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Ardennes Forest, a magical place. In history, the Allies stumbled here twice, always thinking the Germans wouldn't launch an attack here, only to be caught off guard. Of course, it's not just the fault of the Allied headquarters; the Ardennes Forest is indeed not a suitable place for an offensive.
Ardennes region has a low elevation, with the highest peak only a few hundred meters, but it is densely forested and has many swamps.
Tanks from the 1930s are quite different from those of today. Their engines had limited horsepower, so even a light tank weighing over ten tons could easily experience gearbox overheating and damage when climbing steep slopes with a heavy load.
A single breakdown could cause a traffic jam of over ten kilometers, and the fuel consumption would be enormous even if there were no mechanical issues.
Armored troops When launching an attack, a supply convoy needs to follow behind to provide support. Tanks can pass through, but it's even more uncertain for supply trucks or horse-drawn carts (during the Barbarossa period, a large number of Germany supplies were transported using horse-drawn carts), especially when carrying four-wheeled trucks weighing over ten tons, traveling on unpaved mountain roads. This kind of bumpy way of supplying support cannot form an effective blitzkrieg.
Even a full infantry unit carrying dozens of kilograms of equipment would find it extremely difficult to traverse the above area on foot. Even if they managed to pass through, their helmets might be askew, their armor askance, and their morale depleted, making it difficult to form a powerful assault no matter how many troops there are.
Consider this: if the General Staff only has one elite rapid armored troop, with a rugged mountain road on the left that may lead to a dead end and a gently sloping open area defended by enemies on the right, the latter option is usually chosen.
Based on these considerations, it is quite normal for France to judge that Germany will reenact The Griffin Plan.
Additionally, the French people have limited knowledge of the terrain outside their own borders, and they have fewer strategies to respond to it. They can conduct detailed surveys of their own territory, and by placing hundreds of landmines in critical areas and setting up two outposts with telephones, they could create significant uncertainties for the enemy. Therefore, it is understandable that during World War II, the French did not anticipate that the German army would launch an attack from this location.
However, after the roles of both sides were reversed, the Ardennes Forest came into the view of the French people. This was not because they believed they could advance through a large number of armored troops, but because attacking Germany from the southern Franco-German border also required crossing vast mountains and hills, which negated the disadvantages of the Ardennes Forest. Since it was all mountainous terrain, it did not matter from which direction they attacked; the only difference was which side had weaker defenses.
France
Meuse River
The First Infantry Division of France is passing through here, and the soldiers are crossing the river on the bridge.
Their orders were to march from their base in Reims all the way to the Ardennes Forest, and then push directly into German territory.
"At this marching speed, we should arrive at our destination in about three days," said an officer, putting down his binoculars and speaking to his adjutant.
The man in question is Charles de Gaulle, who has just been promoted to the rank of colonel as the commander of The First Infantry Division. The reason he was able to be promoted twice within a year is mainly because after President DuMiro announced a special military operation against Germany, Charles de Gaulle took leave and returned to Paris. He personally discussed the direction of the French Army's attack with his mentor, Marshal Pétain, and ultimately convinced him.
Then, at a meeting within the French Army headquarters, Charles de Gaulle attended as a special representative and made a proposal. He requested that the French Army launch an attack from two directions. Charles de Gaulle's reasoning was very simple: given that France did not have military access through Netherlands and Belgium, the French Army could not launch an attack on Germany from within Belgium or Netherlands.
So the only remaining area where France and Germany are adjacent is the southern part of the Vosges Mountain. However, an attack in this area is expected by the other side. If the French Army attacks here, it will undoubtedly face strong resistance from the German army. In addition, Germany has already built The Hindenburg Line here, and according to French intelligence, Germany has recently sent people to repair the line again. If there is a strong attack, there will definitely be huge casualties.
