Saar Offensive

E9956

The Saar Offensive was a brief and largely ineffective French ground attack into western Germany in September 1939, launched shortly after the outbreak of World War II.


Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf World War II battle
military offensive
alsoKnownAs French Saar offensive of 1939
belligerent France
Nazi Germany
campaign early Western campaign of 1939
casualtiesAndLosses relatively low compared to later Western Front battles
characteristic brief
largely ineffective
limited engagement
offensive halted without major battle
commander Alphonse Joseph Georges
Johannes Blaskowitz
Maurice Gamelin
conflict World War II
countryInvolved German Reich
Third French Republic
dateNote launched shortly after 1 September 1939
endDate 1939-09-16
followedBy Phoney War
frontLineFeature Maginot Line
Siegfried Line
historicalPeriod September 1939
initiatedBy French High Command
location Saar region
near French–German border
western Germany
militaryForceUsed French First Army Group
German 1st Army
objective probe German defenses in the Saar region
relieve pressure on Poland
opposedBy German High Command
partOf Western Front of World War II
politicalContext French treaty obligations to Poland
precededBy German invasion of Poland
reasonForTermination French decision to withdraw behind fortifications
fall of Poland made objectives obsolete
result French withdrawal to the Maginot Line
German tactical success
limited French advance
return to pre-war positions by French forces
startDate 1939-09-07
strategicAssessment demonstrated Allied reluctance for large-scale ground operations in 1939
failed to significantly aid Poland
theater European theatre of World War II
typeOfOperation ground attack

Referenced by (4)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Drôle de guerre
Phoney War
notableEvent
Saar Offensive ("French Saar offensive of 1939")
alsoKnownAs
German 1st Army
engagement

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