This Week in Word War II - Italy Declares War on France and Britain

This Week’s Historical Theme: World War II 

10 June 1940 

A significant event throughout the history of World War II that occurred in June was Italy's declaration of war against France and Great Britain. After withholding formal allegiance to either Germany or the Allies, Benito Mussolini, dictator of Italy, allied with the former, perhaps due to German occupation in Paris. While Hitler was sceptical of this sudden break from neutrality, stating “First they were too cowardly to take part. Now they are in a hurry so that they can share in the spoils,” Mussolini claims he wanted in before the German occupation in Paris. In actuality, Mussolini was wary of waging an all-out war against Britain and France due to Italy's limited supply of raw materials.

 

While this was a hindrance for the Allies who had been attempting to ensure Italy's neutrality with promises of land in Africa, the Italian troops, who were mobilized in France on 20 June 1940, were easily held at bay by French forces. All Italians between the ages of 16 and 70 who had lived in Britain less than 20 years were immediately interned and President Roosevelt publicly promised his support for France and Britain. By September 1943, Italy had surrendered to the Allies and Mussolini was deposed from power.

Want to find out more about the role of Italy in WWII? Click here for more information, or here for more about Benito Mussolini’s motives. 

 

This Week in Germany - The Leaders of the White Rose are Arrested

This Week's Historical Theme: Germany

 

18 January 1943

 

A significant event throughout the history of Germany that occurred in February was the arrest of the White Rose resistance leaders, Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie. They had left a suitcase filled with copies of anti-Nazi leaflets in their main university building. This leaflet stated that "the day of reckoning has come, the reckoning of our German youth with the most abominable tyranny our people has ever endured." The pair were, however, spotted by a janitor, who reported them to the Gestapo. Turned over to Hitler's 'People's Court', a kangaroo court for dispatching dissidents quickly, the Scholls, along with another White Rose member, were sentenced to death, and beheaded on February 23.

 

The White Rose was composed of university students who spoke out against Adolf Hitler's regime. Hans Scholl was the founder and was a former member of the Hitler Youth who grew disenchanted with Nazi ideology once its real aims were evident. During the summer of 1942, Scholl and a friend had composed four leaflets, which exposed and denounced Nazi and SS atrocities, including the extermination of Jews and Polish nobility. The risks involved were enormous, as the lives of average civilians were monitored for any deviation from loyalty to the state. Even a casual remark critical of Hitler or the Nazis could result in arrest by the Gestapo, yet the students of the White Rose risked all.

 

Want to find out more about the White Rose? Click here for more information, or here for a film about the resistance group.

This Week in World War II - The Liberation of Warsaw

This Week's Historical Theme: World War II

 

17 January 1945

 

A significant event throughout the history of World War II that occurred in January was the liberation of Warsaw from German occupation. Warsaw had served as a battleground since the opening day of fighting in Europe. Germany had declared war by launching an air raid in September 1939, which was followed up with a siege that killed tens of thousands of Polish civilians. Warsaw was forced to surrender to the Germans soon after, as they were deprived of electricity, water, and food, with also 25% of the city's homes being destroyed.

 

Since the Soviets had snatched a part of Poland in the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, they soon found themselves at war with their 'ally'. In August 1944, the Soviets attempted to push the Germans west, and advance on Warsaw. An uprising was led against the German occupiers by the Polish Home Army, hoping to defeat the Germans themselves and not have the Soviets set up a post-war communist government. The Soviets, rather than aiding the Polish uprising, stood by and watched as the Germans slaughtered the Poles, thus destroying any Polish resistance to a pro-Soviet government. The city was finally later liberated from the Germans by Georgy Zhukov's troops.

 

Want to find out more about the liberation of Warsaw? Click here for more information, or here for more about communist Warsaw during the Cold War.

November 30 - The Winter War Begins

This Day in History: 30 November 2020

 

30 November 1939

 

81 years ago, today, the Winter War began when the Red Army crossed the Soviet-Finnish border with 465,000 men and 1,000 aircraft. Helsinki was bombed, and 61 Finnish people were killed in an air raid that boosted the Finn's resistance. The overwhelming forces of the Soviets convinced most Western nations that the invasion would end in Soviet victory. However, the Helsinki raid produced many casualties, and photographs of mothers holding dead babies and girls crippled by the bombing were hung up to motivate the Finn resistance. This resistance consisted only of small numbers of trained soldiers, but the nation's refusal to submit made headlines around the world.

