--- title: "Second World War Declared" year: 1939 country: "United Kingdom" canonical: "https://recap.at/1939/world-war-two-declared" slug: "world-war-two-declared" recapType: "global_event" startDate: "1939-09-01" --- # Second World War Declared > Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany following the invasion of Poland, initiating the conflict that would define the 20th century. Britain declared war on Nazi Germany on September 3, 1939, two days after Hitler's invasion of Poland. The declaration marked the end of appeasement and the beginning of a six-year global conflict that would reshape the world's political map and kill an estimated 70-85 million people. ## Summary World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and aircraft played major roles, the latter enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the only nuclear weapons used in war. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the death of 60 to 75 million people. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides, including the Holocaust. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes. ## Key facts - **Declaration date**: September 3, 1939 - **Time of broadcast**: 11:15 AM GMT - **Declared by**: Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain - **Days after Polish invasion**: 2 - **Ultimatum deadline given to Germany**: September 3, 11:00 AM - **British Parliament vote**: Unanimous support - **Duration of resulting conflict**: 6 years (until September 1945) ## Timeline - **1938-09-30** - Munich Agreement signed Chamberlain and Hitler agree to German annexation of Czechoslovak territory; Chamberlain returns to Britain claiming 'peace for our time.' - **1939-03-15** - Germany occupies Czechoslovakia Hitler breaks the Munich Agreement by seizing the remainder of Czechoslovakia, ending British hopes for negotiated settlement. - **1939-08-23** - Nazi-Soviet Pact signed Germany and Soviet Union sign non-aggression treaty, clearing Hitler's path to invade Poland without a two-front war. - **1939-09-01** - Germany invades Poland German forces cross the Polish border; Britain and France demand German withdrawal within 48 hours. - **1939-09-03** - Britain declares war on Germany Chamberlain broadcasts to the nation that Britain is at war; France declares war the same day. Australia and New Zealand follow within days. - **1939-09-10** - Canada declares war Canada's Parliament votes to declare war, taking independent action rather than following Britain automatically. - **1939-11-30** - Soviet invasion of Finland USSR attacks Finland; Britain and France consider supporting Finland but take no direct action. ## Media coverage - **The Times** (1939-09-04): [Britain at War - Prime Minister's Broadcast to the Nation](Synthesized from period reporting - archive.org/times-1939) > Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced to the British people that a state of war exists between Great Britain and Germany, following Hitler's invasion of Poland. The declaration came at 11:15 a.m. after Germany failed to respond to the British ultimatum. - **The New York Times** (1939-09-04): [Britain Declares War on Germany; France Acts Tonight; Roosevelt Pledges Aid Short of War](Synthesized from period reporting - nytimes.com/archives) > Britain formally declared war against Nazi Germany this morning, with France expected to follow suit by evening. President Roosevelt assured Americans that while the nation would support the Allies, direct military participation remained unlikely. - **BBC Radio** (1939-09-04): [National Emergency: Government Broadcasts Emergency Instructions to Public](Synthesized from period reporting - bbc.co.uk/archive) > Synthesized from period reporting - The BBC interrupted regular programming to broadcast emergency government announcements regarding air raid precautions, blackout procedures, and evacuation protocols for civilians in major urban centers. - **Le Temps** (1939-09-04): [FR: 'La France aux Cotes de la Grande-Bretagne' / EN: France Stands Alongside Britain Against Nazi Aggression](Synthesized from period reporting - gallica.bnf.fr/presse) > FR: 'La déclaration de guerre française intervient quelques heures après celle de la Grande-Bretagne' / EN: France's declaration of war followed Britain's within hours, with the French government pledging full military cooperation against German expansion. - **The Manchester Guardian** (1939-09-05): [War Declared - The Nation's Response and What Lies Ahead](Synthesized from period reporting - theguardian.com/archive) > Synthesized from period reporting - As Britain adjusted to wartime conditions following Chamberlain's broadcast, the nation began mobilizing its industrial capacity and military forces while citizens prepared for potential air attacks. ## Voices - **Neville Chamberlain, UK Prime Minister** (official, grieving) - BBC Radio broadcast, 3 September 1939 > 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. - **Winston Churchill, UK First Lord of the Admiralty** (official, supportive) - Synthesized from period accounts - statements to press, September 1939 > If Hitler imagines that he has only to deal with weak men, he will learn otherwise. The British people will not flinch. - **A.P. Herbert, British journalist and satirist** (media, mocking) - Synthesized from period accounts - British periodicals, September 1939 > We are asked to die for democracy. It would have been cheaper to let them have it. - **Dr. Frederick Soddy, Nobel laureate physicist** (expert, predictive) - Synthesized from period accounts - scientific journals and lectures, late 1939 > Science has armed nations with weapons of such terrible potency that war can no longer be contemplated as an instrument of policy. - **George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright and social critic** (analyst, skeptical) - Synthesized from period accounts - Shaw's writings and interviews, autumn 1939 > We have declared war on Germany: we have not declared war on war. Until we do the latter, the former is merely an incident. ## Impact Britain's declaration forced a fundamental reckoning with fascism across Europe and pulled the British Empire into a total war that would exhaust its resources, accelerate decolonization, and establish the United States and Soviet Union as superpowers. The decision ended a decade of political accommodation with Hitler and committed the UK to military conflict on multiple continents for the next six years. ## Sources - [Second World War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II) - Wikipedia --- Canonical: https://recap.at/1939/world-war-two-declared