1940 Campaign in the West

Perhaps The Premier should have fired Gamelin back in 1939 and appointed Georges in his place. I believe that the French President was willing to back him against the Defense Minister, Who had been Premier earlier.
Problem is that Gamelin and Georges were on different sides politically, which is also why they didn't really talk to each other (their HQs were some distance apart, and I don't think they were even connected by telephone). So if you dismiss Gamelin, it's almost impossible to replace him with Georges without major political in-fighting in Paris - bringing in someone else over George's head would be easier!
That's also why when Georges pointed out that the Dyle plan would collapse if the Germans invaded through the Ardennes (in November 1939), Gamelin pooh-poohed it and ignored him.
 
Former Premier Edouard Daladier was the one who had appointed Gamelin as French Commander in Chief. He Blocked his successor Paul Reynaud from firing him. But suppose that he gets the support of the French President and does fire him as Commander in Chief. Who could he appoint that would be more capable. It would seem that instead of putting the welfare of France first politics was all too important. At the same time the Communist unions were doing everything possible to delay arms from reaching the front as Nazi Germany was an ally of the USSR.
Perhaps they should have taken a page from history and drafted the workers putting them under Military discipline . similiar to what happen to the railroad workers who dared to go on strike before the first world War.
 
Let us say that rather than in March 1940 Paul Reynard replaces Edouard Daladier as Premier of France In January. He had decided that General Gamelin does not seem to be an effective French Commander in Chief and is determined to replace him. He has the support of the French President and had managed to gain the support of other Cabinet members Who can be called upon to replace Gamelin that would be capable.
George certainly would but that would mean a bitter fight with Daladier.Is there anyone else that could be chosen.
 
OTL when Reynaud lost confidence in Gamelin he sent for Weygand. I think that's the most likely decision in the circumstances, and is probably a slight improvement (Weygand did at least move from holding a linear front at all costs to box-style defences). You aren't likely to get someone vastly better however.
 
The new Premier sent for General Weygard recalling him from Syria. He had believed that General Gamelin had failed to act and that the French Army was ill prepared to fight. the new French Commander in chief arrived and after a brief meeting with the Premier began to tour the northeast front. He met with General George and some of the other commanders and agreed that in the event of war Plan D would not be implemented. Frances most Mobile army would be retained. He remember the First World War and like his old Commander in chief suspected that the Germans wouls attack where it was least likely. To be on the sfe side he ordered defenses in France near the Ardennes strengthen. That would include some more defensive works and movement of an armored division closer.
 
France's new Commander in chief had already made some changes. He was disgusted by his command centers lack of communication with the army. He visited the front and demanded that changes be made. He was sure that the Germans would do the unexpected. The Belgians were also annoying they would co-operate one day and the next place roadblocks into planning. He was sure that the King of the Belgians was the cause of all of the trouble. He was not a strng man like his father but then the Great War had left a lot of weakness in Politicians and leaders. Premier Reynaud was strong but he was unsure if he was as strong As the man who had lead France in the Great War.
He had learned much from his old commander Marshal Joffe and he hoped that it would help him to avoid mistakes. He had agreed with George that Plan D would not work and had changed it to E.
Still He needed better weather to get those defensive works up. Time was running out.
 
So clairvoyant Weygand decides to tear down the entire fabric of the French military doctrine and start anew? In early 1940? What do you expect the end result to be?
 
To begin with General George also though that the D plan was a poor one that would leave the allies venerable should the Germans attack anywhere else. Premier Paul Reynaud fired Gamelin because he lost faith in his ability to lead.
 
The New French Commander in Chief's altering of the plans to move into Belgium should the Germans invade did not come as a shock to General George, who had argued with General Gamelin about the wisdom of Plan D. The adoption of Plan E would not leave the allies all stretched out over Belgium. It would also leave General George with the most Mobile French Army available to respond to the unexpected.
The French Commander in Chief was now pressing for the New armored Divisions to complete their organization and equipping so that they could be moved up closer to the front so as to better deal with any threat.

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To begin with General George also though that the D plan was a poor one that would leave the allies venerable should the Germans attack anywhere else. Premier Paul Reynaud fired Gamelin because he lost faith in his ability to lead.

I do not think it would really be that easy to come into HQ and say 'Oh, by the way, those telephone communications is sh*t. I want it changed!'. The communication system the French used was selected and designed for a reason. Their doctrine was called 'methodic battle' and relied on set-piece battles that would be won through superior firepower and slow methodic advance. In this doctrine the secure communications played important role, plus the pace of battle was slow enough to allow for wire communication to be set up and maintained. Weygand coming and saying that it is awful would be very abrupt.

The fact that it is awful and not suitable for the war was only obvious one the combat begun. Before that it was considered state of art. To change this would pretty much require the entire doctrine be changed on the very eve of battle, communication officers issued new equipment, procedures and manuals rewritten, training intitiated. The works. This would result in even greater chaos (if at all possible) once the German attack.

This is why I said clairvoyant Weygand tears down the entire fabric of military doctrine.
 
Perhaps not but one could also try to make improvements to it It would seem that even before the war started there was a lack of communication between the GHQ and the rest of the army, General Gamelin seemed to have less contact with the Army than Joffe had had in the First World War.
 
Perhaps not but one could also try to make improvements to it It would seem that even before the war started there was a lack of communication between the GHQ and the rest of the army, General Gamelin seemed to have less contact with the Army than Joffe had had in the First World War.

Well, that was his choice. Communication was entirely possible, but he chose not to use it.
 
Well, that was his choice. Communication was entirely possible, but he chose not to use it.

Gamelin was several levels above the battle. Georges was the operational commander for NW France. Gamelin was the global commander for all French forces. His role in operations extended to grand strategy planning & monitoring events. When he did decide to intervene he did so at Georges HQ, which had the necessary staff & communications.
 
I don't even know why anybody reads this. Complete rubbish. The short updates and the complete lack of research makes this unreadable.
 
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