Final answer:
Before capturing Paris in World War II, the Germans moved through the Netherlands and Belgium to avoid well-prepared French defenses, using a strategy to quickly strike at the French capital. The exact city targeted directly before Paris is not specified, but the reference to the German advance through Belgium indicates an overland route used to ultimately capture Paris.
Step-by-step explanation:
German Advance Before Capturing Paris
The city the Germans wanted to capture before Paris during World War II was not directly mentioned, but it is known that the Germans moved through Belgium to circumvent French defenses. In World War I, before the fall of Paris, the Germans asked Belgium for permission to cross its borders to reach France. Belgium declined, leading to the Germans invading Belgium as part of their plan to then advance to Paris. The German military strategy during both world wars involved bypassing strong defenses to quickly strike the opponent's capital. However, during World War II, the German offensive on Paris began shortly after the evacuation at Dunkirk, following their rapid conquest of the Netherlands and Belgium.
In World War II, the swift and devastating German blitzkrieg through Western Europe included the strategy of moving westward, then sweeping south towards Paris. The French army suffered crippling losses and was unable to defend the capital effectively. Ultimately, Paris fell to the Germans on June 14, 1941, marking a significant victory for the Axis powers.