Autonomy and Responsibility: France and World War II
The decision to enter into war is usually a great struggle involving many factors. Some countries, however, such as France in 1940, do not have much choice in the matter. France’s leaders struggled with the feelings of autonomy and responsibility. France's struggle entering into World War II was in the difficulty in fulfilling its dual responsibility to the people of France and to the rest of the world whom both maintained conflicting beliefs about the approaching war. The French people desired peace, while the other countries required France to go to war to defend itself against
Germany, so France’s struggle with autonomy and responsibility began long before World War II did.
France was a major part of the end of World War I. They had a strong, respected army, and the country had faith in its military strength. The Versailles Treaty that ended the First World War consisted of five separate treaties between the allies and Germany. Perhaps the most important for France was the formation of the League of Nations. This was a union of countries who agreed to pursue common policies after reaching a common decision, especially in times of war, to establish and maintain peace. The main powers in this league were Britain, France, Italy, the United States, and Japan. The League of Nations gave the countries a sense of responsibility to protect one another. The treaty also guaranteed that if Germany were to attack France again, the United States and Britain would offer aid to France. Germany was also forced to reduce its army to 100,000 men on long-term service as a stipulation of this treaty.1
Despite the terms of the League of Nations, France alone worked to restrain Ge...
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...as an autonomous decision that was made so that the safety of the country of France was ensured. France went against the wishes of the people, but always maintained the safety of the people as its main responsibility. War may have always been in the future, but the leaders struggled with their preparations for it.
End Notes
1 Jeffery A. Grunsburg, Divided and Conqured (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1979).
3, 6-7.
2 Vivian Rowe, The Great Wall of France (New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1959). 17
3 Grunsburg 9
4 “An Unprepared Nation: France Finds Hitler to be a Foe.” France’s Entrance into
World War II. http://www.snu.edu/syllabi/history/s97projects/towar/france.htm (28
Feb. 2000).
5 Daniel Vilfroy, War in the West (Harrisburg, PA: Military Service Publishing
Company, 1942). 13
6 Rowe 73-87
7 Rowe 93-94
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