“THE SPIES OF WARSAW” (2008) is an historically-accurate novel written by Alan Furst.
From the chapter “A shadow of war”:
(p. 225) “Even better,” Dr. Lapp said. “A General Staff is always a field of divergent opinions – ours is no different – but among these officers there are always two or three who have an intuitive understanding of what the future might hold.”
“One wouldn’t have to be all that intuitive to understand Herr Hitler’s intentions.”
“You would think so, wouldn’t you, but you’d be wrong. Do you know the Latin proverb Mundus vult decipi, ergo decepiatur? Herr Hitler’s favorite saying: The world wants to be deceived, therefore let it be deceived. And he isn’t wrong. Newspapers on the continent explain every day why there won’t be war. And I assure you there will be, unless the right people determine to stop it.”
(p. 265) “I found a way to acquire important information. They, the officers of the General Staff, have chosen not to believe it.” (that the Nazis would attack through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium).
(p. 266 – last page) “Then she raised her glass. “Anyhow, salut, and vive la France,” she said. “It’s the good side, and I do mean the three of us, who will win in the end.”
They didn’t.
Twenty-four months later, with Guderian in command, a massive German tank attack through the Ardennes Forest breached the French defenses, and – on 22 June, 1940 – France capitulated. The former Colonel Charles de Gaulle, by then promoted to general, left France and led the resistance from London. …
And on 25 June, 1940, Marshal Philippe Pétain accepted the leadership of the Vichy government.”