The British Embassy in Paris and the Fall of France

In May-June 1940 the British Embassy in Paris faced a political, military and a humanitarian crisis. As the military situation deteriorated, the embassy was evacuated but continued to function, albeit on a smaller scale, from Tours and then Bordeaux. The embassy’s efforts to stiffen French morale became progressively difficult as the French leaders were divided and increasingly defeatist. The embassy, in a matter of weeks, moved from conducting relations with a free and friendly ally to having to deal with an increasingly hostile regime. As the French collapse approached, the embassy then faced a humanitarian crisis as it had to provide assistance to thousands of stranded British subjects and refugees. This paper will examine the embassy’s attempts to meet these challenges under increasingly difficult operating conditions and reflects on the impact of 1940 on Franco-British relations.