Why was Britain in WWII?

Question

Was it because of an alliance with Poland? Why did Britain care so much about Poland? (Referring to how Churchill did not want Poland's borders to be the way Stalin wanted them but allowed Stalin to have his way with the borders of other East Central states' borders)

Britain and France attacked Germany after Germany attacked Poland but why? Was it some sort of collective security policy? I know Britain and Poland had a treaty...do you know the name of it? was it from WWI?

Answer 1

Britain under Churchill were very aware of Hitler's ambitions in expansion. Hitler had already illegally amassed his military (over the 100,000 quota that was placed on Germany as signed in the Treaty of Versailles), annexed the Sudentland, and incorporated Austria and Czechoslovakia into his empire. As a result, Poland, France, and Great Britain entered a pact to prevent further German action. Sept. 1st, 1939- Hitler invaded Poland. As a result of the attack on its ally, both France and Great Britain declared war on Germany.

Thus Britain was in WWII- one of the three decisive allied powers in the conflict

Answer 2

It was called the Polish-British Common Defence Pact. It was a formalized agreement between the Polish and British governments pledging each to come to the aid of the other in case they were attacked by a third party.

The agreement was reached and announced in response to Germany's takeover of Czechoslovakia; the British government hoped to end Germany's aggression and expansion.

Hitler invaded Poland because he wanted access to the Polish Corridor. This was a small strip of Poland that cut Germany into two parts--specifically, East Prussia was separated from the rest of Germany. The Polish Corridor surrounded the port city of Danzig (which was administered by the League of Nations). Poland had been created at the end of WWI; the Corridor gave it access to the ocean.

Although the treaty was in place, Britain and France did not go to the aid of Poland militarily. Polish troops were ordered to withdraw without fighting, so Britain was not obligated to go to their assistance. Britain and France declared war on Germany because Hitler's government did not respond to their insistence that German troops be withdrawn.

Answer 3

In my honest opinion it was INEVITABLE. Regardless had the UK NOT declared war on Germany after the invasion of Poland, England was still on Hitler's chopping block. He had Operation Sea Lion drawn up but it all relied upon air supremacy over England and that was was we now call today the Battle of Britain.

Overwhelming Luftwaffe forces nearly defeated the British but they held in there and pulled off an incredible comeback (much to do their advanced RADAR) hence with no air supremacy no operation Sea Lion and now Hitler turned to Russia for Barbarossa. He wanted one of two things to have happened before he attacked Russia, either an Alliance with England against Russia which failed years before already or total submission of England to Germany as all of Western Europe and much of Eastern Europe was at that time in 1940.

NOW HAD the Brits and French actually attacked during what is called the Phoney war they actually might have got the Germans off gaurd and stopped it all before it became huge.

Churchill often gave into Roosevelt as we know too and the USA at the time was appeasing the Russians thinking they could control them later and they were very wrong on that. Often Churchill has said he hates the Communists more than the Nazis before WWII started.

so I think England being involved in WWII was inevitable it was just a matter would she do it on her terms or Germany's?

ALSO had the Allies acted earlier when Hitler re occupied the Rhineland and Austria was annexed it was a policy within the German high command that if the allies attacked that they were to withdraw and not fight. This information was of course not known to the allies so his bluff worked well then allowing him to build up and use his blitzkrieg on the world.

Hope that helped.

Answer 4

The Second World War was started by Germany in an unprovoked attack on Poland. Britain and France declared war on Germany after Hitler had refused to abort his invasion of Poland.

Answer 5

As another stated WW2 was inevitable. Even if Britain and France hadn't done anything to help Poland that wouldn't have stopped Hitler. Its ironic that democracy didn't prevent this war as Britain and France tried to appease Hitler though talking didn't work.

PS It was Neville Chamberlain who was the PM of Britain in 1939 when Britain declared war on Germany, not Churchill.

Answer 6

In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland in cooperation with the Soviet Union, and war in Europe followed. The French and British did not declare war at first, hoping they could persuade Hitler through appeasement, but Hitler did not respond. The United Kingdom and France declared war. During the winter of 1939–1940 there was little overt indication of hostilities since neither side was willing to engage the other directly. This period was called the Phoney War.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_the_United_Kingdom_during_World_War_II

Answer 7

To keep the free world from falling into the "abyss of a new dark age".

Answer 8

Go to Britain WW11 in Wikepedia they have a lot of info there.