10 Things Everybody Gets Wrong About World War 2

10. France's Ineffectiveness During The War

France's role in the Second World War has been greatly undermined due to its military retreat six weeks into the war in late June 1940. This retreat has seen the country regarded as an ineffective military power that was completely unprepared for an assault and subsequent invasion by the Axis powers, a far cry from its more valiant showings during the 'Great War'.

However, the truth is far more complicated than a simple and 'cowardly' surrender. It is true the French did not adequately prepare for another war due to the death toll from World War 1 as well as divisive political factions that arose in the wake of the war. This, coupled with the relative failure of the Maginot Line's defense capability and a French army that was not modernized, gave the impression that the nation simply surrendered to the Germans without any resistance.

This could not be further from the truth as France was quickly losing allies (Poland, Great Britain) and the Germans' Blitzkrieg means of war was simply too overwhelming for one nation to face on its own. Furthermore, we cannot ignore that nearly 2,000 French soldiers died after only six weeks of fighting, showing that the French were not going down without a fight.