93-623: The Anglo-French Supreme War Council ( SWC ) was established to oversee joint military strategy at the start of the Second World War. Most of its deliberations took place during the period of the Phoney War , with its first meeting at Abbeville on 12 September 1939. The final three sessions were held in France (Paris, Briare and Tours) during the German blitzkrieg of May and June 1940. Its first meeting
186-423: A "silly scheme". However, a French plan to send forces to Narvik was approved, dependent on agreement from Norway and Sweden. The meeting was described by General Ironside as having been harmonious with "everyone purring with pleasure. Wondered if we should all be in the state if we had a little adversity to touch us up." In the event, Norway and Sweden, fearful of compromising their neutrality, did not consent to
279-428: A 32 km (20 miles) line near Saarbrücken against weak German opposition. The assault was to have been carried out by roughly 40 divisions, including one armoured , three mechanised divisions, 78 artillery regiments and 40 tank battalions . The French Army had advanced to a depth of 8 km (5.0 miles) and captured about 20 villages evacuated by the German army, without any resistance. But
372-688: A German military screen, not a real defense." According to General Siegfried Westphal , if the French had attacked in force in September 1939, the German army "could only have held out for one or two weeks." The Saar Offensive on 7 September was the one limited land action by the Allies during the Phoney War. The French attacked the Saarland , which was defended by the German 1st Army . The assault, whose strategic purpose
465-484: A ban on bombing raids which might endanger civilians, Britain and France agreed at once, and Germany agreed two weeks later. The RAF therefore conducted a large number of combined reconnaissance and propaganda leaflet flights over Germany. These operations were jokingly termed "pamphlet raids" or "Confetti War" in the British press. On 10 May 1940, eight months after the outbreak of war, German troops marched into Belgium ,
558-516: A bomb has fallen on a Rhineland factory. Is that war? they ask. During the September Campaign in Poland, the British government under Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain still hoped to persuade Germany to agree to peace. Although London hospitals prepared for 300,000 casualties in the first week of the war (Britain and France did not realise that Germany used 90% of its frontline aircraft in
651-518: A bombing raid over the Wilhelmshaven port on the 4th of September, though this proved costly. There were occasional dogfights between fighter planes, and the RAF dropped propaganda leaflets on Germany. The U.S. foreign correspondent William Shirer was assigned to Berlin at the onset of World War II. In his diary entries on 9 and 10 September 1939, he wrote about the puzzlement felt by many: Apparently
744-568: A consequence of its attack on Finland, the Soviet Union was expelled from the League of Nations , and a proposed Franco-British expedition to northern Scandinavia was debated. However, the British forces that were assembled to aid Finland were not dispatched in time before the Winter War ended. Instead, they were sent to Norway to help in its campaign against Germany. On 20 March, shortly after
837-447: A defensive posture. This would allow time for Britain and France to build up their own military resources and eventually attain economic and naval superiority over Germany. To this end, Britain initially committed to sending two divisions to France, and two more eleven months later. The Polish Army's plan for defense, Plan West , assumed the Allies would quickly undertake a significant Western Front offensive that would provide relief to
930-457: A heated debate in the House of Commons during which Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was under constant attack. A nominal vote of confidence in his government was won by 281 to 200, but many of Chamberlain's supporters had voted against him while others had abstained. Chamberlain found it impossible to continue to lead a National Government or to form a new coalition government with himself as
1023-658: A meeting not of the SWC, Churchill pressed for Operation Royal Marine , but, fearing German reprisals, the French refused to countenance any mining of the Rhine. Churchill, therefore, decided that Britain alone would undertake the mining off Narvik; this action ( Operation Wilfred ) was planned for 8 April. However, in the meantime, the Germans had launched Operation Weserübung , the invasion of Norway and Denmark. Paul Reynaud, Édouard Daladier and Admiral Darlan flew to London for an emergency meeting of
