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Britain entered WW2 on 1 September 1939. It was at sea with soon after in the air. Immediately the Royal Navy blockade of Germany was implemented.
I hope you left this unstable Polish lady.
Britain and France declared war on September 1 1939. As you wrote - the Royal Navy did have a blockade of Germany. However . . .
Quote:
Phony War, (1939–40) a name for the early months of World War II, marked by no major hostilities. The term was coined by journalists to derisively describe the six-month period (October 1939–March 1940) during which no land operations were undertaken by the Allies or the Germans after the German conquest of Poland in September 1939
the Phony period began with the declaration of war by the United Kingdom and France against Nazi Germany on 3 September 1939, after which little actual warfare occurred, and ended with the German invasion of France and the Low Countries on 10 May 1940.
The quiet of the Phony War was punctuated by a few Allied actions. In the Saar Offensive in September, the French attacked Germany with the intention of assisting Poland, but it fizzled out within days and they withdrew.
The Phony War ended about the time of Dunkirk evacuation.
War is conducted primarily in combat by: air, land and sea. Britain was conducting war by air and sea in combat, and also an economic war. Similar with France. The Phony war was the land war, which ended when Germany attacked France.
The economic war was so successful that the Italian Navy in May 1941, 18 months after war started, could not put to sea, with operations curtailed leading up to that date, because of a lack of oil. That was only oil. The next month the Germans marched in the USSR, prior to that the Germans were seriously considering de-motorsing their forces due to a lack of rubber. These were only two vital resources the Royal Navy deprived the Axis of. Others were human and animal foods. Germany had to import food to survive, as its agriculture was so backwards - a manpower intensive peasant farmer agriculture. The British deprived Germany of rare metals for industry, etc, etc.
Last edited by Dave Davis; 01-17-2022 at 01:09 PM..
War is conducted primarily in combat by: air, land and sea. Britain was conducting war by air and sea in combat, and also an economic war. Similar with France. The Phony war was the land war, which ended when Germany attacked France.
However, Britain and France promised to come to the aid of Poland. In 1939, Poland believed Britain and France would immediately send troops and tanks. Obviously, this didn't happen.
"What if Poland had yielded to Hitler without War in 1939."
The real question is:
What if Britain and France told Poland no troops and tanks would be sent in 1939 and Poland would be on its own, then what would have Poland done?
France was in a position to move into Germany, and did for a short length of kms, then pulled back. The threat of war by France and Britain was to prevent Germany from invading Poland. Britain and France were hoping Germany would come to its senses then pull out of Poland. Britain and France did not appease Germany because they expected to be defeated by Germany. They never thought that at all. France's Prime Minister Daladier, said another European war would mean the 'utter destruction of European civilization', creating a vacuum that could only be filled by 'Cossack and Mongol hordes' and their 'culture' of Soviet Communism. The British and French were not wanting another fight which would benefit the USSR in its final outcome. Hitler saw a window of opportunity in late 1939, which begs the question of why Hitler had saw war with the British Empire, when Mein Kampf had called for the exact opposite. He went to war with the western allies with an alliance with the USSR. Britain and France were allied with the USA starting to back them in raw materials and finished arms, was why Hitler went to war with the west, not the east. Hitler wanted war with the west, the west did not as they saw the USSR the big gainers.
If France did see full blown war was inevitable, and moved large forces into western ASAP Germany this would have made matters easier for the Poles, but not much else. Britain only had a small army, its defence was based on its navy and air force. The BEF was under French command. Britain was in no position to do anything to directly help Poland on the ground, in the air or at sea because of the geography. Britain could only assist by the Royal Navy forming a blockade and attacking German ships, with the odd bombing raids. The final outcome for Poland would have been the same. To get large sections of the French army into Germany to the point the Germans would have to break off attacking Poland, would not have been a quick affair. The Germans lost about one third of armour in Poland, so an aggressive French army invading from the west, with the BEF later tagging on behind may have made Hitler talk peace and get out of Poland, after he had devastated Poland of course, eliminating that threat on its borders of course.
