World War II History: Neville Chamberlain Declares War With Germany on 3 September 1939

 Neville Chamberlain on the Nazi Invasion of Poland

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain gave this speech to the House of Commons on September 3rd, 1939, two days after Hitler's troops had invaded Poland.
Chamberlain and others had spent years negotiating with Hitler in order to prevent another war in Europe, two decades after the Great War in which an entire generation of young men had been wiped out.
Negotiations with Hitler had included ceding the German-speaking portions of Czechoslovakia, amid promises by Hitler he would have no further territorial demands. Unknown to Chamberlain, Hitler yearned for war all along and was simply biding his time until his armies were prepared.
On August 31,1939, Nazis staged a fake attack on a German radio outpost along the German-Polish border and used that as an excuse for the invasion of Poland.-The History Place- Great Speeches Collection    The History Place

I do not propose to say many words tonight. The time has come when action rather than speech is required. Eighteen months ago in this House I prayed that the responsibility might not fall upon me to ask this country to accept the awful arbitrament of war. I fear that I may not be able to avoid that responsibility.

But, at any rate, I cannot wish for conditions in which such a burden should fall upon me in which I should feel clearer than I do today as to where my duty lies.

No man can say that the Government could have done more to try to keep open the way for an honorable and equitable settlement of the dispute between Germany and Poland. Nor have we neglected any means of making it crystal clear to the German Government that if they insisted on using force again in the manner in which they had used it in the past we were resolved to oppose them by force.

Now that all the relevant documents are being made public we shall stand at the bar of history knowing that the responsibility for this terrible catastrophe lies on the shoulders of one man, the German Chancellor, who has not hesitated to plunge the world into misery in order to serve his own senseless ambitions...

Only last night the Polish Ambassador did see the German Foreign Secretary, Herr von Ribbentrop. Once again he expressed to him what, indeed, the Polish Government had already said publicly, that they were willing to negotiate with Germany about their disputes on an equal basis.

What was the reply of the German Government? The reply was that without another word the German troops crossed the Polish frontier this morning at dawn and are since reported to be bombing open towns.  In these circumstances there is only one course open to us.

His Majesty's Ambassador in Berlin and the French Ambassador have been instructed to hand to the German Government the following document:

"Early this morning the German Chancellor issued a proclamation to the German Army which indicated that he was about to attack Poland. Information which has reached His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the French Government indicates that attacks upon Polish towns are proceeding.  In these circumstances it appears to the Governments of the United Kingdom and France that by their action the German Government have created conditions, namely, an aggressive act of force against Poland threatening the independence of Poland, which call for the implementation by the Government of the United Kingdom and France of the undertaking to Poland to come to her assistance. I am accordingly to inform your Excellency that unless the German Government are prepared to give His Majesty's Government satisfactory assurances that the German Government have suspended all aggressive action against Poland and are prepared promptly to withdraw their forces from Polish territory, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom will without hesitation fulfill their obligations to Poland."

If a reply to this last warning is unfavorable, and I do not suggest that it is likely to be otherwise, His Majesty's Ambassador is instructed to ask for his passports.  In that case we are ready.

Yesterday, we took further steps towards the completion of our defensive preparation. This morning we ordered complete mobilization of the whole of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. We have also taken a number of other measures, both at home and abroad, which the House will not perhaps expect me to specify in detail. Briefly, they represent the final steps in accordance with pre-arranged plans. These last can be put into force rapidly, and are of such a nature that they can be deferred until war seems inevitable. Steps have also been taken under the powers conferred by the House last week to safeguard the position in regard to stocks of commodities of various kinds.

The thoughts of many of us must at this moment inevitably be turning back to 1914, and to a comparison of our position now with that which existed then. How do we stand this time? The answer is that all three Services are ready, and that the situation in all directions is far more favorable and reassuring than in 1914, while behind the fighting Services we have built up a vast organization of Civil Defense under our scheme of Air Raid Precautions.

As regards the immediate manpower requirements, the Royal Navy, the Army and the Air Force are in the fortunate position of having almost as many men as they can conveniently handle at this moment. There are, however, certain categories of service in which men are immediately required, both for Military and Civil Defense. These will be announced in detail through the press and the BBC.