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#17328448928041116-733: A minimum of 39 fighter squadrons was needed to defend British war industries. Bomber aircraft, he argued, would be better employed attacking the Ruhr ; they were unsuitable against tanks. However, the same evening, Churchill warned his War Cabinet that more aircraft should be committed for fear that French resistance would crumble as swiftly as that of the Poles. French morale was accordingly raised, but matters were not as they seemed. The six extra squadrons were to be based in Kent and would operate from French airfields only during daylight hours. Moreover, three would fly in
1209-541: A non-political background. Throughout the Phoney War, most of the military clashes, such as the Battle of the Atlantic , occurred at sea. Among the notable incidents were: British war planning had called for a "knockout blow" by strategic bombing of German industry with the RAF's substantial Bomber Command . However, there was considerable apprehension about German retaliation, and when President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed
1302-610: A personal link with intelligence agencies, notably as founder of the London Controlling Section . Two years later Stanley's political fortunes revived when Churchill appointed him Secretary of State for the Colonies , a post which he held until the end of the war. After the Conservatives' massive defeat in the 1945 general election Stanley was prominent amongst those rebuilding the party, and he came to be regarded as one of
1395-518: A rare example of two brothers sitting in the same Cabinet, more so as their father, a former Conservative minister, was still alive. Nevertheless, five months later Edward died. (Another example is that of two Labour Party brothers, David Miliband and his brother Ed Miliband , who were appointed to the British Cabinet in June 2007.) In January 1940 Stanley was appointed Secretary of State for War after
1488-422: A separate armistice with Germany. Another meeting was held later the same day, now with Churchill, Chamberlain, Attlee, and Anthony Eden . At this meeting, a suggestion was discussed which had previously been voiced by Lord Halifax , the involvement of Italy in a peace conference. If Benito Mussolini would help to safeguard the independence of Britain and France, it would be possible to discuss Italian claims in
1581-531: A week they have been formally at war with Germany. But has it been war? they ask. The British, it is true, sent over twenty-five planes to bomb Wilhelmshaven. But if it is war, why only twenty-five? And if it is war, why only a few leaflets over the Rhineland ? The industrial heart of Germany lies along the Rhine close to France. From there come most of the munitions that are blowing up Poland with such deadly effect. Yet not
1674-531: The Sitzkrieg ("the sitting war": a word play on blitzkrieg created by the British press). In French, it is referred to as the drôle de guerre ("funny" or "strange" war). In March 1939, Britain and France formalized plans for how they would conduct war against Nazi Germany. Knowing their enemy would be more prepared and have land and air superiority, the Allies' strategy was to fight off any specific German aggressive actions, but to essentially maintain
1767-453: The Caucasus in order to deprive Germany of Soviet oil supplies. The French agreed to what later became known as Operation Royal Marine , the floating of mines up the Rhine to damage bridges and disrupt barge traffic. However, Reynaud was unable to obtain the approval of his cabinet for such a mining of the Rhine; accordingly, the British refused to go along with the plan to mine the waters off
1860-789: The First World War . During the First World War , Stanley was commissioned into the Lancashire Hussars , before transferring to the Royal Field Artillery in 1915. He achieved the rank of captain , and won both the Military Cross and the Croix de Guerre . After he was demobilised, Stanley was called to the bar by Gray's Inn in 1919. In the 1924 general election he was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Westmorland . From 1945 he sat for Bristol West . He soon came to
1953-727: The German invasion of Denmark and Norway in April 1940. This caused the Allied troops previously earmarked for Finland to be redirected to Norway. Fighting there continued until June, when the Allies evacuated, ceding Norway to Germany in response to the German invasion of France. On the Axis side during the Phoney period, Nazi Germany initiated attacks at sea in the autumn of 1939 and winter of 1940 against British aircraft carriers and destroyers, sinking several, including
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#17328448928042046-555: The Moscow Peace Treaty concluded the Winter War, Édouard Daladier resigned as Prime Minister of France, in part due to his failure to come to Finland's defense. In February 1940, Norway became a focus of attention as evidenced by the Altmark Incident . The Allies openly discussed a possible expedition to northern Scandinavia (even though they had not received a request or consent from the neutral Scandinavian countries) and
