen its own economy.
5. Operational Necessity: Germany's military strategy in World War II was based on the concept of blitzkrieg, or lightning war. Conquering France quickly would allow Germany to secure its western flank and concentrate its forces for future offensives in the East against the Soviet Union.
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