Bricks without Straw: September 1939–June 1940

Abstract

The European war which began so furiously on 1 September 1939 in Poland deteriorated into the so-called ‘phoney war’ after the Poles surrendered in October. Their British and French allies had played little part in the fighting except at sea. Indeed German soldiers captured by a French patrol near the Maginot Line reportedly were surprised to learn that Germany and France were at war.¹ All the same, Adolph Hitler’s peace offer on 6 October was rejected outright for to do otherwise, said Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, would be to approve a treacherous act of banditry. However, the allies were not prepared to go on the offensive. They welcomed the lull following Poland’s defeat, which gave them the opportunity to search for an ‘alignment of forces’ against Germany whenever the shooting resumed. The search applied to propagan-da as well as to diplomatic and military forces.²