July (1939).

This is coolbert:

Courtesy You Tube for the video [original British Pathé] and the tip from Freeper.

July 14 1939. ONLY A MONTH AND A HALF TO GO! WORLD WAR TWO!

An impressive display of military pageantry through the streets of Paris. Most powerful and best army in the world on display. Inconceivable such a force could be beaten.

LITTLE WAS ANYONE TO KNOW THAT LESS THAN A YEAR LATER THAT ARMY GONE EXCEPT FOR THOSE CONTINGENTS FREE FRENCH EXTERIOR.

British and French contingents, land, air, naval, marine, colonial. Standing tall and proud. It does seem from appearance sake alone as if that force was invincible. But found out to be otherwise. Could anyone in the crowd of bystanders ever thought the defeat of such a mighty military force was possible? And defeat by the German invader occurring so quickly and relatively easy as it did?

Indeed, that sad episode of the French army collapse in 1940 has never been fully explained? I am not sure.

coolbert.