Crippling France Early Game As Italy?

[magnum2016]

Hello,

Since yesterday I have been trying to defeat France while playing as Italy early game as to ensure that the United Kingdom wont join the war in which will avoid World War 2 from occuring early.

I managed to just recently defeat France as Italy in the year 1939 with the help of Fascist Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Romania, Spain and Portugal however I beleive I was too late to declare war because the United Kingdom joined in mid-war (I did not have any of my allies in the war other than Spain until the UK joined) which struck off World War 2.

My goal is to defeat France early game and conquer some of its Southern holdings allowing Italy to become a comparable to Germany with the intention of then having 1-2 years of peace to build up a large military for when Germany kicks off World War 2.

Is it possible to defeat France mid-1938 when playing as Italy and if I conduct the war really early will France not join the allies because it causes the UK to get involved in the war.

[Deadofnight]

Maybe try and get some naval invasions behind there front line and cut of some of there troops of and then hopefully push far enough before the rest of there trroops can get to your front line.

[magnum2016]

I have discovered that it is near impossible to maintain air supremacy against France in the war however it is very possible to defeat France in land warfare. They will usually have 20 of so divisions on the border which are mountains making them very difficult to advance through.

I have discovered a well planned naval invasion of 10 divisions is capable of cutting their armies off from supplies allowing you to take out 20 or so French Divisions early game but after that it becomes a major meat grinder and within 4 months of the war France always joins the allies.

I believe that if France either forms the Little Entente or if I can manage to defeat France early game (1938) then I can manage to defeat them before the UK joins in.

[The Marcus]

I think that the naval invasion is the way to go for; start justifing as you end the invasion in ethipia so it's too early for them to join the allies, stuck an army of 24 division on the border of piedmont and use 10 division for the naval invasion on nizza but make sure to follow them with another 14 and rush with them to the french alps so that I maneged to cut off 50 french division, make sure that thay have no port too so that they can't escape or recover, than you have only to defend until they'll wore themself off then start attaking and you wil not find any resistance from there to Paris. Use the fleet in search and destroy on western mediterranean because usually the main french fleet is in the atlantic so you'll stop them befor they catch with the invason, as soon as you land send the fleet in repair to minimise lost

[andersrlarsen]

as mentioned above, naval invasions is the way to go. but instead of trying to battle their divisions, you should instead go directly for their victory points. having 5-10 motorized or armor divisions, 5-10 cavalary, and 10 inf/mountain divisions should get the job done.
finish the ethiopian war as fast as possible, and start justifying as soon as possible. and finish the war before japan declare war on china.