2139-601: The Netherlands and Luxembourg , marking the end of the Phoney War and the beginning of the Battle of France . Fascist Italy , hoping for territorial gains when France was defeated, entered the European war on 10 June 1940, although the thirty-two Italian divisions which crossed the border with France enjoyed little success against five defending French divisions. Oliver Stanley Oliver Frederick George Stanley MC PC MP (4 May 1896 – 10 December 1950)
2232-573: The Siegfried Line , which was their fortified defensive line along the French border. On 7 September, the French commenced the limited Saar Offensive , but withdrew when their artillery could not penetrate German defenses. A further assault was planned for 20 September, but on 17 September, following the USSR's invasion of Poland, the assault was called off. In the air, the Royal Air Force (RAF) launched
2325-637: The Soviet Union which was Germany's primary oil supplier. By April 1940, the execution of the Norway plan was considered, by itself, inadequate to stop the German Wehrmacht . The quiet of the Phoney War was punctuated by a few isolated Allied actions. The French invasion of Germany 's Saar district on 7 September was allegedly intended to assist Poland by diverting German troops from the Polish Front. But
2418-524: The Soviet Union 's assault on Finland on 30 November 1939. Public opinion, particularly in France and Britain, quickly sided with Finland and demanded action from their governments in support of "the brave Finns" against the much larger Soviet aggressors. The public believed that effective defense of the Finns was more achievable than what had been provided for the Poles in the September Campaign. As
2511-582: The War Office , which imposed censorship. As a result, nothing could be revealed about the British Army and the Royal Air Force in France. That led to absurd situations, as when an American correspondent asked for the text of a leaflet dropped by the Royal Air Force over Germany. The request was refused by the censors on the grounds that "they were not allowed to disclose information which might be of value to
2604-639: The Wehrmacht to withdraw at least six divisions from Poland. The following day, the commander of the French Military Mission to Poland, General Louis Faury , told the Polish Chief of Staff —General Wacław Stachiewicz —that the major offensive on the Western Front planned from 17 to 20 September had to be postponed. At the same time, French divisions were ordered to withdraw to their barracks along
2697-526: The Air Staff. The delegation arrived in Paris during the afternoon and found the French in a state verging on paralysis. General Maurice Gamelin explained that the Germans had broken through on a 50 km front and had already advanced 60 km inward from Sedan . When Churchill asked about the strategic reserve, Gamelin replied that there was none. Churchill then inquired when and where Gamelin proposed to attack
2790-535: The British were worried that the powerful French fleet might fall into German hands. What would prove to be the final meeting of the Anglo-French Supreme War Council took place at the préfecture in Tours on 13 June. The British delegation was composed of Churchill, Lord Halifax , Lord Beaverbrook , Sir Alexander Cadogan , General "Pug" Ismay and General Spears. The French Prime Minister, Paul Reynaud,
2883-557: The Chateau du Muguet near Briare , where the French army headquarters had withdrawn. Winston Churchill , Anthony Eden , General Sir John Dill ( chief of the Imperial General Staff ), General Ismay and other staff officers, including General Sir Edward Spears , met the French leader. Reynaud and his cabinet had been forced to leave Paris and the meeting took place at the chateau which was HQ of General Maxime Weygand . Also present
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2976-645: The Conservative Finance Committee. Had he lived longer, he might well have been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Conservatives formed a government the following year . Rab Butler was appointed instead. Butler later wrote in his 1971 memoirs that Oliver Stanley was “the acutest brain on the Conservative front bench, the keenest lance I have ever known in politics, and a flowing pen which could [write] several pages of immaculate foolscap in
3069-578: The Foreign Office) and Edward Bridges (Cabinet Secretary). France was represented by Édouard Daladier (prime minister), General Maurice Gamelin , Admiral François Darlan (C-in-C French Navy), Raoul Dautry (minister of munitions), and Jean Monnet (chairman of the Franco-British Economic Co-ordination Committee). Chamberlain stated that the Allies could not prevent a German intervention into Yugoslavia . At this and
3162-441: The French cabinet, as had been promised by Reynaud. The ministers were dismayed and angry; Spears was depressed, realising that "an opportunity that might not recur had been missed". He was at a loss to understand why a meeting had not taken place: had Reynaud simply forgotten? Did Reynaud wish to be the one to explain the situation to the ministers? In any event, his ministers were disillusioned and felt abandoned. Spears believed that