The main and most satisfactory point to observe is that there is today no need to make an appeal in a general way for recruits such as was issued by Lord Kitchener 25 years ago. That appeal has been anticipated by many months, and the men are already available. So much for the immediate present. Now we must look to the future. It is essential in the face of the tremendous task which confronts us, more especially in view of our past experiences in this matter, to organize our manpower this time upon as methodical, equitable and economical a basis as possible.

We, therefore, propose immediately to introduce legislation directed to that end. A Bill will be laid before you which for all practical purposes will amount to an expansion of the Military Training Act. Under its operation all fit men between the ages of 18 and 41 will be rendered liable to military service if and when called upon. It is not intended at the outset that any considerable number of men other than those already liable shall be called up, and steps will be taken to ensure that the manpower essentially required by industry shall not be taken away.

There is one other allusion which I should like to make before I end my speech, and that is to record my satisfaction of His Majesty's Government, that throughout these last days of crisis Signor Mussolini also has been doing his best to reach a solution. It now only remains for us to set our teeth and to enter upon this struggle, which we ourselves earnestly endeavored to avoid, with determination to see it through to the end.

We shall enter it with a clear conscience, with the support of the Dominions and the British Empire, and the moral approval of the greater part of the world.
We have no quarrel with the German people, except that they allow themselves to be governed by a Nazi Government. As long as that Government exists and pursues the methods it has so persistently followed during the last two years, there will be no peace in Europe. We shall merely pass from one crisis to another, and see one country after another attacked by methods which have now become familiar to us in their sickening technique.

We are resolved that these methods must come to an end. If out of the struggle we again re-establish in the world the rules of good faith and the renunciation of force, why, then even the sacrifices that will be entailed upon us will find their fullest justification.
Neville Chamberlain - September 1, 1939

"Post-note: Chamberlain remained Prime Minister until May 1940. Following Hitler's successful invasion of Norway and Denmark, Chamberlain was driven from the House of Commons amid the hoots and chants of even his own supporters. He was replaced on May 10, 1940, by Winston Churchill"- http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/chamberlain.htm

What an incredibly poignant speech given by then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.   I could not have done a better job summarizing not only the climate that existed in the days leading up to the Blitz attack on Poland, but also demonstrating how much was done by the leaders of many nations to try and negotiate with a madman in hopes of avoiding another World War.  No one could have foreseen the depths of Hitler's evil, nor the lengths to which he was prepared to go in order to achieve world domination.  Even Joseph Stalin, a man of little trust in others, had his own motivations for signing the Non Aggression Pact with Hitler on August 23, 1939.  Primarily, Stalin wanted to appease Hitler while at the same time, ensure he would have future allies in England and France when he needed them.    Clearly, neither Hitler nor Stalin had any intentions of honoring the pact.

  
It is interesting and yet disquieting that this infamous day in world history seems to now go unnoticed.  This invasion resulted in the death of approximately 17,000 German soldiers and approximately 66,000 Polish soldiers and civilians combined.  This is certainly an enormous tally of lives lost, and yet it seems to go unrecognized in today's media society.   This post, in some part, is my way of paying respect to those who lost their lives as a result of this invasion.

Although the United States did not enter the war until December of 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt remained stalwart in preserving ties and communication with Prime Minister Winston Churchill as the war progressed.  In order to provide England with the destroyers, supplies and munitions they so desperately needed, President Roosevelt was able to bypass the Neutrality Act through the passing of the Lend-Lease Act in March of 1941.  Under the Neutrality Act, it was forbidden to sell  munitions  to other countries without a license and American ships and citizens were barred from entering war zones designated by the President.

"This nation will remain a neutral nation, but l cannot ask that every American remain neutral in thought as well. ... As long as it remains within my power to prevent, there will be no black-out of peace in the United States."- President Roosevelt's Fireside Chat broadcast September 3, 1939

It was clear to France and England on the day Poland was attacked that this was most likely a foreshadowing of a Nazi attack on their countries in the near future.  The headlines of the Paris Daily, L'Ouerve, on September 2, 1939, even made reference to the fact that Hitler had been deceitful when he signed the Non Aggression Pact with the Soviet Union under the guise of spreading peace.  The liberals in France immediately saw through the ruse and urged the citizens of Paris to be on their guard.
In London, many citizens immediately began to evacuate their children from the city.  This was referred to as Operation Pied Piper.   Approximately 3.5 million people relocated from London and areas that were likely to be subjected to aerial bombing to more rural locations outside of London.