White Phosphorus Empire: Australia, Canada, the Irish Free State, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and South Africa Despite this legal independence, all Dominions except Ireland continued to closely coordinate economic and war policy with Britain, to the point of following the British into war in 1939 with mere gestures of independent decision making in the form of separate declarations of war True independence in foreign policy came after World War II, which served as a crucible to burn away the last sentimentalities about the old Imperial tie WESTWALL See Siegfriedstellung WEYGAND, MAXIME (1867–1965) French general He was an experienced General Staff officer, serving under Ferdinand Foch in the Great War He also led field armies in Poland during the Polish–Soviet War (1920) He served in varied General Staff and colonial posts, including in Algeria, in the interwar period He was recalled from retirement in 1939 and posted to the Levant He was called back to France to replace General Maurice Gamelin during the great crisis for the French Army occasioned by the German breakout across the Meuse during Operation FALL GELB (1940) He proposed a pincer attack into the exposed German armored column, but failed to carry it out with any success He reformed the remnants of the French Army along the “Weygand Line,” facing north while the British evacuated from Dunkirk That line, too, was shattered by the Wehrmacht, though only after fierce fighting Weygand called for an armistice and agreed to serve under Marshal Philippe Pétain after it was signed A traditional conservative and nationalist like the Marshal, Weygand drifted toward evermore fascist thinking during the German occupation He opposed Vichyite collaboration with the occupation of the sort championed by Pierre Laval, whom he loathed, even though he ardently supported the social “National Revolution” assayed by Vichy in domestic affairs Sent to Algeria as Vichy governor, he enforced severe anti-Semitic laws that were alien to Algeria’s long tradition of relative religious tolerance, but which found a welcome home among colons and other Vichyites He was dismissed in 1941 and arrested in 1942 He was held hostage in Germany until 1945 Upon returning to France Weygand was accused of treason and collaboration, but was exculpated in 1948 Suggested Reading: Barnett Singer, Maxime Weygand (2008) WEYGAND LINE An ad hoc defensive line thrown up by the French Army north of Paris during the final phase of the German invasion of France It was manned by 53 mainly infantry divisions See also Dunkirk evacuation; FALL GELB; Weygand, Maxime WHITE PHOSPHORUS “Willy Peter.” White phosphorous grenades, bombs, and tank and artillery shells were extensively used by the Western Allies during World War II Primarily a smoke screen-producing charge, battle experience taught that its intense temperature made it a highly effective incendiary and psychological 1183