JFK+50: Volume 6, No. 2058
BRITAIN DECLARED WAR ON GERMANY 77 YEARS AGO TODAYLondon (JFK+50) Seventy-seven years ago today, September 3, 1939, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced that Great Britain had declared war on Nazi Germany.
The announcement came two days after Adolf Hitler's military machine attacked Poland. Both Great Britain and France had pledged to defend Poland, so an ultimatum was sent to the Fuhrer to withdraw. When he did not respond, both Britain and France declared war on Germany.
The Prime Minister said...
"I have to tell you now that no such undertaking (by Hitler to withdraw) has been received and consequently this country is at war with Germany."
Chamberlain also told the British people that a war cabinet had been set up with Winston Churchill serving as First Lord of the Admiralty.
It was too late, however, to do much to stop the Nazi blitzkreig. On September 27, 1939 Warsaw surrendered and by October 6th Poland ceased to exist as a country.
SOURCES
"Britain and France declare war on Germany," BBC On This Day, September 3, www.news.bbc.co.uk/
"Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announces Britain's declaration of war on Germany," September 3, 1939, Eyewitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/
Neville Chamberlain
Portrait by William Orpen (1929)
