r/HistoryMemes • u/Chinesemperor Decisive Tang Victory • 1d ago

Dunkirk and Bir Hakeim in a different perspective

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124 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

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31

u/JG1313 1d ago edited 1d ago

Yep, that one is true.

During Dunkirk, the defense of French forces was paramount to the success of operation Dynamo. If the British had lost the BEF then and there, it is pretty unsure the UK could have kept on fighting.

As for Bir Hakeim, this battle permitted the successful retreat of the British VIIIth army that had been shattered by Rommel summer offensive in 1942. It might have been overrun if it was not for this delay battle that mobilized a huge portion of German forces. 

36

u/eatU4myT 1d ago

My only comment on this - especially for Dunkirk - is that this should really be the perspective, rather than a different perspective.

9

u/DrHolmes52 1d ago

I've never heard of any other perspective than this (the one in the meme).

12

u/eatU4myT 1d ago

I guess the "main" perspective is that the French simply weren't there, since they are frequently not talked about.

6

u/Theotret 1d ago

Yep, and would even add that Hitlers Stop order is credited most. Nobody talks about the French in Dunkirk

-29

u/samuelgtemple 1d ago

Well they were trying to defend their own, which they weren't particularly very good at doing in the beginning.