 

President Roosevelt quickly extended $10 million in credit to Finland, noting that the Finns were the only people to pay back their World War I war debt to the US in full. However, by the time the Soviets had a chance to regroup, and send in massive reinforcements, the Finnish resistance was swept. By March 1940, negotiations with the Soviets began, and Finland soon lost the Karelian Isthmus, the land bridge that gave access to Leningrad, which the Soviets wanted to control. Nevertheless, Soviet losses were also heavy, and the country's international reputation suffered. The poor performance of the Red Army encouraged Adolf Hitler to believe that an attack on the Soviet Union would be successful and also confirmed negative Western opinions of the Soviet military.

 

Want to find out more about the Winter War? Click here for more information, or here for more about the significance of the Karelian Isthmus.

November 20 - The Nuremberg Trials Begin

This Day in History: 20 November 2020

 

20 November 1945

 

75 years ago, today, the Nuremberg Trials began, as 24 high-ranking Nazis went on trial in Nuremberg, for atrocities committed during World War II. These trials were conducted by an international tribunal made up of representatives from the United States, the Soviet Union, France and Great Britain. It was the first trial of its kind in history, and the defendants faced charges ranging from crimes against peace, to crimes of war, to crimes against humanity. Lord Justice Geoffrey Lawrence, the British member, presided over the proceedings, which tasted 10 months and consisted of 216 court sessions.

 

In October 1946, 12 architects of the Nazi policy were sentenced to death, and 7 others were sentenced to prison terms, ranging from 10 years to life. Three others were acquitted. Of the original 24 defendants, one, Robert Ley, committed suicide while in prison, and another, Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, was deemed mentally and physically incompetent to stand trial. Among those condemned to death were Joachim von Ribbentrop, Hermann Goering, Alfred Jodl, and Wilhelm Frick. Goering, however, committed suicide by poison on the eve of his scheduled execution. Trials of lesser war criminals continued in Germany during the 1950s and resulted in the conviction of 5,025 other defendants and the execution of 806.

 

Want to find out more about the Nuremberg Trials? Click here for more information, or here for more about the most wanted Nazis today.

November 16 - Joseph Goebbels Blames the Jews for World War II

This Day in History: 16 November 2020

 

16 November 1941

 

79 years ago, today, Joseph Goebbels published in the German magazine, 'Das Reich', that 'Jews wanted the war, and now they have it'. This referred to the Nazi propaganda scheme to shift the blame for the world war onto European Jews, thereby giving the Nazis a rationalisation for the so-called 'Final Solution'. Just two days prior, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had written a letter to the 'Jewish Chronicle' having read more than a dozen decoded messages from German police which revealed the atrocities to which European Jews were being subjected. He stated that the Jew 'has not allowed [the Nazis] to break his spirit: he has never lost the will to resist.'

 

Churchill was correct, as active Jewish resistance was increasing, especially in the Soviet union, where Jews were joining partisans in fighting the German incursions into Russian territory. However, it was proving to be too late, as Goebbels and the rest of Hitler's henchmen carried out the 'elimination of the Jews' by using propaganda and anti-Bolshevik rhetoric to infuse SS soldiers with enthusiasm for Hitler's work. As the war drew to a close in 1945, Hitler committed suicide. In accordance with Hitler's will, Goebbels succeeded him as Chancellor of Germany, but only served one day in this post. The following day, Goebbels and his wife committed suicide, after poisoning their six children with cyanide.

 

Want to find out more about Joseph Goebbels? Click here for more information, or here for more about the other most wanted Nazi war criminals.

October 24 - The United Nations is Established

This Day in History: 24 October 2020

 

24 October 1945

 

75 years ago, today, the United Nations Charter was born. The principles had been first formulated in April, at the San Francisco Conference, presided over by American President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin. This conference laid out a structure for a new international organisation that was to prevent another war from occurring, after both World Wars had decimated Europe and many other nations. Since the old League of Nations had not prevented the outbreak of World War II, the need for an organisation to prevent international conflict and stimulate peace was of a high necessity.

 

Two other important objectives described in the Charter were respecting the principles of equal rights and self-determination of all peoples. This was originally directed at smaller nations now vulnerable to invasion by the communist nations emerging from the war. International cooperation in solving economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems around the world was also aimed for. The new UN Security Council was made up of the United States, Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and China. However, the initiatives proposed by the countries were easier said than done.

 

Want to find out more about the history of the United Nations? Click here for more information, or here for more about the failure of the League of Nations.

