What's the truth behind the UK/France declaration of War on Germany in 1939?

Question

In September 1939 Germany invaded Poland resulting in a declaration of war from Britain and France. Two weeks later Russia invaded Poland - no response from GB and France. Was this simple cowardice or was there more to it?

I take it from the absence of an informed answer or by in large pertinent answer - no one knows. I suggest a few points - France didn't surrender during WWI; what happened after (lets say) 31 Dec. 1939 doesn't matter. If there was a non aggression pact between the USSR, UK and US in 1939 - I've never heard of it. It occurs to me we don't actually know why different treatment was dished out to Germany and the USSR. In Poland, Germany and the USSR were allies. Explore this - if France and the UK hadn't declared war on Germany - and Germany had only followed up on the Poland campaign with an attack on Russia - what a different 20th century we would have experienced. I speculate - as this is all we can do - France and England believed they could resist Germany - however as the phoney war evidences - by inactivity or defensive posture. When the USSR invaded - I believe it was fear that directed the actions of the two allies.

Answer 1

After all this time, does it REALLY matter who did what to whom or not? Let sleeping dogs...etc etc ! ! !

Answer 2

Britains Neville Chamberlain had met with his German counter-part and the Germans had vowed there would be no war. In the meantime, the German armed forces were already set to attack and they went into Poland on lies and untrue reasoning from Hitler. Germany had owned part of Denmark and wanted it back. Chamberlain would always be disgraced for waiting too long to declare war. He believed the Germans had told him the truth. Note - the Russians were allies of Britain. Germany made a big mistake attacking Russia in the middle of winter. Of course, Germany had no chance whatever of conquering Europe, particularly when the might of the U.S.A. entered the war. The entire British Empire joined Britain in 1939 and fought for two years before the States were persuaded by Churchill to join the battle in 1941. France declared war but they did nothing of any consequence as Germany walked all over them.

Answer 3

Germany invaded Poland and the "declaration of War" was nothing more than politics. Denmark and Norway were captured without - again - really War.

War really got its breakthrough when Germany invaded France and had not resistance.

Of course, early war happened when Italy (1932) invaded Ethiopia in Africa with moral support from Germany and not even one European country said or did something against the invasion.

If earlier version on UN - League of Nations had done something, probably things would happen differently. Same effect like North Korea, Iraq and Iran within UN context.

The main problem is always related to money, politics and doubt. How can all countries believe that Germany would be able to reborn from ashes. In less than 20 years, they rise from absolute poverty into one of the strongest nations in the world. No one could be able to believe on it. Adding the fact that everybody believed that no country would try to face all fear, pain and tragedy brought by WWI.

Answer 4

Britain was entirely aware of the Von Ribbentrop/Molotov pact which was drawn up to facilitate German expansionism to the East but ensured that in return for a non aggressive stance by Russia against Germany, Russian interests would also be served in the division of Eastern European states. There was no declaration of war from Britain or France against Russia as the hope was that Russia would not enter any war on a western German front. The main thrust of the UK/French declaration of war was to oppose the main perceived threat of German aggression - this had been carrying on for several years before the 1939 outbreak, and the german invasion of Poland was seen as a final straw to the efforts to conciliate Hitler via diplomacy. However, to have declared war against Russia too would have drawn Russia into the hostilities on the German side - and that would have been a war the UK and France would quite simply not have won. You should also be aware that there was very little in the way of actual military engagement until the Germans invaded Denmark, Norway, France and the Low Countries during 1940. Cowardice does not enter into the equation and is an absurdly provocative suggestion. Of course in the end one of the main reasons for Germany's failure in WW2 was their decision in 1941 to ignore the non aggression pact and invade the Soviet Union, ignoring the lessons of the Napoleonic Wars and ensuring a similar fate to the French in the early part of the 19th century.
ADD: Sean, I take great exception to you considering this a non-pertinent or uninformed answer, mainly because it is based in historical fact and is the result of extensive degree level study. There is a VAST difference between cowardice and pragmatism, unless of course you are too stupid to be able to distinguish between the concepts.... your suggestion to explore the possibility of Germany not engaging France/ Britain and simply attacking Russia is an inane suggestion there was never any chance that that situation would transpire - Germany was always going to try to occupy France as a result of their ceding land post 1918, and the attack on Russia was one of the most ill advised in military history and inspired mainly due to German over confidence as a result of the ease in which they had occupied France. leaving France alone and attacking Russia would NEVER have been a German plan. Ever.

