In 1933 Germany's military consisted of only seven infantry divisions and three cavalry divisions. By 1935 it began to
rapidly expand it's military war machine, in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles. Within the next two years, Germany had
not only exceeded the limits established by the Treaty but surpassed the combined strength of the military forces of
Great Britain and France.
Britain and France were alert to the danger Hitler posed to Europe but were unwilling to mobolize their military forces In a
state of military unpreparedness. They instead adopted a policy of appeasement that proved to be disastrous. Churchill
struggled desperately to convince the House of Commons of the need for Britain to rearm itself in the face of Nazi
belligerence. The Chamberlain government refused, despite numerous appeals, citing a weak British economy as the
reason. Harold MacMillan, then a member of Parliament remarked, " Hitler was always regarded by British politicians
as if he were a brilliant but tempermental genius who could be soothed by kindness or upset by hard words."
As Germany's military strength increased, so did Hitlers' demands. He claimed certain territories as part of the German
Vaterland whose population represented a majority of German ethnic groups, such as in Austria, the Sudentenland, and
western provinces of Poland. In March 1938, Hitler stunned the world when he annexed Austria in the Anchluss, and
invaded the Sudentenland.
Several months later, a meeting was convened in Munich among the major European powers, Prime Minister
Chamberlain, President Daladier, Mussolini, and Hitler all met to resolve the crisis of the Sudentenland. Needless to
say, the discussions were at an impasse, and inevitably led to the acceptance of Hitler's occupation of the region. Hitler
agreed to sign the Munich Agreement despite the additional clauses imposing a restriction - that Hitler go no further.
A second agreement was made between Chamberlain and Hitler in which
Hitler agreed to resolve all future disputes with England through peacful means.
It was with this paper in hand that Chamberlain returned to London. He was met
there by ecstatic crowds, and waving the paper to them, he delivered a rousing
speech, now infamous, on Peace in Our Time . One year later, the Nazis marched
right into Prague and occupied the remainder of Czechoslovakia. (The nation had
never been a German enclave. Its' citizens were Slavs, not Germans.)
Hitler next turned his attention to Poland using indirect means with which to gain a foothold. He asked the Polish
government for a corridor to be established connecting the frontier of eastern Germany to that of former
Prussia. Poland refused. Hitler exerted intense pressure on Poland to relinquish its' presence in the port city of
Gdansk ( renamed Danzig by the Germans). It had been proclaimed as a free city by the Versailles Treaty, and
was the only port by which Poland had access to the sea. Germany believed that it alone had rightful possession
of the port. Again Poland refused.
On August 22, 1939, the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, a non-aggression pact was signed by Germany and Russia.
It contained a secret clause agreeing to split the territory of Poland in half in case of war. On August 25, 1939, Britain
and Poland signed the Agreement of Mutual Assistance whereby each party promised to give the other all the support
and assistance in its power in case of attack. In Chamberlains address to the House of Commons on March 31,
1939, he said, " In the event of any action which clearly threatened Polish independence and which the Polish
Government....considered it vital to resist with their national forces, His Majesty's Government would feel themselves
bound at once to lend the Polish government all the support in their power." Though England made many promises to
come to Poland's aid, they reneged on each one.
On August 29, 1939, the Polish underground alerted the Polish-government-in-exile in London of an imminent
attack by Germany, and were given the order to mobolize. No sooner had the command been given than the Polish
Foreign Minister Beck called for mobilization to be aborted. Under pressure from both British and French governments,
Beck conceded a delay of twenty-four hours. He agreed if only to prove his trustworhiness as an Ally to the West. The
French government even went so far so to recommend that Poland hand over it's western provinces to Hitler as defeat
would be inevitable. To the Polish nation this was unthinkable.
On September 1, 1939, at 4:45 a.m. the first shots were fired by the battleship Schleswig-Holstein at Westerplatte, in
the port of Gdansk.World War II had begun. ( See Video of September 1939 Campaign)
The British have always been the biggest damn fools in the world. They are too easygoing
to prepare (for war). Then at the last minute, they hurry around and scrape together and
fight like hell.
Churchill
Peace is a valuable and desirable thing. We in Poland do not recognize
the concept of peace at any price.There is only one thing in the life of men,
nations, and states which is without price, and this is honour.... Poland Will Fight.
Jozef Beck (1939)