The Day We Went to War (9 page)

Ambassador Henderson arrives with Chamberlain’s letter. Sir Nevile finds Hitler in a violent mood, and he attacks both the Poles for their intransigence and the British for giving them a ‘blank cheque’. He tells Sir Nevile that he wants only friendship with Britain. Henderson is then dismissed only to be recalled shortly afterwards to receive Hitler’s reply to Chamberlain’s letter. The Fuehrer is calmer now, but tells the ambassador that he is fifty and prefers war now rather than in five or ten years’ time. He finishes by saying that only a complete reversal of British policy towards the Reich would convince him of Britain’s good faith. Sir Nevile leaves, and Hitler, having put on an act of rage for Henderson’s benefit, laughingly tells his staff, ‘Chamberlain won’t survive this discussion. His cabinet will fall this evening.’

23 August, M
OSCOW

Von Ribbentrop arrives by air to conclude the non-aggression pact, which he and Molotov sign. Under the terms of the pact’s secret protocol, Germany and the Soviet Union carve out respective spheres of influence in central and eastern Europe. Finland, Estonia, Latvia, the Roumanian province of Bessarabia, and eastern Poland are all assigned to Russia, while Germany claims the rest of Poland and Lithuania. At the signing, Soviet champagne and vodka are served, and Stalin proposes a toast to Hitler: ‘I know how much the German nation loves its Fuehrer. I should therefore like to drink his health.’

In preparation for the invasion of Poland, Hitler addresses his generals at the Berghof, 22 August 1939. A secret account of the meeting claimed that Goering, ‘wild with enthusiasm, climbed on a table, rendered fervent thanks, and promised to carry out the blood-thirsty orders’.

Molotov signs the Nazi–Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, Moscow, 23 August 1939. ‘Public opinion in our country, and probably in Germany too, will have to be prepared slowly for the change in our relations this treaty is to bring about,’ was Stalin’s comment after the signing.

At the British Embassy in Moscow, correspondents gather to hear a statement by Sir William Seeds on the future of Anglo-French-Soviet relations in the light of the new pact. While waiting for the ambassador, they ask press attaché John Russell what Sir William is going to say. Russell replies, ‘I don’t know what
he’s
going to tell you, but it is my opinion that the British government has just been administered a considerable kick up the arse!’

23 August, D
ANZIG

The Senate decrees that thirty-seven-year-old Bavarian-born Nazi Party Gauleiter and former bank clerk Albert Forster is Danzig’s head of state.

23 August, L
ONDON

The Imperial War Museum closes as usual for the day at 6pm. But later in the evening Ernest Blaikley, the Museum’s Assistant in Charge of Pictures, is telephoned at home by the Office of Works to be told that the Museum is to close tomorrow and the evacuation of its works of art will begin at midday. The possibility of having to evacuate the Museum’s most valuable contents in the event of another war was first considered way back in November 1933.

23 August, W
EST
N
ORWOOD

‘Things are working up to another serious crisis, almost identical with this time last year. We hope against hope, that even now war may be averted, but each day brings more dread news.’ (Miss Nellie Violet Carver, Supervisor, Central Telegraph Office)

23 August, H
UDDERSFIELD

‘The Russo-German Pact is signed and the crisis begins. With the dramatic signature . . . Germany claims a diplomatic triumph which she declares will end resistance to her plans against Poland. She expects to get Danzig and the Polish Corridor without fighting.
She is confident Britain and France will not carry out their pledge to help Poland if she is attacked. Germany is wrong . . . The world begins to realize that war is dangerously near.’ (Mrs Marjorie Gothard, wife of master butcher)

24 August, O
BERSALZBERG

At 1am, von Ribbentrop telephones from Moscow and reports complete success. Once again, Hitler is both delighted and confident. Of Britain and France, he believes the signing of the pact ‘will hit them like a bombshell’.

24 August, W
ILHELMSHAVEN

Pocket battleship
Deutschland
sails to take up position across the British sea lanes of the North Atlantic.

24 August, W
ASHINGTON
DC

From the White House, President Roosevelt sends a personal appeal to Hitler. In it, the President calls for the settlement of the Danzig question by means of direct negotiation, arbitration or the appointment of an impartial mediator. Roosevelt concludes: ‘I appeal to you in the name of the people of the United States, and I believe in the name of peace-loving men and women everywhere, to agree to the solution of the controversies existing between your government and that of Poland through the adoption of one of the alternative methods I have proposed.’ A similar appeal is sent to President Ignace Moscicki of Poland. The Poles accept Roosevelt’s offer. Hitler ignores it completely.

24 August, L
ONDON

Parliament reconvenes and immediately passes the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1939. This will form the basis of the Defence Regulations to come into force in the now-likely event of war. The BBC broadcasts a Government announcement that all schoolteachers
are to return to their schools as soon as possible. This is a precaution in case evacuation has to take place.

At midday the first lorry arrives at the Imperial War Museum to evacuate the Museum’s paintings. It is soon loaded and sets off for Colworth House, Sharnbrook. Another lorry arrives, is loaded, and routed to Penn House, Amersham. Across the river from Lambeth, at the Tate Gallery, Director John Rothenstein gives orders to close at midday. As the last of the public are ushered out, the Tate’s staff start preparing for the evacuation of the Gallery’s works of art. A similar exercise is also taking place under Sir Kenneth Clark at the National Gallery.

