Final answer:
Paris fell to the Germans on June 14, 1940, following the Nazi offensive launched on June 9. A ceasefire was signed on June 22, leading to the occupation of Northern France by German forces and the establishment of the Vichy government in the South. The swift German blitzkrieg tactics and a failed French defense strategy culminated in this outcome.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Fall of Paris in World War II
The fall of Paris to the Germans in June 1940 was a result of a series of strategic movements by the German army after their offensive in Dunkirk. The French quickly found themselves in a dire situation as German forces pushed forward. Premier Raynaud resigned, and Field Marshal Petain took control of the government, signaling a defeatist turn in French resistance. German troops marched into Paris on June 14, 1940, and a ceasefire was signed on June 22, formalizing France's surrender in the same railway car where Germany had signed the armistice ending World War I. This surrender gave rise to the occupation of Northern France by German forces and the establishment of the Vichy government in the South, while a Free French government was formed in London by Charles de Gaulle.
Mussolini's Italy declared its intent to aid Germany and initiated an invasion of France from the south. Marshal Henri Petain, a French World War I hero, saw the situation as hopeless and urged the acceptance of Hitler's terms. The subsequent agreement on June 22 included stringent conditions favoring the Axis powers. Hitler's strategic use of blitzkrieg and avoidance of fortified French defenses along the German border led to a rapid and decisive German victory.