A Declaration of War – September 1939
by On September 1st, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. On September 3rd, Britain declared war on Germany. The Second World War had begun…
At 11.15, on the morning of Sunday 3rd September, 1939 – which was a warm and pleasant morning – Winston Spencer Churchill, and his wife Clementine, sat in their Pimlico flat listening to Chamberlain’s declaration of war:
” I am speaking to you from the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street.
“This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a final note stating that, unless we hear from them by 11 o’clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that consequently this country is at war with Germany…”
Within moments of the end of Chamberlain’s speech air-raid sirens went off in virtually every town and village in the UK.
On hearing the siren Churchill and his wife made their way to the roof of their apartment building to watch a huge barrage balloon rising up into the clear blue sky. Then, grabbing a bottle of brandy, they headed for the air-raid shelter at the bottom of their road.
With the sound of the “all clear” Churchill headed straight for Westminster where a debate was about to be held on a government motion to declare war on Germany. The motion was carried.
Churchill then walked the few hundred yards to 10 Downing Street, where Chamberlain told him that all the Service Ministers were to be members of the war cabinet, and that he wanted Churchill to be First Lord of the Admiralty, a position Churchill had first held in 1913.
With Churchill’s acceptance of the post a message was flashed around the British Fleet:
” Winnie is Back!”
Winston Churchill became British Prime Minister in May 1940.
On the 17th September, 1939, with the German army advancing eastward across Poland, Russia – in accordance with their pact with Germany – invaded Poland from the east. By October 1st Poland was defeated militarily, although a strong resistance movement fought on – against Russian and German troops – for the rest of the war.
World War Two, and the long hard slog to defeat Nazi Germany had begun.
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Post Commentmartie
On September 1, 2009 at 8:35 am
The U.S. also wanted to avoid war. While I am not in favor of war, I have often wondered if all the reluctance in this case might not have prolonged the war far longer than it should have been.
Steve Newman
On September 1, 2009 at 8:52 am
Oh, undoubtedly, Martie. But the memory of the slaughter of the Great War was still so fresh in peoples minds. What Chamberlain did, by his determination to keep on talking, was give Britain the chance to re-arm.
I once met Chamberlain’s daughter-in-law who suggested to me that her father-in-law never really believed he could achieve a lasting peace, that he was simply playing for time.
Patrick Bernauw
On September 1, 2009 at 9:12 am
The right article at the right time!
MJ Sunderland
On September 1, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Excellent and temperate account of momentous events, very well illustrated.
Ruby Hawk
On September 1, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Excellent article, My dad, brother-in-law, and uncle fought in WW11.
beata boduch
On December 29, 2010 at 9:33 pm
exelent indeed!
i have found this article after massive debate with my 12 years old, about the 2WW and history.
She was told by her history teacher that the England won the 2WW, as well as the one of the English soldier killed Hitler.
there was few more discrepancies, which i explaned using this and few more articles.
I found amousing and iritating how history as twigged, as I rememeber those day when I was told my history teacher , that Russia has won 2WW, and the invasion which they started on 17th Sep 1939 was to help us, yuuuk!
luckly I have smart parent and had smart grantparent who never allow us to forget a real history.
kind regards to all!
Steve Newman
On December 31, 2010 at 3:39 pm
I’m glad you found the article helpful, Beata.