Explanation:
On September 3, 1939, in response to Hitler’s invasion of Poland, Britain and France, both allies of the overrun nation declare war on Germany.
The first casualty of that declaration was not German—but the British ocean liner Athenia, which was sunk by a German U-30 submarine that had assumed the liner was armed and belligerent. There were more than 1,100 passengers on board, 112 of whom lost their lives. Of those, 28 were Americans, but President Roosevelt was unfazed by the tragedy, declaring that no one was to “thoughtlessly or falsely talk of America sending its armies to European fields.” The United States would remain neutral.
READ MORE: The Secret British Campaign to Persuade the US to Enter WWII
As for Britain’s response, it was initially no more than the dropping of anti-Nazi propaganda leaflets—13 tons of them—over Germany. They would begin bombing German ships on September 4, suffering significant losses. They were also working under orders not to harm German civilians. The German military, of course, had no such restrictions. France would begin an offensive against Germany’s western border two weeks later. Their effort was weakened by a narrow 90-mile window leading to the German front, enclosed by the borders of Luxembourg and Belgium—both neutral countries. The Germans mined the passage, stalling the French offensive.
Citation Information
Article Title
Britain and France declare war on Germany
Author
History.com Editors
Website Name
HISTORY
URL
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/britain-and-france-declare-war-on-germany
Access Date
May 28, 2021
Publisher
A&E Television Networks
Last Updated
September 1, 2020
Original Published Date
November 5, 2009
TAGSFRENCH HISTORYBRITISH HISTORYGERMANY
BY HISTORY.COM EDITORS
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