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Why did the Germans not defend Paris?

Paris was declared an open city German troops entered Paris on 14 June. French forces withdrew from the city the day before and it was declared an 'open city' - meaning it would not be defended - in order to prevent its destruction.



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Doctrine. French doctrine played a huge part in the defeat, since many of the issues in the French army were directly or indirectly due to doctrine. It was not tailored for fast-paced warfare, it did not encourage officers to improvise, and it made the French extremely slow.

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The city was largely spared due to its early surrender and the lesser strategic importance it was accorded by Allied commanders, but General Dietrich von Choltitz, the Nazi general in charge of Paris when it was retaken, also fostered his own explanation.

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As the command center of the French military and the French economy, Paris was a priority target for German espionage.

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In the beginning, resistance was limited to activities such as severing phone lines, vandalizing posters and slashing tyres on German vehicles. Another form of resistance was underground newspapers like Musée de l'Homme (Museum of Mankind) which circulated clandestinely.

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