Petain dead in 1936

MrHola

Banned
Petain was 80 years old in 1936. It's not that unlikely that he dies of, say, an heart attack in that year. I assume things would stay relatively the same. Maybe the French Army would, without Petain's influences, undergo a series of reforms? Any effects on 1940? Would France still sign an armistice?
 

MrHola

Banned
Raising this from the dead. I also had thoughts about the Anglo-French Union proposed by Chruchill in 1940. Will it go into effect in this ATL?
 
As I recall, wasn't Petain still one of the French government's top military advisors prior to the Ardennes offensive?
 
not much

Though having fresh blood would help, there were a lot of other problems facing the French Army. The biggest being, money. France was in the midst of a depression, and the new guy would have been unlikely to get the money or resources to do what he wanted or needed. Especially since what they needed was good armour or anti tank weapons.
 
Though having fresh blood would help, there were a lot of other problems facing the French Army. The biggest being, money. France was in the midst of a depression, and the new guy would have been unlikely to get the money or resources to do what he wanted or needed. Especially since what they needed was good armour or anti tank weapons.

ACtually, France had good armors and AT weapons. The problem is that the former were dispersed instead of massed, while the later were considered artillery and not infantry weapons and so massed in batteries in the rear instead of being at the front.

What was needed was a) more radio and most important b) a general shake down of the general officers and sacking of the brain dead ones and a change in outdated tactics and organisation.

The first may require some money ( but not that much ) and the second may require political capital but not monetary one.
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Donor
If France don't surrender and there is no Vichy, Germany would waste time and resources to occupy all of European France. They will not really face any heavy resistance, but have to commit more men for occupation duties.
 
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