Bedan also agreed with this point. According to the estimate of the Supreme Military Committee, if the French Army launches an attack from the south, even if the National Defense Forces on the opposite side do not have heavy weapons, tens of thousands of casualties will be incurred through this route. This is unacceptable for France because the morale of the French Army is not strong enough to withstand huge casualties, and President Dumero cannot afford the cost of a war with tens of thousands of casualties.
So it is necessary to open up another attack direction, and Charles de Gaulle's plan seems to be a good choice. Departing from Reims, crossing the Meuse River, and then crossing the Ardennes Forest to launch an attack from Trier City into Germany. Because no matter which direction the attack comes from, Armored troops cannot be deployed, at least that's what the French people think, so launching an attack from an unexpected place is naturally the best choice.
The only problem is that the Ardennes Forest is not part of France's territory, and deploying troops through there would cause an international dispute. However, Charles de Gaulle also proposed a solution. He believed that the French Army could pass through the Ardennes Forest from the borders of Belgium and Luxembourg, as the forest is divided by Belgium and Luxembourg. Passing through from just one side's territory would cause a dispute.
Since that's the case, let's pass through the border between Luxembourg and Belgium, so that no one can keep a close eye on us. Afterwards, France can go and appease both Belgium and Luxembourg, and as long as their interests are secured, there shouldn't be any major issues.
In theory, Charles de Gaulle's plan seems very perfect, after all, launching an attack from the Ardennes Forest would definitely not encounter any intense resistance, because Germany would never anticipate the French Army taking an unconventional route.
However, some people also questioned whether the Ardennes Forest could accommodate a large number of troops. Moreover, given the local road conditions, it would take too long to travel on foot. It's hard to say how much of an impact a small-scale attack on Germany could have. Nevertheless, Marshal Pétain came out in support of his disciple's idea. His reasoning was also very simple: since the Ardennes Forest cannot accommodate a large number of troops, he suggested sending a light infantry force from there to launch a surprise attack.
The main force of the French Army is planned to launch an attack from the Vosges Mountain. If a breakthrough is achieved on the battlefield, the infantry can advance straight to Berlin. If not, the special forces can launch a deadly strike from behind.
The German Armed Forces will definitely not be able to withstand attacks from both sides, and invading Germany will be a sure thing. Since it doesn't require a large amount of resources, the plan to launch an attack from the Ardennes Forest was ultimately approved. As the drafter of this plan, Charles de Gaulle was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief for the attack in the Ardennes direction.
He was assigned to the First Infantry Division, which may sound like a small number of people, but fortunately, this division has been reinforced. All kinds of equipment and weapons are fully equipped, except for the lack of armored vehicles, as they don't need them. Their forces have also received additional reinforcements.
Said to be a teacher, in fact, it is not much different from a military force, which is also thanks to the support of Marshal Pétain.
In order to maintain secrecy, Charles de Gaulle's appointment this time was conducted in secret, and the deployment of The First Infantry Division of France was also carried out in secret.
Originally, the 11th Division where Charles de Gaulle was located did not know where their commander had gone. It was only known that someone had arranged a leave for Charles de Gaulle, so Pelinka also did not know this news.
As for the other spies within France, no one has been able to rise to the position of the highest military council within a year, so Germany is completely unaware of the actions in the Ardennes direction. The National Defense Forces have mobilized about ten divisions to defend the southern border, with five divisions serving as reserves. Under Strasser's command, the National Defense Forces have deployed all units to the front lines except for the First Infantry Division, which is stationed in Berlin. Regarding the Ardennes direction, there are no defending troops at all, or rather, Germany has no forces stationed in the north.
They believe France cannot possibly attack through Belgium, and their intelligence agencies have confirmed this. French people have moved most of their troops to the south, seemingly preparing to tear down The Hindenburg Line. In any case, the war will not pause and start over just because one side makes a wrong judgment.
On February 24, 1928, President Du Meiluo announced the special military action against Germany by the French Army, citing "demilitarization" and "de-communization" as reasons.
On the same day, the French army officially launched an attack on the southern border of Franco-German, and the local German military immediately counterattacked, known as the "Franco-Prussian War."
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