Countdown to World War Two: Tuesday 29 August 1939

Hitler's reply to Britain

Headline: Herr Hitler replies to the British Ambassador's note of yesterday.

When Sir Neville Henderson delivered the British note last night at the Chancery in Berlin, Herr Hitler received him in person. The contents of the correspondence are still being kept a close secret and neither side has released any details.

This afternoon, in the Commons, the Prime Minister took great pains not to let any cats out of the diplomatic bag. However, it is unlikely that either side has changed its basic policy. Germany's claims against Poland remain the same: to incorporate the free city of Danzig and the Polish corridor within the German Reich; claims that are in contravention of the Treaty which Germany signed with Poland in 1934.

Herr Hitler says that he wants to promote better understanding between Germany, Britain and France, as long as they don't get in the way of what he considers to be a 'just settlement' in Poland.

Britain too would like to improve her relations with Germany, but the British Government feels that they must hold fast to the Pact that they signed with Poland last week, which would involve Britain immediately, should Poland be attacked by another country.

One ray of hope, in this otherwise gloomy scenario, is that at least the two countries are still communicating - the moment they stop the prospect of war will be very close indeed.

[*Reports taken from BBC news bulletins, and a range of daily newspapers]

PM tries for peace

Headline: Today in Parliament the PM is to try for peace.

Large crowds gathered outside Parliament this afternoon to watch MPs arrive for the second sitting of Parliament in less than a week. Ministers and other well known MPs were cheered as they arrived, including Mr Churchill and Mr Eden who arrived together on foot. In a crowded house the MPs were brought up to date on the international crisis.

In the Lords the Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, made a brief statement outlining what had happened during the last few days.

In the Commons the Prime Minister began his statement by explaining that there had been little change in the international situation since they had met last week and that although the catastrophe had not yet come, the danger of it had not receded.

There were loud cheers when he went on to say that the foreign policy of the Government remained unchanged. Understandably the Prime Minister was unable to go into any detail about what the two countries had said to each other, but he was able to indicate the general points that each country had put forward.

'Everything turns upon the manner in which the immediate differences between Germany and Poland can be handled and the nature of the proposal, which might be made for any settlement. We have made it plain that our obligation to Poland, cast into formal shape by the agreement which was signed on August 25th on Friday last will be carried out.'

The house again cheered the Prime Minister when he spoke of the remarkable calm that characterised the attitude of the British people at the moment. This he believed arose out of their confidence in knowing that the country was ready for any eventuality. Some of the measures that were necessary for preparing the country he realised would be inconvenient, but he was certain that the nation's needs would be recognised as paramount.

He ended his speech by saying: 'The British people are said sometimes to be slow to make up their minds, but having made them up they do not readily let go. The issue of peace of war is still undecided, and we still will hope and still will work for peace but we will abate not one jot of our resolution to hold fast to the line which we have laid down for ourselves.'

Those cheers merged with the ones that greeted Mr Greenwood - the acting Leader of the Opposition while Mr Attlee is ill - when he got up to speak. He beat the dispatch box to emphasise the determination of the Labour Party to end aggression, and went on to say that if war did come, the responsibility would rest on one man, Herr Hitler.

The only note of controversy in this speech was over the question of evacuation, which he urged should be undertaken, without delay, otherwise, if war did break out, the responsibility for the deaths that might be caused would rest with the Government, and not the opposition.

Meanwhile, he said: 'It is everybody's desire that the negotiations which are now proceeding should be successful on the lies of justice and honour. Should they fail, those who have created the new situation will meet with an irresistible iron determination in this country to end aggression forever.'

Slovakia

Headline: Announcement in Bratislava that Slovakia is now completely occupied by German troops.

The whole of Slovakia is now fully occupied by German troops according to Slovakian radio. An announcement late last night confirmed earlier reports that there was a heavy German presence in the country.

Slovakia, although independent, has a treaty of friendly protection with the German Reich. Reports state that posters have been appearing in every village announcing that the German military occupation was made in order to protect Slovakia from Polish aggression, and ordered the Slovaks to welcome the soldiers who had come to help them.

This continues the theme of the appeal made by Father Tiso, the Slovak Prime Minister yesterday evening.

However, although the Slovak people remain unconvinced about the possibility of a Polish invasion, the Germans and the Slovak Government are taking it all very seriously.

The movement of German troops and supplies, which had stopped during the last couple of days, began again and nearly 80,000 German troops passed through Bratislava during last night and today.

Some have stayed in Bratislava, either in schools or Slovak army barracks, but most of them went on to man various points along the Polish frontier. This morning three German river gunboats arrived and anchored on the German side of the Danube in Bratislava, and they were followed later by three large oil tankers which tied up in the harbour. These are reported to be ready to supply fuel for the motorised troops on the Polish border.

Also today, 50 bombers flew over Bratislava from Austria, heading northwards, and a steady flow of goods trains loaded with ammunition passed over the bridge that connects Germany with Slovakia. Although we know that Slovakia is fully occupied with German troops, we still don't know for certain why they are there.

Poland

Headline: Violence in Poland.

In Poland 17 people were killed and 38 wounded when a bomb exploded at the Tarnow railway station yesterday. Three Germans have confessed to complicity in the incident. Their arrest is only one of an increasing number of arrests in which Germans have been suspected of planning similar acts of sabotage.

An official communiqué issued tonight by the Polish police revealed a widespread conspiracy to organise acts of sabotage. A member of the German minority who was arrested near Katowice confessed to being part of a foreign espionage organisation.

The organisation had received bombs from abroad which were due to be detonated on receipt of a secret wireless signal from Breslau. Similar organisations have been discovered in Poznán, Cieszyn and Silesia.

