Let’s take a look at our new French government, which looks a lot like the old French government. You have a government dominated by left of center types (typical European social democrats) with a sprinkling of socialists (just a shade right of the communists, who have been repressed). There is no participation from the right-of-center parties.
The French far left gets it’s marching orders from Moscow. Because of the Non-Aggression Pact, those orders no longer include strong support of the war. In fact, they undermine the war effort. The far right has been sympathetic to National Socialism, and thus aren’t inclined to support the war effort either. The center-left government hasn’t looked like they really support an aggressive prosecution of the war, probably because they are naturally squishy compromisers to begin with. And the military is run by a bunch of overage cowards. The Senate is making noise about wanting more vigorous prosecution of the war, but it looks a lot like posturing. I suspect they want the phoney war over with, but without the bloodshed of 1914-1918. All French politicians suspect that long casualty lists is political poison in the next election.
On the outside, France has the facade of a powerful military machine. Those willing to look below the surface would suspect that it’s a hollow shell.
They really were a paper tiger. When the Germans begin their assault they will be coming up against a French force with more troops, more tanks, and better tanks than the German bring to bear. Yet the French command structure and tactics are so out dated that they can do little more than fold to the on coming Germans. I’ll go into more detail on some of these inadequacies here in a couple of months.