ARMORED DIVISION
{Gale 1970} (above)
The French Army built two armored divisions after Germany took over Poland, Denmark, and Norway.
De Gaulle was put in charge of the Fifth Army. De Gaulle thought of this as a “...chance to render
France some notable service…”. His men had no experience with tanks, at first they were hardly a division.
He was so focused on France that he did not stop to visit his dying mother when his division was passing her
house, France came first. In May 1940, the Nazi tanks broke through the French defenses. The French
armored divisions were sent to combat the Germans. De Gaulle was the only division to delay the German
advance (Banfield 33).
De Gaulle was put in charge of the Fifth Army. De Gaulle thought of this as a “...chance to render
France some notable service…”. His men had no experience with tanks, at first they were hardly a division.
He was so focused on France that he did not stop to visit his dying mother when his division was passing her
house, France came first. In May 1940, the Nazi tanks broke through the French defenses. The French
armored divisions were sent to combat the Germans. De Gaulle was the only division to delay the German
advance (Banfield 33).