Vichy

[Szilard]

One of the things which bugs me about most strategic Europe games is the way Vichy happens automatically upon French surrender. I think I saw a comment from Joel somewhere that this was going to happen in the new game also.

There was no absolutely compelling reason for the Germans to offer such an easy armistice to the French - Guderian & others saw it as a big mistake, for example.

Presumably Hitler's motives included desire to get a quick victory, avoid the possibility of having to go to North Africa to inflict a final defeat, keep the French fleet out of the hands of Britain etc. But if he had had a southern strategy of cleaning up the Med after France then he probably wouldn't have done it, and I'd hope that the new game had enough flexibility to cater for such a stratgy in a plausible way.

[Cheesehead]

Good point. Some games simply allow the Germans to attack Vichy France, treating it the same as a minor country. I would hope WaW would also provide this option. Of course attacking Vichy immediately sends the remaining French forces in N. Africa and Syria into the Allied camp.

[bmodified]

Having Vichy France be a German dictated option, along with the option to attack it, are both fine ideas.

[Greyshaft]

There were some good reasons for Germany to declare Vichy:

* possibility of Vichy becoming a minor Ally of the conquering power... remember that's exactly what Italy did in 1943 when it "joined" the Allies. Think of that lovely French Fleet all ready to join the Kreigsmarine against the allies
* IIRC Germany levied 400 million reparations on France
* the political capital of showing that there was life after defeat.