Regarding Dunkirk Expedition

Today, I discussed the Dunkirk evacuation with a friend who surprisingly claimed that the French army, under Nazi command, attacked the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). He also suggested I was confused about the timeline. While I admit I haven’t studied Operations Dynamo, Cycle, and Ariel in depth, I’m clear on the timeline: Paris fell after these operations, and both British and French forces fought side by side against the Nazis during the Dunkirk evacuation in May 1940.

During this period, several strategies were considered, including evacuation and counter-attacks, given the fluid and rapidly changing battlefield conditions. The British, led by Lord Gort, ultimately prioritized evacuation (Operation Dynamo) due to the encircling German forces and the untenable situation. While the decision-making process was quick, there was some level of communication with the French and Belgians, though coordination was challenging due to the chaos. The evacuation decision was made based on a cost-benefit analysis to save as many troops as possible.

The 12th Infantry Division of France played a crucial defensive role during the Dunkirk evacuation in May 1940. Positioned outside Dunkirk, this division, along with other French units, was tasked with holding off the advancing German forces to buy time for the British and Allied troops to evacuate from the beaches. Despite being heavily outnumbered and facing a relentless assault, the 12th Infantry Division fought valiantly, delaying the German advance and contributing significantly to the success of Operation Dynamo, which allowed over 338,000 soldiers to escape to Britain.

Contrary to my friend’s claim, after the occupation, the French army in Vichy France or the occupied zone never fought under Nazi command against Allied forces. Unlike Romania, Hungary, and Finland, the French were not ordered by the Nazis into their command due to trust issues and ideological differences, which posed risks in battle.

Here’s a timeline of the Nazi invasion of France and its subsequent occupation:

• May 10, 1940: Germany invades France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, initiating the Battle of France.
• May 13, 1940: German forces break through French defenses in the Ardennes Forest, bypassing the Maginot Line.
• May 14, 1940: Germans capture Sedan, advancing rapidly into northern France.
• May 20, 1940: German troops reach the English Channel, cutting off Allied forces in Belgium and northern France.
• May 26 — June 4, 1940: The Dunkirk evacuation (Operation Dynamo) successfully evacuates over 338,000 British and Allied soldiers to Britain.
• June 10, 1940: Italy declares war on France and Britain, joining the Axis powers.
• June 14, 1940: German forces enter Paris, leading to the city’s fall without significant resistance.
• June 17, 1940: French Prime Minister Philippe Pétain requests an armistice with Germany.
• June 22, 1940: The armistice is signed at Compiègne, ending hostilities. Germany occupies northern France and establishes a collaborationist regime in Vichy, southern France.
• June 25, 1940: The armistice comes into effect, marking the start of the occupation and division of France into occupied and unoccupied zones.

My friend’s bold claim, coupled with his insistence on betting a large amount, made me wonder about the sources influencing him. I suspect Russian disinformation or Michel Chossudovsky’s website, Global Research, which is known for promoting such conspiracy theories and misinformation in contemporary times.

Vichy France Position During Nazi Occupation and Role of the French Army in the Occupied Zone

After the fall of France in June 1940, the country was divided into two zones: the German-occupied zone in the north and the Vichy regime-controlled unoccupied zone in the south. The Vichy government, led by Marshal Philippe Pétain, collaborated with Nazi Germany but maintained nominal sovereignty over the unoccupied southern part of France.

The French army under Vichy France was significantly limited in size and capacity by the armistice terms. The French military in the occupied zone was disbanded, and much of its equipment was seized by the Germans. The Vichy government did retain a small military force, primarily for maintaining internal order and defending against potential Allied invasions. These forces, however, were not incorporated into the German military command and did not actively participate in combat operations against the Allies under Nazi command.

Vichy France’s collaboration with Nazi Germany was largely political and administrative rather than military. This collaboration included policies that aligned with Nazi interests, such as the deportation of Jews and political dissidents, but the French military forces were never fully trusted by the Nazis and were not integrated into the German military efforts. This distrust was based on ideological differences and the concern that French forces might turn against the Germans if given significant responsibilities or armaments.

The Vichy regime’s stance was complex and often viewed as an attempt to maintain a degree of autonomy and protect French sovereignty under the dire circumstances of Nazi occupation. However, this collaboration led to significant controversy and division within France and remains a sensitive topic in French history to this day.

The suspicion that my friend was influenced by sources like Russian disinformation or Global Research arose because he also mentioned the false claim that Thai Airways was banned from Russian airspace to criticize Thailand’s foreign policy alignment with the U.S. This is inaccurate; the issue stems from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and reciprocal bans by Russia after Western sanctions on Russian flights. Most Asian airlines avoid Russian airspace due to insurance and security concerns, except for a few from China, India, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan.

Another misinformation he brought up was about the new U.S. consulate in Chiang Mai, claiming it was a CIA site to surveil southern China — a common claim among some fringe Thai conspiracy theorists. This claim is entirely false. The relocation and rebuilding of the U.S. consulate in Chiang Mai are intended to accommodate the growing number of visitors, including Thai citizens, Americans, and other foreigners, who utilize its services, which now exceed 10 million annually. Although there were historical instances of U.S. operations in Thailand during the Cold War, which might fuel such beliefs, the current consulate upgrade is driven by practical needs rather than covert surveillance activities.