# German invasion of France begins (1940)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1940-german-invasion-of-france-begins
Location: France
Categories: battle

German armies attacked through the Low Countries and Ardennes, breaking the Allied front. Within the broader Occupation, Liberation & Fourth Republic period, Defeat in 1940 divided France between Vichy, occupation and resistance. Liberation restored republican government, followed by reconstruction, welfare-state building, European integration and violent decolonization under the Fourth Republic. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Albert Lebrun (President of the French Republic). German invasion of France begins mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
German invasion of France begins mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Charles de Gaulle](https://history-france.com/rulers/charles-de-gaulle-1940)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — German invasion of France begins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=German+invasion+of+France+begins&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — German invasion of France begins](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=German+invasion+of+France+begins)
- [Vie-publique — French institutions and history](https://www.vie-publique.fr/)