France emerged from World War I with considerable military prestige, but the French Forces and indeed the whole nation were exhausted. After the experiences of World War I, there was considerable weight of opinion, and political pressure behind the view that a strategy based upon a solid defensive line accorded best with the demands of modern warfare and the needs of the country.  The result was the construction of the fortress complexes of the Maginot Line, which absorbed a great deal of the defence budget.
Left: Only the observation tower is visible ! The Maginot Line was buld from the Swiss border to Longwy from 1929 onwards for 2.9 Billion Francs.
The French military establishment had its critics, and there was a small but vociferous school of thought which condemned the reliance on static fortifications. The French Army, based on conscription, was of variable quality; reserve divisions especially were often considered a liability, and observers, including the British General Brooke, were shaken by their insubordination and slovenly appearance.
The French Army was mobilised on 1 September 1939: about 5,000,000 reservists were to be added to the standing army of 900,000 men.
Basic French Army units:
|
Infantry Division |
Cavalry Division |
Light Division |
Tank Battalion |
| Total units |
91
(30 were regular, 13 fortress , 12 North African, 9 colonial divisions) |
5 |
3 |
39 |
| Infantry regiments |
3 with 3,000 men and 80 officers each |
? |
1 with 3,000 men and 80 officers |
? |
| Officers |
500 |
? |
? |
? |
| NCOs, Privates |
17,000 |
? |
? |
? |
| Total men |
17,500 |
? |
? |
? |
| Machine guns |
514
(168 heavy, 346 light) |
? |
160
(48 heavy, 112 light) |
? |
| Mortars |
51
(27 light, 24 heavy) |
? |
7
(9 light, 8 heavy) |
? |
| Howitzers and Fieldguns |
|
? |
? |
? |
| Anti-tank guns |
49
(43 x 25mm, 6 x 47mm) |
? |
9
(25mm) |
? |
| Tanks |
- |
45 - 60 |
90 - 120 plus armoured cars |
45 - 60 |
French soldiers moving a heavy artillery gun.
Much of the French equipment was still from World War I.
Inventory of armored fighting vehicles in September 1939:
Armored fighting vehicles |
Inventory |
| Renault FT-17 |
approx. 1,600 |
| Char 2C |
10 |
| AMC-35 |
88 |
| Hotchkiss H-35, H-39 |
821 |
| Char B1 |
365 (until June 1940) |
| Renault AMR 33 |
approx. 200 |
| Renault R-35 |
approx. 1,600 |
| Somua S-35 |
500 (until June 1940) |
| Total |
aprox. 4,200 in September 1939 |
French Hotchkiss H-35 tank.
Strength l'Armee de l'Air (French Air Force):
The air defence of France and her overseas Empire was the responsibility of five Air Regions (Dijon, Paris, Tours, Aix-en-Provence and North Africa) each of which was sub-divided into two Air Districts. The largest flying formations were the air divisions and independent brigades. An air division had two or three brigades each with two or three squadrons.
Frontline strength on the eve of WW2 was 1,114 fighters, 1,002 bombers and 800 reconnaissance aircraft and in August 1939 there were 110,000 personnel of all ranks, a figure which had risen to 150,000 March 1940.
known French aircraft types in 1939 |
approx. numbers of planes |
| Dewoitine D500 fighter |
100 |
| Amiot 143 bomber |
140 |
| Bloch MB fighter |
85 |
| Farman F222 bomber |
? |
| Morane-Saulnier MS406 fighter |
308 (1,018 until June 1940) |
| Potez 63 heavy fighter |
80 |
| Curtiss P-36 Mohawk fighter |
150 |
New Morane -Saulnier MS 406 fighters straight from Bouguennais are prepared for service at an Armee de l'Air unit in the autumn of 1939. The MS 406 was as numerous as the Bf109E in spring 1940.
French Forces total:
5,000,000 men, 99 divisions, 4,200 tanks, about 11,000 guns
2,916 planes (1,114 fighters, 1,002 bombers)
7 capital ships, 1 aircraft carrier, 19 cruisers, 70 destroyers, 75 submarines
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