Morale in France During the War

Abstract

The morale factor was the chief cause for the collapse of France; this is emphasized by the fact that the political breakdown followed the military defeat and that the French government preferred a policy of "collaboration" with Hitler rather than a continuation of the struggle in North Africa. Generally speaking, the French are a peaceful people. When the war broke out, nothing was done by the government to mobilize the moral resources of the country and to emphasize the ideological content of the war. In the army the weak point was the morale of the officers. The majority of the troop officers were young reserve men recruited among the bourgeoisie, who manifested the defects of their class. As far as the general staff was concerned, its weakness was the result of an insufficient intellectual preparation for modern war, as well as its pro-fascist sympathies. The French government is a pro-fascist government, principally composed of generals and representatives of leading industries. This government is not popular. There is an awakening of the national sentiment coming from the roughness of the German occupation and a revival of an anti-fascist and democratic feeling. The recent events prove that democracy is still living in France.