The police communiqué also reported the arrest of three Germans following a house search in Lodz where police discovered a quantity of explosives. All three Germans are members of the Jungdeutsche Partei.

Tension is also mounting in the Free City of Danzig where the day-to-day life of the Polish citizens is being made more and more difficult by the Nazi presence. Food rationing has been introduced and the opening hours of food shops limited.

No motor vehicles or motor boats may be used without permission of the Senate. The Danzig shipyards have dismissed all Polish workers and refused to return their identity cards and the Nazi leader Herr Forster's organ 'Danziger Vorposten' today described with approval the attempted lynching of a Polish docker by German dockhands.

Paris

Headline: Paris prepares for next German move

The French Government today renewed its appeal to all Paris residents whose presence is not essential to leave the city as soon as possible. The President of the Paris Municipal Council also announced tonight that the evacuation of school children in the Paris area would begin tomorrow.

Following Mr Chamberlain's statement this afternoon, the French leaders are awaiting the next move from Herr Hitler.

Meanwhile, everything is being done to complete the country's defensive preparations. At midnight yesterday the Government imposed full control over all communication by telephone and telegraph. All public call offices have been closed. Private citizens may no longer make international calls and trunk calls in France are greatly restricted.

The export of essential commodities like cereals, oil and petrol, most metals, sugar, rubber and certain classes of motor vehicles have been prohibited from today. Walk down a familiar Paris boulevard tonight and you'll do it in almost total darkness. Take a drink in a café in the suburbs and you'll be expected to finish it by 11.00pm.

Street traffic is heavily reduced, as cars and buses continue to be commandeered and their drivers mobilised, but all should remain in the capital found adequate transport available. Although the pattern of normal life here has been greatly affected, the people of France seem to have taken it in their stride.

Germany on the offensive?

Headline: Germany on the offensive?

As Paris prepares to defend, Germany increasingly looks like a country that is about to attack. But will it be war in Europe?

In some quarters of Berlin tonight there is a certain feeling of optimism following the German Government taking 24 hours to reply to Britain's note of yesterday. The impression is that the note received careful consideration, and wasn't rejected out of hand.

The attitude is supported to some degree by reports in the German press about Hitler's reply to Monsieur Daladier in which they say that the return of Danzig and the corridor to the Reich is only 'the last stone on the way to a reformation of Europe', and that the French people cannot fail to be impressed by the goodwill shown in the exchange of notes.

But unfortunately this hope that there'll be no conflict is based more on atmosphere than on hard evidence. The official line is that the situation remains unchanged, and this is clearly borne out by the calling up of the last reservists, and the start of food rationing.

Another more alarming rumour is that Germany's demands towards Poland may have been increased, and that they might now be asking for not just Danzig and the corridor to be returned to the Reich, but former German provinces as well.

'Bremen' detained

Headline:German ship 'Bremen' detained and searched in New York

President Roosevelt was asked in Washington today to explain the detention in New York of the German liner Bremen. She was held in port yesterday in an unexpected move which upset German plans to get the liner away last night.

Bremen and other foreign merchant ships in New York harbour were thoroughly searched today on the orders of the American Government.

At a press conference earlier today Mr Roosevelt said that America must protect herself, and he referred to the use of armed merchant vessels as raiders in the Great War.

'I want to know whether the Bremen is carrying guns or not', he said. There's been speculation that the searches would also have been for any sign of gun mountings aboard - the sort that enable a merchantman to become a warship within hours.

Moscow, and other stories

Headline: Moscow special session delayed

In Moscow today the Supreme Soviet again delayed the main business of the special session, the ratification of the Soviet-German Pact. Instead, this time they discussed agricultural taxation for three hours, and adjourned until tomorrow.

There is every indication that they will delay putting the seal of approval to the Pact until the European situation had become more definite.

Other stories: Red Army on tour

Two hundred and twenty singers, dancers and musicians of the Red Army certainly don't think there is going to be a war. They left Leningrad today in two Soviet ships, en route to a tour of the United States.

Other stories: European Royals unite in peace move

Two European monarchs today joined together in an unprecedented move to foster peace. King Leopold of the Belgians and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands sent copies of a joint offer of mediation to Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland. The offer was accepted in London and Paris, but no replies have yet been received from Berlin or Warsaw.

Other stories: Women take over at work

Women are coming forward in unprecedented numbers to take part in all forms of national service. Many women are impatient to be accepted for war work and have to be reminded that it will take a little time before the jobs that men have relinquished become available.

Other stories: Speedway dispatch riders

Several London speedway promoters have undertaken to organise groups of their riders into dispatch teams to assist the London Fire Brigade in the event of war.

Other stories: Theatres to close?

The air raid protection department of the Home Office has announced that should war break out, all theatres, music halls and other places of public entertainment will be closed. This is because of the danger of their being bombed in an air raid. But the Home Office does add that this should only be a temporary measure.

And finally ...

Rosie the giraffe, who came over from Kenya a few years ago, has just had a baby at Whipsnade Zoo. The baby giraffe - who's a boy - was five foot three inches tall at birth and mother and son are both doing well.

Audio archive: The countdown to war

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Find out more

Books

The conduct of the Air War in the Second World War edited by Horst Boog (1992)

Bomber Command by Max Hastings (1979)

The Bomber Command War Diaries by Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt (1985)

Most Secret War by RV Jones (1978)

Links

Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum: Bomber Command

About the author

Mark Fielder is executive producer of the BBC Battlefields series. He has made many other series, including D-Day, Burma, War Walks, and Western Front.