Black History Month - Lilian Bader

Black History Month: 15 October 2020 

 

Lilian Bader was one of the first ever Black women to join the British army. When World War II began in 1939, she enlisted in the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes, NAAFI, in Yorkshire. She was dismissed after seven weeks, however, when she found out that her father was not born in the United Kingdom. She instead enlisted in the Women's Auxiliary Air Forces in March 1941, after she heard that the Royal Airforce were accepting citizens of West Indian descent.  

 

Bader trained in instrument repair, which was a trade newly opened to women. Afterwards, she became a Leading Aircraft Woman and was promoted eventually to the rank of corporal. After World War II had ended, Lilian began to study for a degree at London University and became a teacher once she graduated. In 2018, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote, 'The Voice' newspaper listed Bader, along with Kathleen Wrasama, Olive Morris, Connie Mark, Fanny Eaton, Diane Abbott, Margaret Busby, and Mary Seacole, among eight Black women who have contributed significantly Britain's development and progression. 

 

Want to find out more about Lilian Bader? Click here for more information, or here for more about the African community in the army in World War II.  

October 15 - Pierre Laval is Executed

This Day in History: 15 October 2020

 

15 October 1945

 

75 years ago, today, the leader of Nazi-occupied Vichy France, Pierre Laval, was executed by the firing squad for treason against France. Laval had originally been a deputy and senator of pacifist tendencies but shifted to the right in in the 1930s when he was acting as minister of foreign affairs. He had delayed the Soviet-Franco pact of 1935 due to his anti-communist views and wanted to align France instead with Fascist Italy. In 1940, with the German invasion, he used his influence to force an armistice. In the new Vichy state, Laval was dismissed as the minister of state after negotiating privately with Germany.

 

By 1942, Laval won the trust of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. As the premier of Vichy France, Laval collaborated with the Nazi programs of oppression and genocide, transforming into Hitler's puppet. After France was liberated by the Allies, he was forced to flee east for German protection. Once Germany was defeated in May 1945, he fled to many countries but finally surrendered to American authorities in late July. Laval was convicted of treason by the High Court of Justice and condemned to death. He attempted suicide by poison but was nursed back to health for his execution.

 

Want to find out more about Pierre Laval? Click here for more information, or here for a video about his execution.

September 30 - The Munich Pact is Signed

This Day in History: 30 September 2020

 

30 September 1938

 

82 years ago, today, the Munich Pact was signed between the British and French Prime Ministers, Neville Chamberlain and Edouard Daladier, and Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. This agreement averted the outbreak of war but allowed Czechoslovakia to be given away to German conquest. Daladier despised the Pact's peace making with the Nazis, but Chamberlain was happy and even stayed behind in Munich to sign a single-page document with Hitler that he believed assured the future of Anglo-German peace. Chamberlain later flew home to Britain, where he addressed a joyful crowd in London, praising the Munich Pact for bringing 'peace in our time'.

 

The day after the Pact was signed, Hitler annexed the Czech Sudetenland, where he had wanted to evacuate its population of Czechoslovakians prior to the agreement. The Czechoslovak government subsequently chose submission over destruction by the German 'Wehrmacht', the armed forces of the Nazis. In March 1939, Hitler annexed the rest of Czechoslovakia, and the country ceased to exist. In September, 53 German army divisions invaded Poland despite British and French threats to intervene. Two days later, Chamberlain called for a British declaration of war against Germany, initiating World War Two. Chamberlain would later be replaced as Prime Minister by Winston Churchill after eight months of ineffective wartime leadership.

 

Want to find out more about the Munich Pact? Click here for more information, or here for more about Chamberlain as Prime Minister.

September 29 - The Babi Yar Massacre

This Day in History: 29 September 2020 

 

29 September 1941 

 

79 years ago, today, the Babi Yar massacre began in Nazi-occupied Ukraine, on the outskirts of Kiev. The city had been taken ten days prior by the German army, and special SS forces began to prepare to carry out Adolf Hitler's orders to exterminate all Jews and Soviet officials found in the area. More than 30,000 Jews were marched in small groups to the Babi Yar ravine in the north of the city, were ordered to strip naked, then machine-gunned into the ravine. The next day, the massacre ended, and the dead and wounded were covered over with dirt and rock. The massacre has been called the 'largest single massacre in the history of the Holocaust'.  

 

Between 1941 and 1943, thousands more Jews, Russian prisoners of war and Soviet officials were executed at the Babi Yar ravine in a similar manner. It is estimated that during the German occupation, between 100,000 and 150,000 people were killed at Babi Yar. As the German army retreated from the USSR, the Nazis attempted to hide the evidence of the massacres by exhuming the bodies and burning them in pyres. However, many eyewitnesses and other evidence verified the atrocities committed at Babi Yar, and thus became a symbol of Jewish suffering in the Holocaust.  