Britain and France declared war on Germany, it does not get more serious than that.
Last edited by Dave Davis; 01-20-2022 at 06:14 PM..
France was in a position to move into Germany, and did for a short length of kms, then pulled back. The threat of war by France and Britain was to prevent Germany from invading Poland. Britain and France were hoping Germany would come to its senses then pull out of Poland. Britain and France did not appease Germany because they expected to be defeated by Germany. They never thought that at all. France's Prime Minister Daladier, said another European war would mean the 'utter destruction of European civilization', creating a vacuum that could only be filled by 'Cossack and Mongol hordes' and their 'culture' of Soviet Communism. The British and French were not wanting another fight which would benefit the USSR in its final outcome. Hitler saw a window of opportunity in late 1939, which begs the question of why Hitler had saw war with the British Empire, when Mein Kampf had called for the exact opposite. He went to war with the western allies with an alliance with the USSR. Britain and France were allied with the USA starting to back them in raw materials and finished arms, was why Hitler went to war with the west, not the east. Hitler wanted war with the west, the west did not as they saw the USSR the big gainers.
If France did see full blown war was inevitable, and moved large forces into western ASAP Germany this would have made matters easier for the Poles, but not much else. Britain only had a small army, its defence was based on its navy and air force. The BEF was under French command. Britain was in no position to do anything to directly help Poland on the ground, in the air or at sea because of the geography. Britain could only assist by the Royal Navy forming a blockade and attacking German ships, with the odd bombing raids. The final outcome for Poland would have been the same. To get large sections of the French army into Germany to the point the Germans would have to break off attacking Poland, would not have been a quick affair. The Germans lost about one third of armour in Poland, so an aggressive French army invading from the west, with the BEF later tagging on behind may have made Hitler talk peace and get out of Poland, after he had devastated Poland of course, eliminating that threat on its borders of course.
Britain and France declared war on Germany, it does not get more serious than that.
Hitler didn't decide on war with the UK and France. He fully expected London and Paris to bluster but not to declare war over Poland being invaded. It was a gross miscalculation on his part.
The memoirs of Paul Schmidt, interpreter for Hitler, indicate that Hitler (and Ribbentrop as well as Goering and Goebbels) were completely caught off guard by that eventuality.
Quote:
When I entered the next room Hitler was sitting at his desk and Ribbentrop stood by the window. Both looked up expectantly as I came in. I stopped at some distance from Hitler's desk, and then slowly translated the British Government's ultimatum. When I finished, there was complete silence.
Hitler sat immobile, gazing before him. He was not at a loss, as was afterwards stated, nor did he rage as others allege. He sat completely silent and unmoving.
After an interval which seemed an age, he turned to Ribbentrop, who had remained standing by the window. 'What now?' asked Hitler with a savage look, as though implying that his Foreign Minister had misled him about England's probable reaction. Ribbentrop answered quietly: 'I assume that the French will hand in a similar ultimatum within the hour.'
As my duty was now performed, I withdrew. To those in the anteroom pressing round me I said: 'The English have just handed us an ultimatum. In two hours a state of war will exist between England and Germany.' In the anteroom, too, this news was followed by complete silence.
Goering turned to me and said: 'If we lose this war, then God have mercy on us!' Goebbels stood in a corner, downcast and self-absorbed. Everywhere in the room I saw looks of grave concern, even amongst the lesser Party people."
Hitler didn't decide on war with the UK and France. He fully expected London and Paris to bluster but not to declare war over Poland being invaded. It was a gross miscalculation on his part.
The memoirs of Paul Schmidt, interpreter for Hitler, indicate that Hitler (and Ribbentrop as well as Goering and Goebbels) were completely caught off guard by that eventuality.
Translation is that Hitler expected to romp over Europe with no one stopping him? That would not have been a rational calculation.
Translation is that Hitler expected to romp over Europe with no one stopping him? That would not have been a rational calculation.
