Question for Brits: Why didn't Brittan come to Polands assistance against the Nazis in accordance with their

Question

Anglo - Polish Mutual Assistance Pact of March 31, l939?

ROFLMAO declaring war certainly did not help the Pollish people who got slaughtered by the German Blizkreig did it?

Or the Bombing destruction of Warsaw on 9/1/1939?

Brits were all talk and no action!

Answer 1

NOT a Brit but heck - - - - How do you want to define assistance? Politicians can question what the word 'is' is ad infinitum. Since Britain has no border with Poland it was easy to say, 'nut'tin we can do.' But Britain did declare War Against Germany, and Britain did blockade German Ports and world wide closed ports to German Ships. And Britain took in refugees without a lot of red tape and funneled Polish soldiers & sailors into semi-independent commands.

If anyone deserves blame it would be France. France also signed treaties with Poland. France shares a border with Germany. Even the French might have hurt Germany if they had attacked by no later than the end of September 1939. And if France had launched an attack, then Britain would have joined in. Again Britain had an excuse, it was France's fault.

A final note - - - among nations Poland's ruling parties were odious to Britain and France. There was a diplomatic chill that scarcely thawed with the erruption of war.

Peace......

Answer 2

A) The did. They declared war.

B) Look at a map. Where is Poland? Where is Germany? Where is England? How far apart are they?

You will notice that Poland is a long way from England, and that Germany is between Poland and England. How would you propose the English "come to Poland's assistance"? Magically teleport their troops to Warsaw?

Even if they could get Professor Dumbledore to magically send the BEF past the German Navy and the German Air Force, how would they supply them? How would they get food, ammo, medicine, and more troops to them? How would they get their wounded out?

This was tried (accidentally) in Operation Market Garden, when the British First Parachute Division was cut off behind German lines... only a few miles behind German lines, not several thousand miles... and they got cut to pieces.

The Royal Navy could take the German navy apart, on the high seas; but in the restricted waters of the Baltic, under the cover of German Land Baised Aircraft, they would have been slaughtered. The RAF would not have had the range to cover them. You would have had a handful of outmoded Gloster Gladiators off of the carriers up against every Me-109 and Fw-190 in the Luftwaffe. They would have been slaughtered. The entire German U-boat fleet would have been lined up waiting for the fleet to sail past...and the Blucher and the rest of the German surface fleet ready to engage the survivors... Can you really see any troopships surviving that? The Royal Navy would have been sunk for no reason.

During the Warsaw Rising in 1944 a special B-24 unit was able to drop some supplies to the rebels in Warsaw, but these planes didn't exist in 1939... they were specially modified B-24s and I think they were operating from bases in Italy.

So the reason is geography. Pure and simple. Geograghy.

Answer 3

Most of what I would wish to say has already been adequately said in previous answers. I would add these comments only. Britain issued an ultimatum to Germany to get out of Poland. For full details of Germany's response see:- http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/policy/1939/390901b.html.
There is also a BBC page at:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/countdown_390903_sun_01.shtml
which has some audio clips, including the speech made by the then Prime Minister.

You must also remember that technology was much less advanced 70 years ago. Aircraft did not have the range to fly, say an expeditionary force, into Poland from the UK. Their carrying capacity was also far less than today's military transports and it would not have been possible to transport troops (and matériel) in sufficient numbers. No Hercules transports in those days!

Answer 4

Well Britian along with France declared war on Nazi Germany when Poland was invaded,an the invasion of Poland is why they declared war ,so what exactly do you mean by "come to Polands assistance"?

Answer 5

We declared war on Germany, so did France.