WI: France conducts a hedgehog defence from the get go

So in june of 1940, in a final attempt to halt the Germans, the French adopted a hedgehog defence scheme in the form of the Weygand Line. By this time the French army and air force had suffered extensive losses to the point where the effort proved inviable.

Say they French adopted this strategy at the initiation of hostilities, when their military is still intact. How is the Western Europe Campaign of 1940 altered?
 
French doctrine was for a multi layered 'strong point' defense. The difference in the Wegand line was the fewer divisions meant much longer distance between strong points. Company weapons could not cover the intervals as per the standard doctrine.

Doughtys 'Seeds of Disaster's has a reference to this.. I'll try to remember to post some other material on it here.
 
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So in june of 1940, in a final attempt to halt the Germans, the French adopted a hedgehog defence scheme in the form of the Weygand Line. By this time the French army and air force had suffered extensive losses to the point where the effort proved inviable.

Say they French adopted this strategy at the initiation of hostilities, when their military is still intact. How is the Western Europe Campaign of 1940 altered?
If they fortify the frontier and don't go to save Belgium and Dutch then they probably survive 1940 into an eventual victory in 41/42?
 
If they fortify the frontier and don't go to save Belgium and Dutch then they probably survive 1940 into an eventual victory in 41/42?

Depends on what is meant by "fortify". Something like the CORF of the Longwy-Straussberg frontier might. But the CORF project was maybe 150km long, this extends the cost by over 300 km, tripling or quadrupling the cost. OTL there were lesser fortifications from Givet to Longwy. Two German corps crashed thru those in 48 hours. Note how the Belgians had one of the most powerful fortress complexes in the world surrounding Liege. The Germans neutralized the key position at Eban Emael in a hour and sidelined the rest of it.

Third problem is the length of the Front. Measure the front and figure how many kilometers per division. Its a uncomfortably long front for the forces available.

There is the attitude of the Dutch and Belgians. Without assistance from France would they bother with significant resistance. Why put the Germans in a position to burn Rotterdam to the ground? Make a deal and roll over. If the French want to fight the war alone they can. This means the Germans arrive at the frontier without significant casualties, with full use of the Belgian transportation system, and their soldiers French and ready to go.
 
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