Q&A ยท 1:50:25-1:50:57

Could France sustain a national redoubt?

A narrow Breton redoubt is rejected, while France as a whole retained reserves, supplies, and access to British reinforcement.

Question

Was the idea of a French national redoubt impossible?

Short answer

A Breton redoubt was unrealistic, but continued resistance across the remaining French territory could have lasted because France still had reserves, supplies, and British reinforcement.

Notes

A defensible pocket confined to Brittany is dismissed as an impractical version of the idea. France as a whole, however, retained supplies, reserves, territory, and functioning ports through which British and imperial troops could arrive. Continued war would be destructive and costly for France. It would be worse for a German army already operating at the end of an overstretched logistical system.