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Why did France and Britain declare war on Germany when they invaded Poland, but not on the USSR who also invaded/annexed Poland?
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Captain of Team Apolyton - ISDG 2012
When I was younger I thought curfews were silly, but now as the daughter of a young woman, I appreciate them. - Rah -
Re: Quick WW2 Question
Because one enemy was enough for them. Or better said, too much for them.Originally posted by OzzyKP
Why did France and Britain declare war on Germany when they invaded Poland, but not on the USSR who also invaded/annexed Poland?If you don't like reality, change it! me
"Oh no! I am bested!" Drake
"it is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong" Voltaire
"Patriotism is a pernecious, psychopathic form of idiocy" George Bernard Shaw -
What was the timing. Didn't Russia invade a week or two later?
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Once the Germans where on the reteat the USSR had carte blanche in the East.Comment
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the rooskies invaded 16 days after the germans and the polish government left the country the same dayCSPAComment
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Realistic politics
Britain and France feared German intentions on their territories to a much greater extent than Russian ones. The Russians could sell their invasion on the theory of preventing Germany taking all of POland and securing themselves better from the german threat.
I read a book about Churchill where it indicated that he pretty much prayed for a German-Russia conflict to lessen the effort against Britain.You don't get to 300 losses without being a pretty exceptional goaltender.-- Ben Kenobi speaking of Roberto LuongoComment
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Who says prayers aren't answered?Originally posted by Flubber
I read a book about Churchill where it indicated that he pretty much prayed for a German-Russia conflict to lessen the effort against Britain.
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Could well be, that GB/France only quaranteed Polish independence against the Germans, in writing...
I've never thought of it, but France and GB ultimately failed to keep their promise. Polish lost their independence for decades, and the war was fought for naught.I've allways wanted to play "Russ Meyer's Civilization"Comment
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Re: Quick WW2 Question
IIRC Churchill initially wanted to declare war on the Soviet Union but cooler heads prevailed and the Anglo-French allies realized that they had their hands full with Germany alone.Originally posted by OzzyKP
Why did France and Britain declare war on Germany when they invaded Poland, but not on the USSR who also invaded/annexed Poland?He's got the Midas touch.
But he touched it too much!
Hey Goldmember, Hey Goldmember!Comment
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French and English just didn't give a **** about the Poles. They were more worried about a resurgent Germany that they would have to face on other, more valuable, fronts later on if they let Germany kep steamrolling.
Pretty telling considering how they ****ed over their ally after the war."The DPRK is still in a state of war with the U.S. It's called a black out." - Che explaining why orbital nightime pictures of NK show few lights. Seriously.Comment
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wholesale ignorance
"The Christian way has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found to be hard and left untried" - GK Chesterton.
"The most obvious predicition about the future is that it will be mostly like the past" - Alain de BottonComment
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Re: Quick WW2 Question
Originally posted by OzzyKP
Why did France and Britain declare war on Germany when they invaded Poland, but not on the USSR who also invaded/annexed Poland?
Soviet Union was not a "European power" the article was designed from informal agrements hurridly put in place as German/polish situatiopn worsened, no one at that time know of the german/Soviet pact that wopuld bring the Soviets into Poland.
Heres where you can read the evolution of UK/Polish agreements, my understaning is that the UK had the principle of defending Poland confused with taking on all comers, ie the Uk does not want a German controlled Europe and will resist that with force, but did not *know* that AH had JS with him on taking Poland down.
To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield.Comment
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Churchill wasn't PM in 1939...
The war wasn't fought over Poland
Armchair historians
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If they were so worried about Germany why didn't they do anything when they took Austria, or Czechoslovakia, or built up their army, or...Originally posted by Patroklos
French and English just didn't give a **** about the Poles. They were more worried about a resurgent Germany that they would have to face on other, more valuable, fronts later on if they let Germany kep steamrolling.
Pretty telling considering how they ****ed over their ally after the war.Captain of Team Apolyton - ISDG 2012
When I was younger I thought curfews were silly, but now as the daughter of a young woman, I appreciate them. - RahComment
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Since this is a question which asks about the motives of past goverments (why did/didn't x do y in z), it can only be answered with speculation.Why did France and Britain declare war on Germany when they invaded Poland, but not on the USSR who also invaded/annexed Poland?
My guess is that they really didn't see any reason to declare war against USSR -- the war declaration against Germany in '39 was more an issue of prestige than issue of stopping the conquest of Poland (which wasn't really that much of a democracy) to France and UK. Consider the way how dramatically and suddenly UK tied it's hands with mutual agreements to defend Poland in early '39.
Who said he was? Selective readingChurchill wasn't PM in 1939...
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