 

Want to find out more about the Babi Yar massacre? Click here for more information, or here for more about the Nazi occupation of Ukraine.

September 27 - The Tripartite Pact

This Day in History: 27 September 2020

 

27 September 1940

 

80 years ago, today, the Tripartite Pact was signed in Berlin between Germany, Italy, and Japan, officially forming the Axis powers. The Pact would provide for mutual assistance should any of the signatories suffer attack by any nation not already involved in the Second World War. This formalising of an alliance was aimed directly at the 'neutral' America, as it was designed to force them to think twice before drifting towards the side of the Allies. Additionally, the Pact recognised the two spheres of influence. Japan officially acknowledged 'the leadership of Germany and Italy in the establishment of a new order in Europe' while Japan was granted lordship over 'Greater East Asia'.

 

The pact was later joined by Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Croatia, as well as some countries under Japanese control. Yugoslavia's accession initiated a coup d'état in Belgrade two days later, which Germany, Italy and Hungary responded with by invading. Those countries that signed the pact agreed to give ten years of political, economic and military help to each other. However, in 1943, the pact began to fall apart. Many countries had ended their role in the war or joined the Allies. Although the Pact remained in effect until Japan's surrender in August 1945, Germany's surrender three months prior rendered the pact meaningless.

 

Want to find out more about the Tripartite Pact? Click here for more information, or here to view the text of the Pact.

September 16 - The First Peacetime Draft in the United States

This Day in History: 16 September 2020

 

16 September 1940

 

80 years ago, today, the Burke-Wadsworth Act was passed by Congress, marking it as the first peacetime draft in the United States. Exactly one month later, the registration of men between the ages of 21 and 36 began. This occurred as Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson, began drawing draft numbers out of a glass bowl. Stimson had been a key player in moving the Roosevelt administration away from a foreign policy of strict neutrality. There were around 20 million eligible men, but 50% were rejected in the first year for health reasons or illiteracy.

 

Two years later, when the United States was now participating in the war, the draft ages expanded from 18 to 37. African-Americans were passed over for the draft due to racist assumptions about their abilities and the viability of a mixed-race army. In 1943, this changed when a 'quota', meant to limit the number of black people drafted, was imposed. Initially black people were restricted to 'labour units', but as the war progressed, this ended, and they were finally used in combat. Around 5,000-6,000 men were imprisoned for failing to register to serve their nation, and these were comprised mostly of Jehovah's Witnesses. By the end of the war, around 34 million men had registered, with 10 million serving in the military.

 

Want to find out more about the United States draft? Click here for more information, or here for more about Henry L. Stimson.

September 7 - The Blitz Begins

This Day in History: 7 September 2020

 

7 September 1940

 

80 years ago, today, the Blitz began as 300 German bombers raided London. This would continue until May 1941. After Germany's successful occupation of France, it was only a matter of time before they set their sights to England. Hitler wanted Britain to be submissive and neutralised so that he could concentrate on the East, more specifically, the invasion of the Soviet Union. Since June, England and Germany had been fighting in aerial battles, in an attempt from Germany to wear down the Royal Air Force. However, this was failing, so instead of perusing an unrealistic land invasion, he instead chose terror as his weapon.

 

By the end of the first day of the Blitz, 337 tons of bombs had been dropped by German planes on London. Even though civilians were not the primary target that day, the poorest area of London, the East, felt the fallout heavily, as they faced direct hits from bombs and fires that broke out and quickly spread. That afternoon and evening, 448 civilians were killed. A state of emergency was declared in England once British military units were alerted that the invasion had begun, and home defence units were put to the ready. A key strategy of Hitler's was to underestimate the will and courage of the British people, but instead they did not run or submit to his tyranny and fought hard.

 

Want to find out more about the Blitz? Click here for more information, or here for a video about life during the Blitz.

September 3 - Britain and France Declare War on Germany

This Day in History: 3 September 2020

 

3 September 1939

 

81 years ago, today, Britain and France declared war on Germany after Hitler's German forces invaded Poland. Britain's response was initially no more than the dropping of 13 tons of anti-Nazi propaganda leaflets over Germany. The next day, however, they would begin to bomb German ships, suffering significant losses, but were working under orders simultaneously to not harm German civilians. The German military had no such restrictions. Two weeks later, France would begin an offensive against Germany's western border, but was weakened by a narrow window, enclosed by the borders of Luxembourg and Belgium. The Germans mined the passage and stalled the French offensive.

