"Only 300 000 troops". The Brits fell for the same trick too by the way. Hitler didn't allow anything. His ground troops were exausted and his supply lines over-extended. He let the Luftwaffe have a go at it. If Hitler allowed them to escape, he had a strange way of doing it: with Stukas.
The political situation in France was complicated, to be sure. I think it was torn between Communists and Socialists, much like Germany was previously. A portion of the French were willing to accomodate the Nazi - Socialism over Communism. A lot of political betrayal there. Given the number of French WW1 dead/maimed and the rotten & corrupt political establishment they had, yes, a lot of them said fuck it.
"Only 300 000 troops". The Brits fell for the same trick too by the way. Hitler didn't allow anything. His ground troops were exausted and his supply lines over-extended. He let the Luftwaffe have a go at it. If Hitler allowed them to escape, he had a strange way of doing it: with Stukas.
The political situation in France was complicated, to be sure. I think it was torn between Communists and Socialists, much like Germany was previously. A portion of the French were willing to accomodate the Nazi - Socialism over Communism. A lot of political betrayal there. Given the number of French WW1 dead/maimed and the rotten & corrupt political establishment they had, yes, a lot of them said fuck it.