3255-515: The French feared an ebbing of military morale and were accordingly bellicose and impatient for action; Britain, on the other hand, shrank from such measures. At the Hove meeting there was also discussion about munitions production and reinforcements to the air and anti-aircraft defences in France. The British party at Hove consisted of Neville Chamberlain (prime minister), Lord Halifax (Foreign Secretary), Sir Alexander Cadogan (Permanent Under-Secretary at
3348-415: The French from seeking a separate armistice with Germany. Phoney War Asia-Pacific Mediterranean and Middle East Other campaigns Coups Luxembourg The Netherlands Belgium France Britain 1941–1943 1944–1945 Germany Strategic campaigns The Phoney War ( French : Drôle de guerre ; German : Sitzkrieg ) was an eight-month period at
3441-481: The French opted to fight a defensive war, forcing the Germans to come to them. General Maurice Gamelin ordered his troops to stop no closer than 1 km (0.62 miles) from German positions along the Siegfried Line. Poland was not notified of this decision. Instead, Gamelin incorrectly informed Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły that half of his divisions were in contact with the enemy and that French advances had forced
3534-554: The Germans immediately declared a counter-blockade, while the Soviet Union helped Germany with supplies bypassing the blockade . After World War II, it was discovered that Nazi Germany's armed forces were vulnerable throughout the September Campaign. They had not yet reached full fighting strength and might have succumbed to a determined opponent, or at least suffered serious damage. At the Nuremberg trials , German military commander Alfred Jodl said that "if we did not collapse already in
3627-580: The MOI to ensure that there were more articles about France in British newspapers. The few that were published were likely to offend: "the Englishman in France must be severe with begging children and be prepared to find the French mean and grasping". There was a suggestion that " La Marseillaise " be played in cinemas after " God Save the King " and another that the two languages be made compulsory for pupils in each country. It
3720-569: The Maginot Line. This quick cessation of fighting by the French contributed to the "Phoney War" characterization. In the war's early months, antagonism between the British and German populations was not as bitter as it would later become. British pilots mapped the Siegfried Line while German troops waved at them. On 30 April 1940 when a German Heinkel He 111 bomber crashed at Clacton-on-Sea in Essex —killing its crew and injuring 160 people on
3813-521: The Mediterranean. The latter involved the coast of French Somaliland , Djibouti and the Addis Ababa railway; another concession would be the internationalisation of Malta , Gibraltar and Suez . However, the British opposed such concessions, and Churchill confirmed as much in a telegram to Paris the same evening. Despite a great deal of internal opposition, the French made an approach to Mussolini at
Anglo-French Supreme War Council - Misplaced Pages Continue
3906-560: The Narvik plan. The Scandinavian view was interpreted differently by Britain and France. Britain took the view that the operation should be cancelled, but France maintained that it had been agreed that the operation should proceed regardless of opposition. However, events overtook the impasse, when, on 13 March, the Finns agreed an armistice with the Soviet Union. The sixth meeting of the SWC was held in London on 28 March 1940 with Britain represented by
3999-463: The Norwegian coast at Narvik. Politically, the main thrust of this meeting was a joint communiqué declaring, "Both Governments mutually undertake that during the present war they will neither negotiate nor conclude an armistice or treaty of peace except by mutual agreement. They undertake to maintain after conclusion of peace a community of action for so long as may be necessary". In Paris, on 5 April, at
4092-477: The Phoney War, they did implement economic warfare , especially a naval blockade of Germany , and they shut down German surface raiders . They meanwhile formulated elaborate plans for large-scale operations designed to cripple the German war effort. The plans included opening an Anglo-French front in the Balkans, invading Norway to seize control of Germany's main source of iron ore , and imposing an embargo against
4185-582: The Polish forces in the East. However, the Poles' assumption was proven wrong by the passivity of the Phoney War. Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 marked the beginning of World War II. Within 48 hours, in fulfillment of their treaty obligations to Poland, the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany. While most of the German army was engaged in Poland, a much smaller German force manned
