May–June 1940General source · 2 sourcesWell documented
The Fall of France and the Dunkirk Evacuation
On the timeline · around May–June 1940 ·
What happened
On May 10, 1940, Germany's blitzkrieg swept through the Low Countries and into France, bypassing the Maginot Line. As Allied armies collapsed, Operation Dynamo evacuated more than 338,000 British and French troops from the beaches of Dunkirk between May 26 and June 4. Germany entered Paris on June 14, and France signed an armistice on June 22.
Why it matters
The fall of France left Britain to fight on alone in western Europe; the Dunkirk evacuation saved an army and became a symbol of defiance.