What would of happened in WW2 if Britain and France did not just sit by while Germany invaded Poland?

Besides all the missed chances to stop Hitler prior to the invasion of Poland. I am referring to what was called the Phony War or Sitzkrieg. The time between Britain and France declaring war on Germany for attacking Poland in Sept. 1939 and the start of serious ground campaign when the Germans attacked Belgium and France in May 1940.

The French launched an attack against Germany in early September but held up and eventually halted their attack despite limited German resistance.

From Wiki
Alfred Jodl at the Nuremberg Trials said that "if we did not collapse already in the year 1939 that was due only to the fact that during the Polish campaign, the approximately 110 French and British divisions in the West were held completely inactive against the 23 German divisions."

So if the British and French would of pushed forward with the attack instead of halting and waiting would millions of been saved with a swift end of the war? or would the reluctance of the British and French to hold Germany down just postpone the bigger conflict?

MSG Brad

The British and French were not prepared to take the offensive in September of 1939, and they were not prepared for a winter campaign later 1939/1940. The Allies in 1944 were not prepared for a winter offensive and stop their advance. Combat operations are extremely difficult, combat operations during winter are even more difficult. You are not only fighting an enemy, you are fighting the weather too.
While the French and British had more divisions on paper, those divisions were not in place to move against the Germans. What would have happened if the French would have put more pressure on the Germans in 1939 and sacrificed a few ill prepared divisions to force Germany to deploy units to the west? Who knows. The French army really didn't do that good in the defensive, I am afraid to think what they would have done in the offensive with zero time to train up.

Patrick W

Germany would have invaded England as they would not have been fighting Russia.

Me2828

Germany would have annexed poland before an invasion could be organised, if they managed to send a force into germany, the forces returning from poland would have destroyed their forces and they would have been unable to replace lost divisions which would have made germanys invasion of britain possible

Andru

It was the big trap.

KIERAN

the French had already tried that against Gemany at the start of the first world war. French forces invaded German territory through alsace-lorraine but the attack was halted, the Germans had expected it and the Germans were better trained and better equipped than the French. When the British tried it DID work....for a bit. They had better rifles and training than the Germans and beat them several times until they lost momentum and trench warfare began.

These kinds of plan for a big invasion, a quick knockout, had crippled both the allies and central powers in the first world war, neither side wanted to repeat the same thing. It's possible that the French and British thought they could win by fighting more defensively this time, obviously underestimaing blitzkrieg.

Another thing is that neither France or Britain had the technology or numbers of the German army. Those 23 German divisions were part of the best war machine Europe had ever seen. They had advanced tanks, planes and weapons as well as brilliant training and were ready for war, due to the defeat of Poland they were also bloated on victory and morale was high.

Compare that to the allied armies. Their tanks were few and a bit crap, their weapons were either old or unreliable and their planes, at first, were inferior. These armies were also fairly fresh, especially the British army, they had a lot of registered soldiers but quite a lot had'nt been trained because of the rapid expansion of the army after the Munich agreement, similar case in France. They also just weren't ready, or properly organised yet, when they did attack it was at the precise wrong moment, both much too early and an eternity too late. German armies were well placed to split up the British and French and theey had to either retreat or risk losing the war.

trenton2u

I belive it was some kind of trap but if they would have fought harder this might not have happend

Bones

The British and French militaries were in no shape to take on the Germans at the time. They were in desperate need of refitting And really didn't have equipment, vehicles or raw materials to do it. That's were the US came with the Lend Lease program, it gave Britain time to build up their military. And the British did try to go after there Germans in 1940, Dunkirk. If you haven't read about it, it was a complete and utter failure only mitigated by Hitler's incompetence.

Vulture38

On this day, the anniversary of the sailing of the small ships to Dunkirk for Operation Dynamo, you ask a question like this?

I don't take lectures from Americans on sitting by.

Sean

Poland should have fought Germany on their own.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: