|
1
Sept |
Germany invades
Poland. First use of Blitzkrieg. Britain and
France give Germany an ultimatum to get out.
Blackout and evacuation plans are put in place
in Britain. |
|
2
Sept |
Chamberlain sends
Hitler an ultimatum: withdraw German troops from Poland or
war will be declared. The Luftwaffe gains air superiority
over the Polish air force. |
|
|
3
Sept |
Germany ignores the
ultimatum and Britain and France declare war on
Germany.
Listen now to
Neville Chamberlain (right):
Trouble listening? Ensure you have activex
enabled.
British troops
(the BEF) are sent to France. The passenger
liner "Athenia" is sunk by U-30 off Ireland. 112
of the passengers are killed.
|
|
4
Sept |
The RAF raid German
warships based in the Heligoland Bight. |
|
6
Sept |
South Africa
declares war on Germany; Egypt brakes off
relations with Germany, |
|
9
Sept |
The IV Panzer
Division reaches Warsaw. |
 |
|
17
Sept |
Russia's Red Army
attacks Poland from the east |
|
24
Sept |
1,150 German
aircraft bomb Warsaw. |
|
26
Sept |
The Luftwaffe attack
the Royal Navy at Scapa Flow. |
|
27
Sept |
Poland surrenders to
Germany. |
|
6
Oct |
Last Polish troops
cease fighting. Hitler launches his "Peace
Offensive" but this is rejected by Neville
Chamberlain. |
|
14 Oct |
HMS Royal Oak is
torpedoed at Scapa Flow by U-Boat 47. |
 |
|
30
Nov
|
Russia's Red Army
invade Finland - the Winter War. |
|
13 Dec |
The Battle of the
River Plate is fought and ends with the German
pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee in
flames after being scuttled in the River Plate
Estuary off Montevideo, Uruguay (right) |
|
14
Dec |
Russia expelled from
the League of Nations. |
