# Did the allies in WW2 ever consider an invasion at the French Mediterranean coast? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2019, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845 "2019-05-31T19:20:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/21 "2019-06-01T20:25:03Z")
Well, he opposed the South of France landings in '44, the name was chosen because he claimed to have been “dragooned” into it. And he did go it alone in Greece in late ‘44, when nearly a 100,000 British troops were sent. Marshall opposed sending any troops (a fact in the late 40’ as a cabinet secretary, he regretted), and for one of the few times post '42, the western allies saw a party act unilaterally. ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/22 "2019-06-01T20:54:57Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Well, he opposed the South of France landings in '44, the name was chosen because he claimed to have been “dragooned” into it. Though his main argument by that stage appears not to be defeating Germany, but forestalling Russia. In particular, he was worried that diverting the resources necessary for the landings from Italy would impede a thrust into the Balkans that would alter the postwar balance there. > [@](#): > > And he did go it alone in Greece in late ‘44, when nearly a 100,000 British troops were sent. Marshall opposed sending any troops (a fact in the late 40’ as a cabinet secretary, he regretted), and for one of the few times post '42, the western allies saw a party act unilaterally. Nitpick accepted 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/23 "2019-06-02T00:55:43Z")
I have seen some authors suggest that this unilateral decision by Churchill kept Greece out of the Soviet bloc. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/24 "2019-06-02T06:35:51Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I have seen some authors suggest that this unilateral decision by Churchill kept Greece out of the Soviet bloc. Including the aforesaid General Marshall. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/25 "2019-06-02T07:02:35Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > Many of the French soldiers in Dragoon were from the French colonies of Algeria and Morocco > > [1st Army (France) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Army_(France)#1944%E2%80%931945) > > A French film, Days of Glory, about these soldiers and they challenges they faced is well worth watching. My brother-in-law’s grandfather fought there as part of an Algerian Chasseurs regiment. He was career military, and ten years later ended up fighting in the battle of Bien Dien Phu. He passed away about four years ago. A truly fascinating life. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/26 "2019-06-02T08:37:59Z")
Wish I’d met him. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/27 "2019-06-03T13:01:41Z")
Another odd result of Dragoon is that the German brass realized they were in danger of having their troops in W. France cut off so they asked Hitler for permission to pull out (except for some ports and islands) and Hitler agreed! And it was after the July 20th coup attempt as well when trusting the brass wasn’t his thing. Hitler agreeing to withdraw from such a large area, esp. at this stage, was against his normal fight-for-every-foot mindset. Greece and adj. Balkans was another but giving up most of France was a much more prestigious gain for the Allies. And Hitler cared about image right down to the end. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/28 "2019-06-03T13:59:16Z")
I always figured Dragoon served one main purpose- they threatened German troops in W. France, and made them pull out, thereby eliminating a large liability on the Allies’ southern flank as they drove north of the Massif Central. Plus, like everything else at this stage of the war, it was one more way that the Allies could engage the Germans and cause them irreplaceable losses in men, fuel and munitions. The Allies had the manpower to do so, so they did. Dragoon wasn’t spectacularly successful, mostly because the German forces in the West were relatively feeble when compared to the forces on the Eastern Front, and once the Allies cracked the hedgerows in Normandy and smashed the Germans in the Falaise Pocket, the Allies pursued and harried the retreating Germans until they outran their supply lines toward the end of August. The Allies really didn’t get moving again until early 1945 after the Battle of the Bulge, at which point the Germans were effectively spent, and the Allies could advance on a broad front across Germany, with the supply line problems solved, enabling continuous advance. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/29 "2019-06-03T16:44:52Z")
I thought the Germans left the French alone in Southern France after the surrender. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/30 "2019-06-03T17:02:26Z")
Apparently not so much; there were scattered German units all through there by the summer of 1944. Another reason for Dragoon was to get Marseille and Toulon in business as logistical ports. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/31 "2019-06-03T17:28:59Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > 442nd Lt and MOH winner, the late [Senator Daniel Inouye](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Inouye) of Hawaii is a hero for all time. You don’t win the Medal of Honor, you receive it. It’s not a contest. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/32 "2019-06-03T17:30:44Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I thought the Germans left the French alone in Southern France after the surrender. That only last two years. In 1942, German and Italian troops moved into the “zone libre” to prepare for a possible Allies invasion after Operation Torch. ---
**Author:** ![AHarris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@AHarris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHarris)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/33 "2019-06-03T17:31:07Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I thought the Germans left the French alone in Southern France after the surrender. The German and Italian Armies occupied Southern France in November 1942 in response to Operation Torch (the Allied invasion of French North Africa). Link: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case\_Anton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_Anton) ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/34 "2019-06-03T17:42:07Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > You don’t win the Medal of Honor, you receive it. It’s not a contest. Winner, awardee, or recipient. A hero by any measure. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845/35 "2019-06-03T19:15:28Z")
> [@AHarris](#): > > The German and Italian Armies occupied Southern France in November 1942 in response to Operation Torch (the Allied invasion of French North Africa). > > Link: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case\_Anton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_Anton) Oh, yes. Thanks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-allies-in-ww2-ever-consider-an-invasion-at-the-french-mediterranean-coast/834845.md?page=1)