United Kingdom declaration of war on Germany (1939) facts for kids

The United Kingdom declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939. This happened two days after Germany invaded Poland. France also declared war on Germany later that same day.

The British public heard about the war in an 11 AM radio broadcast. The prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, made the announcement.

This morning, the British ambassador in Berlin gave the German government a final message. It said that unless Germany pulled its troops out of Poland by 11 o'clock, Britain would be at war with them. I must tell you now that Germany did not agree to this. So, our country is now at war with Germany.

Why World War II Started

After World War I, Germany signed an agreement called the Armistice of 11 November 1918. This ended the fighting with countries like France, Britain, and the United States.

The Treaty of Versailles

In June 1919, a peace treaty was signed called the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty officially ended World War I. It put many strict rules on Germany. These included:

• Limiting Germany's army.
• Taking away some of Germany's land and colonies.
• Making Germany pay a lot of money for the war (called war reparations).
• Making Germany accept the blame for starting World War I.

Germany's government at the time, known as the Weimar Republic, found it very hard to follow these rules. They had to borrow money to pay their war debts. In the early 1920s, Germany faced hyperinflation. This meant their money, the Mark, became almost worthless. For example, in January 1922, one US dollar was worth 191 Marks. By November of the same year, it was worth 4,200,000,000 Marks!

The Rise of Adolf Hitler

On 30 January 1933, Adolf Hitler became the leader of Germany, called the Chancellor. Under Hitler, the government quickly became a dictatorship. This meant Hitler had total control. He also improved Germany's economy with new policies.

After five years, Hitler started taking over other areas. He annexed Austria, which means he made it part of Germany. This was against the rules of the Treaty of Versailles. Then, in November 1938, Germany took over the Sudetenland. This was a German-speaking part of Czechoslovakia. Soon after, Germany invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. They also gained Memelland from Lithuania.

Historians believe Hitler wanted more "Lebensraum" or "living space" for Germany. This was a big reason for his aggressive actions and taking over new lands. Some people also say that there was fighting between Polish people and ethnic Germans in an area called the Polish Corridor. This might have been another reason for Germany to invade Poland, though it was often used as propaganda to justify Hitler's plans.

Promises to Poland

The United Kingdom and France were worried about Germany's actions. They promised Poland that they would declare war if Poland's independence was threatened. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced this promise on 31 March 1939:

... if any action clearly threatened Poland's independence, and if the Polish Government felt it had to fight back, His Majesty's Government would immediately give Poland all the support they could. They have given the Polish Government this promise.

I can add that the French Government has allowed me to say that they feel the same way as His Majesty's Government about this matter.

What Happened After War Was Declared?

The British Navy started a naval blockade of Germany on 4 September. This meant they tried to stop ships from bringing goods to Germany.

Britain and France kept their promise and declared war on Germany two days after Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. Other countries in the British Empire also quickly joined the war. However, Poland received very little help and was quickly defeated. Because of this, the early part of the war was sometimes called the "Phoney War" because there wasn't much fighting between Britain, France, and Germany right away.

Also, neither the British Empire nor France declared war on the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union invaded Poland on 17 September 1939, just 16 days after Germany invaded from the west. The Polish ambassador in London asked Britain why they weren't declaring war on the Soviet Union too. However, the British said their agreement with Poland was only about Germany.

After World War II, the Soviet Union kept control of the former Polish territory. At the Yalta Conference in 1945, a new pro-Communist government was set up in Poland. This government ignored the Polish government-in-exile that had been based in London during the war.

See also

• Canadian declaration of war on Germany
• Declarations of war by Great Britain and the United Kingdom
• Declarations of war during World War II
• Diplomatic history of World War II
• French declaration of war on Germany (1939)
• Military history of the United Kingdom during World War II
• United Kingdom declaration of war on Japan