Monday 28 August 1939: Britain's Ambassador to Germany flies back to Berlin with the Government's latest message to Hitler.
Sir Neville Henderson, the British Ambassador to Germany, flew from London to Berlin this afternoon with Britain's reply to Hitler's message of 25 August 1939.
In this Hitler had outlined his demands for an immediate settlement to the question of the Free City of Danzig and the Polish corridor, and his horror at the thought of a war between Germany and Britain.
'... Hitler is bound by an agreement he signed with Poland in January 1934 ...'
This was the latest in a whole series of demands for a solution to the so-called 'Danzig Problem' that Hitler had made ever since the German invasion of Czechoslovakia in March 1939.
Hitler's solution was that Danzig should be returned to Germany and that the Polish corridor should be cut in half by linking East Prussia and the rest of Germany with a band of territory.
However, Hitler is bound by an agreement he signed with Poland in January 1934, guaranteeing not to alter Danzig's position nor threaten the Polish corridor for a period of ten years. Britain and France have pledged their support to Poland should she be threatened by another country.
The situation was made more serious by the biggest diplomatic surprise of recent years, just five days ago on August 23, when Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia signed a Non-aggression Pact in Moscow. Just a few days later Britain reaffirmed her support to Poland by signing the Anglo-Polish alliance.
Sir Neville briefed the Cabinet about the details of Hitler's demands, since when they have met twice more to discuss Britain's response. In the background is the recent correspondence between the French Prime Minister, Edouard Daladier, and Hitler, which was made public.
In this Hitler rejected the French Prime Minister's suggestion that there should be direct negotiations between Germany and Poland and emphasised that he could no longer tolerate the existing situation in Poland.
The message that Sir Neville takes back to Berlin is likely to re-establish Britain's policy of protecting Poland's independence and opposing any form of aggression.
A communiqué was issued this evening by the Polish Government in which they completely deny the German allegations of the terrorisation of the German minority in Poland.
In Warsaw the city is already preparing itself for war. Trenches are being dug, power stations sandbagged and people have started to carry gas masks around with them. Danzig remains the flashpoint of Polish-Nazi conflict; four more Polish officials have been arrested and last night bands of Nazis attacked Polish shops in the city and smashed their windows.
Growing international tension was reflected in Whitehall today with Ambassadors and Dominion High Commissioners arriving for talks at the Foreign Office. While in Downing Street the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, had talks with the acting Leader of the Opposition, Arthur Greenwood and Sir Archibald Sinclair, leader of the Liberal party.
At about 5.30pm, Mr Chamberlain drove to Buckingham Palace where he stayed for an hour and a half and brought the King up to date on the latest international developments.
01 September 1939
At dawn Germany began its invasion of Poland. The attack was launched without warning, and without declaration of war being given. During the day, German troops have crossed each of Poland's borders with the Reich, and many of her cities have been bombed from the air, including the capital, Warsaw.
'... at 5.30am...German planes attacked the city of Katowice with high explosive bombs.'
The invasion began at 5.30am when German planes attacked the city of Katowice with high explosive bombs. Krakow and several other cities were attacked at the same time with incendiary bombs. At 6.15am the air-raid sirens went off for the first time in Warsaw.
However, nothing happened until about 9.00am when the capital was attacked with both incendiary and high explosive bombs. Fighters from the Polish Air Force intercepted the German raiders and there were several dog-fights over the city.
This was the start of about six raids during the day, most of which were repelled by anti-aircraft fire and the Polish Air Force. However, during one raid this afternoon, German bombers attacked the centre of the city and then flew down the Vistula, bombing the bridges, several of which were badly damaged.
Apart from this, most of the damage seems to have happened in the suburbs, just outside the city. The citizens of Warsaw have reacted quite calmly to the outbreak of war, and when the sirens sounded many of them ran out into the streets to see what was happening, before SARP squads sent them back indoors.
The reports from Katowice have been more grim. Apparently German planes have been coming over in squadrons of 50, every half-hour, as a result there have been many casualties. Unfortunately, the phone lines to Katowice have been cut since midday, so the exact situation is unclear.
Poland has always been very aware of the size of her borders with German territory - they cover 3,000 miles in all - and this morning at about 6.00am each border was invaded by German troops to coincide with the attacks of the German Air Force.
The invasion came simultaneously from East Prussia, from the main body of the Reich and from Slovakia, but at the moment it's impossible to say how far each attack has penetrated.
The news of the invasion came as a complete surprise to the Polish Government, who have never officially received Hitler's 16-point Plan for a settlement. They heard about the plan, like the rest of the world, via the German News Agency, and also from a British warning which followed Sir Neville Henderson's meeting with Herr Von Ribbentrop a few days ago.
As for the German excuse for invasion, which is 'the invasion by Polish diversionist bands near Gleiwitz', this is described here in Warsaw as a tissue of lies.
03 September 1939
War is declared
Headline: Britain is at war with Germany. The Government's ultimatum to Herr Hitler, ran out this morning. The King broadcast to the nation earlier this evening and called upon everyone to be 'calm, firm and united'.
At 9.00am Britain sent an ultimatum to Germany saying that unless German troops were withdrawn immediately from Poland the two countries would be at war. No reply came before the ultimatum expired at 11.00am, and so Britain is now at war with Germany.
France sent a similar ultimatum, which expired at 5.00pm this evening. A quarter of an hour after Britain's ultimatum had expired, the Prime minister broadcast to the nation.
'... the first air raid warning sounded across London.'
Among the Commonwealth nations who heard his speech, Australia and New Zealand both followed Britain into war against Germany, while Canada promised full co-operation and called her parliament to discuss the situation. Among other members of the British Commonwealth, South Africa's position was unclear, while Eire decided to remain neutral.
The declaration of war comes after a couple of days of intense activity in London and Paris. Yesterday, apparently, the two governments had decided that they would fulfil their obligations towards Poland at the earliest possible moment. However they then had to liaise with each other to find out when that might be.
In both capitals there were many cabinet meetings throughout the day. The final one in London began at midnight. This was soon after the Prime Minister's stormy reception in the House of Commons, when members had demanded to know why the Government were delaying in going to Poland's help, as they'd promised to under the Anglo-Polish Alliance.
The delay, it transpires, was caused by the French who needed an extra day in which to complete their defences.
First air-raid warning.
Only minutes after the Prime Minister had broadcast to the nation this morning informing us that we were at war, the first air raid warning sounded across London
The web site below has some interesting things about WW2
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwtwo/index.shtml
Amos
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