From the US Embassy, ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy cables the State Department. Kennedy is extremely pessimistic about the chances of peace. His son Jack has just arrived back from Berlin, where the US Chargé d’Affaires Alexander Kirk has told him that war will start within a week. Kennedy himself has just seen Chamberlain. He wires Washington that the Prime Minister ‘says the futility of it all is the thing that is frightful. After all, they cannot save the Poles. They can merely carry on a war of revenge that will mean the destruction of all Europe.’

24 August, V
ATICAN

Pope Pius XII broadcasts an appeal for peace. But even devout Catholic convert Evelyn Waugh thinks that it was delivered ‘in terms so general and trite that it passes unnoticed here, where no one doubts that peace is preferable to war’.

24 August, T
EDDINGTON

‘Halifax . . . spoke on Poland. “The British government do not go back on their obligations.” A little late to make that observation, but steps back in the right direction . . . Forster is made Head of State and dictator in Danzig. The atrocity tales against Poland are very fierce in Berlin.’ (Helena Mott)

24 August, W
ORTHING

‘News blacker and blacker. Parliament recalled and the PM (Chamberlain) made a momentous statement our guarantee to Poland holds good. In this way the situation differs from that of last September over Czecho-slovakia.’ (Joan Strange)

24 August, G
ERMANY

‘Captain Wellmann gave a short address in which he informed us that the movement orders had been received. The situation is grave and we must do honour to the traditions of our battery. We gave another cheer for Fatherland and Fuehrer and marched off from the barrack square behind the battery colours, singing heartily. Our train started shortly after eight passing through Schoenebeck, we reached Magdeburg where we had to change. Everywhere one saw masses of men laden with trunks and parcels, making their way to the mobilisation points. Many of them wore medal ribbons from the Great War. Were those who had already experienced the horrors of 1914–18 to go campaigning once more? It was scarcely imaginable.’ (Corporal Wilhelm Krey, 13th Artillery Observation Battery, German Army)

24 August, C
ITY OF
L
ONDON

‘New hats, frocks, coats, theatres and even holidays are forgotten and replaced by purchase of tinned foods, black curtains and adhesive tape.

‘The railway stations had their blue anti-glare lights fixed, provision all over the country for a quick black-out is being made and everything is, apparently, ready for the “big bang”.

‘For twelve long weary months we have lived with the threat that on such-and-such a date war will be declared and as each date passes nerves become more strained, the tension grows tighter and we wait with a jagged dread for the next date. Of course, we carry on and live and eat and sleep and generally behave as though
nothing was worrying us at all but all the time there is a little devil deep inside that whispers “what’s the use of making this arrangement – we probably shalln’t be here when the time comes to fulfil it.”’ (Miss Vivienne Hall, aged thirty-two, shorthand typist with the Northern Assurance Co. of Moorgate, London EC2, living with her mother in Putney)

25 August, L
ONDON

The BBC starts broadcasting news bulletins from 10.30am. Up until today the first news had gone out as late as 6pm. Britain and Poland sign a five-year military mutual assistance agreement. It is an unambiguous declaration that Britain will fight if Poland is invaded.

25 August, D
ANZIG

Instead of the cruiser
Koenigsberg
promised in June, the battleship
Schleswig-Holstein
arrives on a ‘courtesy visit’ to the Free City. The crew consists in the main of naval cadets. Three days ago, navy commander-in-chief Admiral Erich Raeder warned Hitler that Polish coastal batteries might very well sink the old battleship, with the loss of over 300 cadets. Hitler replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.

25 August, M
UNICH

Because of the Nazi–Soviet Pact, Radio Munich abruptly cancels a scheduled talk entitled, ‘I accuse Moscow – the Comintern Plan for World Dictatorship’. It is replaced by thirty minutes of Russian music.

25 August, N
EW
Y
ORK

Despite the crisis, the Columbia Broadcasting System insists that its European correspondents, including William Shirer in Germany, go ahead with a programme
Europe Dances
featuring dance band music from Paris, London and Berlin. Shirer suggests calling it off as ‘war’s too imminent for that sort of thing’.

25 August, B
ERLIN

Sir Nevile Henderson is asked to meet with Hitler at 1.30pm. In an attempt to detach Britain from Poland, Hitler tells the ambassador that once the Polish ‘question’ has been settled, he is prepared to make Britain ‘a large comprehensive offer’ and to guarantee the British Empire. He puts an aeroplane at Sir Nevile’s disposal to take the offer to London next morning.

Hitler receives a message from Mussolini. The Duce tells Hitler that Italy is in no position to render Germany any military assistance at the present time. This news, and the signing of the Anglo-Polish alliance, makes Hitler change his mind and at 7.45pm orders are sent to halt the attack on Poland scheduled to start at 4.30 tomorrow morning.

25 August, W
ORTHING

‘News very bad but we are hopeful in this household that war will not come. Mother hasn’t got any extra food in, any black stuff for black-outs or even a gas mask.’ (Joan Strange)

25 August, T
EDDINGTON

‘Dull, some rain and
the
most oppressive day I’ve known. The sun did not break through once. One felt utterly exhausted. It couldn’t have been a more appropriate setting for the news.’ (Helena Mott)

25 August, C
ITY OF
L
ONDON

‘Another day of strain – last night there were the usual stories of “incidents” on the frontiers between Poland and Germany, speeches of determination from Hitler and Poland . . . Britain (via Lord Halifax) issued her warning that we and France would stand by our obligations to help Poland – the Pope sent a message to the world to try and be reasonable and somehow stop the senseless slaughter of millions of people.