Answer 5

I think "simple cowardice" is a bit harsh - "simple prudency" may be a better description, although it is true that many Poles felt betrayed by Britain's failure to honour the Anglo-Polish agreement.

If you look at how the Allies fared against just the Germans in the early stages of the war, it is clear why they did not declare war on the Soviets as well. There is no way they would have wanted to take them on as well as the Germans.

Had the Allies declared war on the Soviets at the same time as Germany, the outcome of the war could have been completely different and probably a lot shorter.

Answer 6

Britain and America had a non-agression agreement with Russia. Britain also had an agreement to protect Poland from attack. France was not involved with any declaration of war nor was France at any meeting to discuss the war between the three allies - Britain USA and Russia. None of the three trusted France, who had surrendered to the Germans in World War 1 very quickly and, as it happened, surrended to the Germans very quickly in World War 2.

However, the actual reason for WW2 is Germany's wish for greater power and land, some of this land belonging to Germany prior to WW1 and lost or taken from them after WW1. Now in 1939, Germany wanted it all back, and some.

Answer 7

Not much that either UK or France could do to save Poland from the joint attack carried out from the East by the Russians and from the West by the Germans.

The world then was not as the world is today.

UKs best bomber range in c1939 would probably have been to Berlin and back, just about. No chance of doing anything to help Poland.

Even the final outcome of WW2 was of no real benefit to the Poles, who's country was swamped by Russia and Communism until quite recently.

Answer 8

If i remember my history right,

Germany and Russia were allies at the beggining of the war.

The plan was to invade poland from both sides, and keep a peace. Germany would not interfere in eastern Europe or russia, and russia would stay out of the war.

Britian and france saw only germany as a threat.

That peace ended when germany invaded the ukraine.

Answer 9

The UK and France wanted to declare war to wake Germany up, and perhaps frighten it into submission. Instead Germany spun around and whopped France's behind and had the UK on the ropes. The soviet invasion of Poland was another,"an enemy of an enemy is a friend to me." situation. Two weeks or two mos., it's the same.

Answer 10

England and France had an contract with Poland that they might come to her protection could ANY u . s . invade. Germany did - France and England lived as much as their good purchase. there have been, and are, such agreements in all places, i.e. NATO. Germany the lesser of two evils??? PLEASE.... They all started the entire rattling element. And that b*stard Hitler sent little boys out into the streets with wood rifles to "shelter" Berlin. The German government, protection rigidity gadget and Hitler are to blame for the undesirable civilian terror suffered by using the Germans. a minimum of we (the Allies) spent the 1st 3/4 of the conflict concentrated on commercial web pages in simple terms. The Germans blitzed London on purpose earlier we even entered the conflict. Their purpose replaced into to terrify the civilians. did not artwork, did it? German aggression replaced into the clarification there replaced right into a conflict. what proportion tens of millions, generally civilians, died as a resullt? What are they coaching you over there?

Answer 11

Russia was an ally. Why did the UK ignore the invasion of Czechoslovakia? They weren't ready? See Chamberline's declaration on his return from Munich: 'Peace in our time.'
Oldgit, I don't think it does matter after all this time. But try speaking German in the UK. My daughters were educated in Switzerland. At UNI in England they palled up with a USA citizen who had been educated in Germany. One night in a pub they were verbally assaulted by a young Brit who asked them 'Who won the war?' My eldest daughter answered, 'Our grandfathers.' 'How do you mean that?'
'Well, were both British and she's American.'
'So why are you speaking German?' 'It's not forbidden, is it?'