# German troops enter Paris (1940)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1940-german-troops-enter-paris
Location: Paris
Categories: battle

The capital was occupied after the French government withdrew southward. 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 troops enter Paris 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 troops enter Paris 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 troops enter Paris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=German+troops+enter+Paris&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — German troops enter Paris](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=German+troops+enter+Paris)
- [Vie-publique — French institutions and history](https://www.vie-publique.fr/)