Our Diary of the War

The War Illustrated, Volume 1, No. 1, Page 32, September 16, 1939.

Wednesday, August 23, 1939
German-Soviet Pact of Non-Aggression signed in Moscow by Von Ribbentrop and Molotoff, in presence of Stalin.
Sir Neville Henderson , British Ambassador to Germany, delivered to Hitler a message from the British Government and a personal letter from the Prime Minister.
King Leopold of Belgium broadcast an appeal for peace to all nations on behalf of seven small states.

Thursday, August 24
The King arrived in London from Balmoral and held a Privy Council.
Parliament met and passed the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act.
President Roosevelt sent an appeal to King Victor Emmanuel, urging the calling of a peace conference.
The Pope broadcast an appeal for peace.
Von Ribbentrop returned from Moscow and immediately saw Hitler.
British subjects warned to leave Germany.
Herr Forster proclaimed himself Head of the State of Danzig.

Friday, August 25
Sir Neville Henderson called on Hitler at the latter’s request, as also did French, Italian and Japanese envoys.
Hitler cancelled Tannenburg celebrations.
Anglo-Polish Agreement of Mutual Assistance signed in London.
Mussolini was twice in telephonic communication with Hitler.
President Roosevelt sent messages to Hitler and Polish President urging settlement of differences by direct negotiation, arbitration or conciliation at the hands of a disinterested Power.
Germans advised by their Embassy to leave Great Britain.
German merchant ships ordered by their Government to remain in or return to German ports.

Saturday, August 26
Sir Neville Henderson flew to London with a message from Hitler. The reply was considered at a meeting of the Cabinet at which Sir Neville was present.
Hitler received the French Ambassador after day of consultation with his advisors.
The Nazi Party "Congress of Peace" at Nuremburg was cancelled.
Germany gave assurances of respect for the frontiers of Belgium, Holland and Switzerland.
Further messages exchanged between Hitler and Mussolini.
Roosevelt made a second appeal to Hitler for the maintenance of peace, enclosing the reply from the Polish President.

Sunday, August 27
The Cabinet met to consider the reply to Hitler’s proposals.
Hitler rejected a proposal from M. Daladier that one more attempt should be made at direct negotiations between Germany and Poland. At the conclusion of the letter Hitler made the clear demand that Danzig and the Corridor must return to the Reich.
Rationing introduced in Germany.
Admiralty assumed control of British merchant shipping. The entire German-Polish frontier was closed to railway traffic.
Stated that France now had about 3,000,000 men under arms.

Monday, August 28
British Government’s reply to Hitler was delivered to him by Sir Neville Henderson.
Defence Regulations, made under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, were issued by the Stationery Office.
The Mediterranean was closed to British ships on orders from the Admiralty.
Government of Holland ordered the mobilization of the Army and Navy.
Fall of Japanese Cabinet.

Tuesday, August 29
Hitler handed to Sir Neville Henderson his reply to the British note, making at the same time verbal explanations. The reply was immediately transmitted in code to London. It was stated in Berlin that the British proposal of direct negotiation between Germany and Poland had been accepted provided that a Polish plenipotentiary arrived in Berlin within 24hrs.
At a brief sitting of both Houses of Parliament, statements on the crisis were made by Lord Halifax and the Prime Minister.
Germany occupied Slovakia as a "protection" from the Poles. Poland issued a protest.
The diplomatic representatives of Great Britain, France and Poland accepted an offer of mediation made jointly by Queen Wilhelmina and King Leopold.

Wednesday, August 30
The Poles declined to send a plenipotentiary under menace.
The Cabinet considered Hitler’s last communication and sent a reply to Berlin.
Which was handed to Von Ribbentrop shortly after midnight by Sir Neville Henderson.
Hitler issued a decree setting up a Council of Ministers for the Defence of the State. Field Marshall Goring was appointed chairman and invested with very wide powers.

Thursday, August 31
The Soviet-German Pact was ratified by the Supreme Council in Moscow.
The German Government broadcast a 16-point plan for a settlement with Poland. In spite of the fact that this was the first time that the Polish Government heard of them, it was stated that the German Government had waited in vain two days for the arrival of a Polish negotiator, and therefore considered that the proposals had been rejected.
British Fleet mobilized.
French railways under military control.
The Pope made a new peace appeal, notes being handed to all envoys of foreign countries attached to the Holy See.

Friday, September 1, 1939
Poland was invaded by German forces from East Prussia, Slovakia and the main body of the Reich in the early morning. No declaration of war had been made.
Britain and France delivered final warnings to Hitler to withdraw from Poland.
General mobilization proclaimed in Britain and France.
Statements on the German invasion of Poland were made in both Houses of Parliament. In the Commons war credits totalling £500,000,000 were voted. A number of emergency measures were passed through all their stages.
President Roosevelt appealed to Great Britain, France, Italy, Poland and Germany to refrain from bombing civilians and unfortified towns, and received assurances from Britain, France and Poland. Italy replied that she was not concerned, as she was remaining neutral.
Hitler, addressing the Reichstag, gave his reasons for the invasion of Poland, and subsequently a Bill entitled "The Law for the Reunion of Danzig with the German Reich" was passed with acclamation.
The evacuation of British school children from exposed and congested areas was begun, and nearly 500,000 were moved.
The Government took over control of the railways.

Saturday, September 2
Mr Chamberlain announced in the House of Commons that Germany’s delay in replying to the British warning might be due to consideration of a proposal, put forward by Mussolini, for a Five-Power Conference.
The British and French Governments consulted on the question of a time limit for Hitler’s reply.
Bill for compulsory military service between the ages of 18-41 passed.
Fighting in Poland increased in intensity.
Warsaw was bombed six times.
Hitler sent a favourable answer to Roosevelt’s appeal against bombing open towns.
British Government received pledges of support from Canada, Australia and New Zealand and from 46 Indian rulers.
Berlin officially denied that either gas or incendiary bombs had been used on Polish towns.

Sunday, September 3
A final British note was presented in Berlin at 9 a.m. giving Hitler until 11.a.m. to give an undertaking to withdraw his troops from Poland.
At 11.15a.m. Mr. Chamberlain, in a broadcast to the nation, stated that "no such undertaking had been received and that consequently this country is at war with Germany."
The French ultimatum presented at 12.30 p.m., expired at 1700hrs.
The German reply rejected the stipulations that German troops should withdraw from Poland, and accused the British Government of forcing war on Germany.
Fierce fighting on both Polish fronts.
A War Cabinet of nine members was created to include Mr. Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty.
The King broadcast a message to his peoples.
Hitler left Berlin to assume command on the Eastern front.
German submarine torpedoed and sank without warning the British liner Athenia, 200 miles north-west of Ireland.
Roosevelt announced that U.S.A. would remain neutral.
Mr. De Valera announced that Eire would remain neutral.
Australia and New Zealand declared war on Germany.

Pronunciation of Polish Names

The correct pronunciation of Polish names ia a matter of difficulty and frequent difference of opinion. Here from time to time we shall give the best approximate equivalents in English sounds of names of persons and places of immediate interest. Note that the stress is always on the last syllable but one.

Moscicki….mosh-tsee-ski
Smigly-Rydz….shmig-li ridz
Skladkowski….skwad-kof-ski
Kasprzycki….kasp-zheet-ski
Jaroslaw….ya-ros-waf
Dzialdowo….jal-do-vo
Katowice….ka-to-vee-che
Westerplatte….ves-ter-pla-te
Grudziadz….groo-jonts
Cracow….kra-kof
Czestochowa….chan-sto-ho-va
Chojnice….hoy-neet-se