 

The first causality of Britain and France's declaration was not German, but instead the British ocean liner 'Athenia'. The ship was sunk by a German U-30 submarine that had assumed the liner was armed and hostile. There were more than 1,100 passengers on board, 112 of whom lost their lives, and 28 of those were American. However, President Roosevelt remained unfazed by the tragedy, dashing German fears that the US might join the war on the side of Britain and France. An admission of responsibility did not come from German authorities until 1946.

 

Want to find out more about Britain and France's declaration of war? Click here for more information, or here for more about the sinking of 'Athenia'.

Stalingrad

This book covers the operations and attacks during WW2 between the German and Russian sides with a detailed account of the hardships that the Russian soldiers faced and the brutality and extremism of the Red Army among its own men. After reading this book you understand how incredibly important loyalty is to Stalin and the Red Army as a whole with even the slightest deterrence from their own side and they would be executed as a result of taking part in “anti-Soviet activities”. To replace those that died, civilians would then be brought in with no uniform so would have to scavenge off dead bodies to gather up suitable clothing for the harsh winters. However, it was not just Stalin’s rule that was intense, Hitler himself was constantly cautious in anything he did, even down to eating, where he would have another person try everything before he consumed it as to be cautious of poisoning. Overall the novel highlights the longevity of the attack on Stalingrad and it is made evident the draining effect that the battle had on the German Army as a whole after the SIxth Army were bled dry and why it was such an important event in the overall outcome of the war.  

CL

Kate Rea

Kate Rea will be speaking at the Nonsuch HP society today (1.15 in the Library). She is a historical researcher and has also been involved in the production of documentaries such as "World War 2: Behind Closed Doors" (more details here). She has been closely involved in the creation of WW2History.com, recording much of the eye-witness testimony for the site. She read Russian and Russian History at Cambridge and will be speaking in particular about her interest in that subject today. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Armistice Day and Gloster Valley

Today is Armistice Day, or Remembrance Day as it is often known. At 11am (11.15 at Nonsuch) people will pause to reflect on the sacrifices made by British and Commonwealth soldiers (and the many civilians killed) in a century of conflicts. This year's ceremonies have a particular pertinence as the mark the 90th anniversary of the dedication of the Cenotaph, the country's official memorial to its war dead in Whitehall, and the Tomb of the Unknown Solider in Westminster Abbey. You can read more about how the soldier was selected and laid to rest in the abbey here and watch a short film about the Cenotaph, shown above.



PS: David Cameron (shown above with Julia Gillard) has marked Armistice Day by visiting Gloster Valley in Korea, where he has laid a wreath to commemorate the sacrifices of British soldiers at the Battle of Imjin River (more archive material here) in the Korean War. Against vastly superior Chinese forces, the soldiers put up a strong resistance defending their position - 59 died and 526 were taken prisoner. This resistance delayed the Chinese advance, preventing them from outflanking the United Nations forces. The cemetery is a very moving, evocative place, and it is very appropriate that the Prime Minister was able to acknowledge the sacrifices that British soliders made during this largely "forgotten" war.

The Dambusters

BBC2 showed a programme about the Dambusters on Sunday night. This was the name given to the RAF bombing raid during World War 2 that aimed to destroy German dams (and therefore create massive flooding damage) using special bouncing bombs. The story is well known, particularly because of the 1955 film which celebrated 617 Squadron's achievements. The BBC programme was more reflective. It pointed out some of the factual errors in the film, most of which were designed to make the heroes more sympathetic. In the film Guy Gibson, the squadron leader, is quite easygoing whereas in reality he could be quite aloof and focused on the job. In the film Barnes Wallis, the inventor of the bouncing bomb, comes up with the idea of bombing the dams but faces opposition from the War Office. In reality, the idea had been discussed before war had even begun. The film also gave plenty of time to exploring the effects of the successful destruction of the dams, interviewing Germans who lost their families and houses in the flooding (over 1600 people were killed, many of them allied prisoners of war in labour camps). This tone suggests perhaps that our attitude to events in World War 2 is changing as it moves ever further back into the past and fewer people are alive to remember it (there is now only one remaining veteran Dam Buster). Britain's experience of the war has an important place in our national identity and culture, but a gap of 70 years perhaps allows greater opportunities of a more balanced assessment of its significance.

PS: There is plenty of information about the Dambusters around. Here are two examples. The National Archives has an online exhibition of significant documents here.
PPS: Here is a (genuinely exciting!) 10 minute YouTube clip from the Dambusters Film where they attack the first dam. It is said that George Lucas was inspired by this for the final scenes of Star Wars...