Changes

Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany after ultimatums to withdraw expired on September 3. However, some other items of the March 30 guarantee pledge were violated; most notably the failure to respond with an overland invasion from the West.  The pledge would not have obliged France and Great Britain to declare war on the Soviet Union due to the actual wording of the pact that specifically named Germany as the potential aggressor.  This was kept secret for diplomatic reasons.  Great Britain and France enforced a naval [[blockade]] on Germany and seized German ships starting with the declaration of war.

Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany after ultimatums to withdraw expired on September 3. However, some other items of the March 30 guarantee pledge were violated; most notably the failure to respond with an overland invasion from the West.  The pledge would not have obliged France and Great Britain to declare war on the Soviet Union due to the actual wording of the pact that specifically named Germany as the potential aggressor.  This was kept secret for diplomatic reasons.  Great Britain and France enforced a naval [[blockade]] on Germany and seized German ships starting with the declaration of war.

According to the Franco-Polish military convention, the French Army was to start preparations for the major offensive three days after the mobilisation started. The French forces were to effectively gain control over the area between the French border and the [[Siegfried Line|German lines]] and to probe the German defences. On the 15th day of the mobilisation (that is on September 16), the French Army was to start a full scale assault on Germany. The pre-emptive mobilisation was started in France on August 26, and on September 1, the full mobilization was declared.  A French offensive in the [[Rhine river]] valley area (Saar Offensive) started on September 7.  Eleven French divisions (out of 102 being mobilized) advanced along a 32 km line near [[Saarbrücken]] with negligible German opposition.  However, the half-hearted offensive was halted after France seized the Warndt Forest, three square miles of heavily-mined German territory. At the same time Great Britain, who promised to start air-raids on German industry as soon as possible, conducted a number of air raids against the German [[Kriegsmarine]] on September 4 1939, losing 2 Wellington and 5 Blenheim bombers in the action.<ref>[http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-in-europe/european-air-war/european-air-war-index-1939.htm] WWII timeline for 1939</ref><ref>[http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/39-08.htm] German ''Chronik des Seekriegs''</ref> During those first days of the war [[RAF]] Whitley night bombers also dropped propaganda leaflets on German cities, taking great care to ensure that the leaflets were not dropped tied together so that they would cause no casualties on the ground. On September 11, the leaflet raids were halted.

According to the Franco-Polish military convention, the French Army was to start preparations for the major offensive three days after the [[mobilization]] started. The French forces were to effectively gain control over the area between the French border and the [[Siegfried Line|German lines]] and to probe the German defences. On the 15th day of the mobilisation (that is on September 16), the French Army was to start a full scale assault on Germany. The pre-emptive mobilisation was started in France on August 26, and on September 1, the full mobilization was declared.  A French offensive in the [[Rhine river]] valley area (Saar Offensive) started on September 7.  Eleven French divisions (out of 102 being mobilized) advanced along a 32 km line near [[Saarbrücken]] with negligible German opposition.  However, the half-hearted offensive was halted after France seized the Warndt Forest, three square miles of heavily-mined German territory. At the same time Great Britain, who promised to start air-raids on German industry as soon as possible, conducted a number of air raids against the German [[Kriegsmarine]] on September 4 1939, losing 2 Wellington and 5 Blenheim bombers in the action.<ref>[http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-in-europe/european-air-war/european-air-war-index-1939.htm] WWII timeline for 1939</ref><ref>[http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/39-08.htm] German ''Chronik des Seekriegs''</ref> During those first days of the war [[RAF]] Whitley night bombers also dropped propaganda leaflets on German cities, taking great care to ensure that the leaflets were not dropped tied together so that they would cause no casualties on the ground. On September 11, the leaflet raids were halted.

Both the pre-war reports of the Polish intelligence and the post-war testimonies of German generals (most notably of [[Wilhelm Keitel]] and Alfred Jodl) reported that there was an equivalent of less than 20 divisions facing France in 1939, as compared to roughly 90 French divisions. Eleven of them were under-manned infantry divisions, mostly stripped of all heavy equipment, while the rest was composed mainly of second-line troops, march battalions and border guards. Similarly, most of the [[Luftwaffe]] and all armoured units were then in Poland while the [[Siegfried Line]] was severely under-manned and far from completed. Knowing all of the above, the Allied commanders expected that the French offensive would quickly break the German lines and force the OKW to withdraw a large part of its forces fighting on Polish soil back to German western frontier. This would force Germany to fight a costly two-front war.

Both the pre-war reports of the Polish intelligence and the post-war testimonies of German generals (most notably of [[Wilhelm Keitel]] and Alfred Jodl) reported that there was an equivalent of less than 20 divisions facing France in 1939, as compared to roughly 90 French divisions. Eleven of them were under-manned infantry divisions, mostly stripped of all heavy equipment, while the rest was composed mainly of second-line troops, march battalions and border guards. Similarly, most of the [[Luftwaffe]] and all armoured units were then in Poland while the [[Siegfried Line]] was severely under-manned and far from completed. Knowing all of the above, the Allied commanders expected that the French offensive would quickly break the German lines and force the OKW to withdraw a large part of its forces fighting on Polish soil back to German western frontier. This would force Germany to fight a costly two-front war.