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The Tudors
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This was the year that World War Two began. In 1938, the British PM, Neville Chamberlain and his French equivalent had met with Adolf Hitler and agreed a peace treaty. Chamberlain's policy toward Germany was one where he tried to avoid a war or any conflict. It was known as appeasement. Many people were against it including Winston Churchill.

On 15 March 1939, despite everything he had said in the Munich Agreement, Hitler ordered German troops to invade Czechoslovakia. On 17 March Chamberlain gave a speech to Parliament saying he couldn't trust Hitler not to invade other countries and on 31 March guaranteed to defend Poland should Germany invade.

In May, Germany and Italy agreed a pact. It was now pretty obvious that Germany was planning a war. Despite Chamberlain's public speeches, Britain too was building up its military but only slowly. Hitler had now shown that he wasn't just interested in uniting German people as there were hardly any in the remainder of Czechoslovakia that he had invaded. During the summer, tension was very high. On August 23 Hitler agreed a pact with Russia where they would not attack each other.

Then, at 4.45 am on 1 September a German battleship opened fire on the Polish garrison of Danzig (called Gdansk today), and, shortly after, German soldiers supported by 1,300 aircraft began the invasion of Poland. This was a new type of war. No men digging in trenches. Troops would move quickly across the land in tanks and armoured cars while aircraft would bomb positions in their way.

At 8am, on 1 September, Poland requested immediate military assistance from France and Britain, but it was not until 3 September that Britain declared war on Germany, followed by France's declaration at 5.00pm. The delay was because Britain hoped Hitler might respond to the demands to stop. Guess what, he didn't.

The news was broadcast to the British people by the Prime Minister over the BBC radio at 11.15 a.m. His full speech was as follows:-

"This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a  final note stating that, unless we heard from them by 11 o'clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that consequently this country is at war with Germany. You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me that all my long struggle to win peace has failed. Yet I cannot believe that there is anything more or anything different that I could have done and that would have been more successful. Up to the very last it would have been quite possible to have arranged a peaceful and honourable settlement between Germany and Poland, but Hitler would not have it. He had evidently made up his mind to attack Poland whatever happened, and although he now says he put forward reasonable proposals which were rejected by the Poles, that is not a true statement. The proposals were never shown to the Poles, nor to us, and, although they were announced in a German broadcast on Thursday night, Hitler did not wait to hear comments on them, but ordered his troops to cross the Polish frontier. His action shows convincingly that there is no chance of expecting that this man will ever give up his practice of using force to gain his will. He can only be stopped by force. We and France are today, in fulfilment of our obligations, going to the aid of Poland, who is so bravely resisting this wicked and unprovoked attack on her people. We have a clear conscience. We have done all that any country could do to establish peace. The situation in which no word given by Germany's ruler could be trusted and no people or country could feel themselves safe has become intolerable. And now that we have resolved to finish it, I know that you will all play your part with calmness and courage. At such a moment as this the assurances of support that we have received from the Empire are a source of profound encouragement to us. The Government have made plans under which it will be possible to carry on the work of the nation in the days of stress and strain that may be ahead. But these plans need your help. You may be taking your part in the fighting services or as a volunteer in one of the branches of Civil Defence. If so you will report for duty in accordance with the instructions you have received. You may be engaged in work essential to the prosecution of war for the maintenance of the life of the people - in factories, in transport, in public utility concerns, or in the supply of other necessaries of life. If so, it is of vital importance that you should carry on with your jobs. Now may God bless you all. May He defend the right. It is the evil things that we shall be fighting against - brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution - and against them I am certain that the right will prevail."

Meanwhile in the east of France defences were being built along something called the Maginot line. This was old fashioned warfare though but they hoped it would stop German troops if they decided to invade France. On 17 September the Russian Army entered Poland in the east and by 27 September, Poland had surrendered and WWII was well under way.

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