Les états-majors généraux français et la Pologne en 1938–1939
The French general staffs and Poland, 1938–1939

Summary/Abstract: The weakness and uselessness of the French offensive in Saarland to assist Poland is a sensitive point in the history of the French-Polish relations. This offensive has long been analysed as a demonstration of tactical and operational misconceptions of the French high command in the 1930s. We propose here a new analysis of this offensive on the basis of a study of the relationships between the French general staff s and Poland in the years 1938–1939 and their consequences in strategic conceptions. This study focuses on the role the rapid developments of the strategic balance of power and the diplomatic situation in Europe played during the eighteen months preceding the Second World War. As a result, it is possible to understand the decisive role of the disappearance of the Czechoslovak military factor and the reappraisal of the Soviet military factor in the evolution of the role of Poland in the future conflict as assigned by the French general staff s, and especially by general Gamelin, Chief of Staff for the National Defence.

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