Hitler foresaw an eventual confrontation with France, who he considered an implacable foe of Germany. He just didn't think it would come over Poland. Presumably, he'd been conditioned by the continual refusal of France (and Britain) to stand up to him over the previous several years. Also, he was too reliant on Ribbentrop, the 'expert' on the UK. But then, Ribbentrop's incorrect notions happened to be what Hitler wanted to hear - he was convinced at that point that Germany and Britain could coexist quite reasonably, one being primarily a sea power and the other primarily a land power. Clearly, Hitler profoundly misunderstood Britain.
I am aware of Hitler's histrionics after hearing of the British and French declarations of war, which flies in the face of everything he was doing previously. However, he did aim to have war with the west, as they were ganging up on him, not for any ideological reasons - bar the USA, Hitler disliked the USA's culture and rapid rise to an economic superpower, not the British and French. He did not want war just at this time - 1939. He could have given in to the British and French ultimatums. Or at least tried to get them to speak. He did nothing.
War against the west made more sense to him as they were ganging up on him - not for ideological reasons. The French saw that a war would give Europe to the USSR with the British seeing that Europe would be given to the USA and the USSR, which came to pass. They would do everything to prevent full blown war. Hitler had to nullify the threat to the west before he could focus on the east, as he did not want a two front war. He ended up with a two front war as he failed to nullify the west (the British kept fighting and were expanding their air force and navy). He needed the resources of the east to fight and defeat the west, the British empire and the USA, as the British were not backing down, but that is a different matter as events forced him into that corner after war broke out.
Hitler wanted an alliance with the west to give him a free hand in the east, as he coveted the territory of the east for his Greater Germany. The west would not go along with his German expansion. So he has exactly the opposite of what he wanted - a loose alliance with the east to fight the west who were ganging up on him not liking his ideology and expansionism. Hitler could not get an alliance with Italy and Japan to act against the east - or the west who were ganging up Hitler, not so much Italy. The combined power of the Japanese and Italian navies would compete well with the massive Royal Navy. Italy and Japan, moreso Japan, saw that any alliance, which would lead to war, was mainly for Hitler's benefit, so resisted any cajoling into war.
Last edited by Dave Davis; 01-21-2022 at 04:34 AM..
I am aware of Hitler's histrionics after hearing of the British and French declarations of war, which flies in the face of everything he was doing previously. However, he did aim to have war with the west, as they were ganging up on him, not for any ideological reasons, bar the USA. He did not want war just at this time. He could have given in to the British and French ultimatums. Or at least tried to get them to speak. He did nothing.
War against the west made more sense to him as they were ganging up on him - not for ideological reasons. The French saw that a war would give Europe to the USSR with the British seeing that Europe would be given to the USA and the USSR, which came to pass. They would do everything to prevent full blown war. Hitler had to nullify the threat to the west before he could focus on the east, as he did not want a two front war. He ended up with a two front war as he failed to nullify the west (the British kept fighting and were expanding their air force and navy). He needed the resources of the east to fight and defeat the west, the British empire and the USA, as the British were not backing down, but that is a different matter as events forced him into that corner after war broke out.
Hitler wanted an alliance with the west as he coveted the territory of the east for his Greater Germany. The west would not go along with his German expansion. So he has exactly opposite of what he wanted - a loose alliance with the east to fight the west who were ganging up on him. Hitler could not get an alliance with Italy and Japan to act against the east - or the west who were ganging up Hitler, not so much Italy. The combined power of the Japanese and Italian navies would compete well with the massive Royal Navy. Italy and Japan, moreso Japan, saw that any alliance, which would lead to war, was mainly for Hitler's benefit, so resisted any cajoling into war.
In what way was the West "ganging" up on Hitler. The West did not stop Hitler from rearming to the Ruhr Valley, did not stop the Anschluss and allowed the takeover of the Sudetenland and the subsequent takeover of Czechoslovakia. Even with Poland the response was mostly rhetoric.
Britain and France formed an alliance. The USA then was backing them in raw materials and finished arms. The USSR wanted to join the alliance. The dislike of Communism by Chamberlain and Daladier scuppered that. Foolish by them? In hindsight, Yes. With Poland the response was not rhetoric, Britain and France declared war on Germany. How serious can it be?
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