The German occupation of France was armistice, and the territory was preserved?History is at a fork in the road, and it is uncertain
As we all know, during World War II, the German fascists carried out a devastating blow to European countries with their super combat effectiveness and blitzkrieg, and even razed France, known as the first army in Europe, to the ground. However, the Germans were eventually defeated on the battlefield by the Soviets. One might wonder if Germany would have been able to preserve its victory if it had stopped the war after destroying France
The situation in Germany at that time. At the end of the First World War, Germany not only completely lost its overseas colonies, but even some of the territory of the German Empire was ceded to other countries. Thus, the purpose of Germany's entry into World War II was to seize the territories and resources of other countries in order to pursue its strategy of global expansion. At that time, the occupation of France alone did not satisfy Germany's strategic needs, which was one of the reasons why Germany refused to sign an armistice at that time.
In terms of the external environment, when World War II broke out, Britain and France were allies of Germany, and both sides suffered heavy losses. If an armistice is declared after Germany attacks France, even if Britain gains a relatively stable environment for a short time, the European continent will be controlled by Germany, which will one day threaten the survival and development of Britain. At that time, the spread of fascism in Germany was already evident, and the policy of appeasement had completely failed. The new British Prime Minister will never give in to the German fascists. Therefore, even if Germany said an armistice, Britain did not have to do an armistice. Coupled with the influence of Soviet-German relations and German-American relations at that time, it was impossible for Germany to hold the occupied territories even if it unilaterally ceased the war.
Historically, the French Empire was impossible to conquer. Although Germany could occupy France alone with the support of the many resistance forces in France and the support of the Entente powers, France had many overseas colonies, and it was impossible for Germany to occupy a strong France on its own. Therefore, due to a number of factors, Germany decided not to conclude an armistice, but to keep the war machine running.
If Germany had ceased fighting after attacking France, would it still be able to hold on to the occupied zone?