4278-457: The Polish invasion), Germany did not launch the expected full-scale air bombardment of British cities. Combatants feared massive retaliation for attacking civilian targets. German pilots who bombed Scottish naval bases said they would have been court-martialed and executed if they bombed civilians. But both sides found that attacks on military targets, such as the British attack on Wilhelmshaven, could lead to high losses of aircraft. In contrast to
4371-602: The Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain , Lord Halifax , Winston Churchill , Oliver Stanley and Sir Kingsley Wood . It was the first to be attended by Paul Reynaud , the new French prime minister, who was accompanied by César Campinchi , the naval minister, Victor Laurent-Eynac the aviation minister, M. Charles Corbin (the French ambassador), M. Alexis Léger , General Maurice Gamelin , Admiral Darlan , General Joseph Vuillemin and General Koeltz. The British were firmly opposed to French plans to bomb Russian oil fields in
4464-403: The SWC on 9 April. Here, it was resolved that an Anglo-French task force would be sent to Norway, but the operation ( Plan R 4 ) was a failure. Not only did it prove impossible to stop the export of iron ore from Scandinavia to Germany but also the troops had to be evacuated, in what was known as Operation Alphabet . A further meeting of the council took place in Paris on 22 and 23 April, when it
4557-711: The South African conflict. Credit for coining "Phoney War" is generally given to U.S. Senator William Borah who, commenting in September ;1939 on the inactivity on the Western Front , said: "There is something phoney about this war." "Phoney War" customarily appears using the British spelling (with an 'e') even in North America, rather than adopt the American spelling, "Phony", although some American sources do not follow
4650-513: The area between the French border and the German lines, and then to probe the German defenses. On the 15th day of the mobilization, the French Army was to start an all-out assault on Germany. The offensive in the Rhine river valley area began on 7 September. Since the Wehrmacht was occupied in the attack on Poland, the French soldiers enjoyed a decisive numerical advantage along their border with Germany. Eleven French divisions advanced along
4743-437: The attention of the Conservative leaders and held a number of posts in the National Government of the 1930s. As Minister of Transport he was responsible for the introduction of a 30 miles per hour speed limit and driving tests for new drivers. In May 1938 whilst President of the Board of Trade he achieved a rare distinction in British politics when his brother Lord Stanley became Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs –
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#17328448928044836-427: The battle." Reynaud begged for all the aircraft and troops that could be spared. The British Prime Minister agreed to fly to Paris the following day to attend what would be the first crisis meeting of the SWC. On 16 May, Churchill flew to Paris, with Sir John Dill , vice-chief of the Imperial General Staff , General Hastings Ismay , his deputy as defence minister, and Air Marshal Joubert de la Ferté , deputy chief of
4929-471: The carrier HMS Courageous . Aerial combat began in October 1939 when the Luftwaffe launched air raids on British warships. There were minor bombing raids and reconnaissance flights on both sides. Fascist Italy was not involved militarily in the European war at this time. With the German invasion of France and the Low Countries on 10 May 1940, and the ascension of Winston Churchill to British Prime Minister in that same month along with
5022-413: The end of the month, but it was scornfully ignored by Rome anyway. On 31 May 1940, Churchill flew again to Paris for a meeting of the SWC, this time with Clement Attlee and Generals John Dill and Hastings Ismay . Discussions were held at the French Ministry of War on the deteriorating military situation with a French delegation consisting of Reynaud, Philippe Pétain and Maxime Weygand . Also present
5115-420: The enemy". In October 1939, the disparity in troop numbers became a cause for concern in France, which had mobilised 3.5 million men; yet a mere 158,000 British troops had been sent across the English Channel . The Ambassador reported to London and hoped that Britain would declare emphatically that these were just an advance guard and that reinforcements were being swiftly despatched. The Ambassador further asked
5208-415: The event played its part in swaying the majority of the cabinet towards surrender. He was sure that "by the night of 13 June, the possibility of France remaining in the war had almost disappeared". The only hope rested on the decision of President Roosevelt on if America now join the war. When the composition of the SWC was decided, the commander-in-chief of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), Lord Gort
5301-421: The flanks of the bulge. Gamelin replied with a hopeless shrug and the famous words: "Inferiority of numbers, inferiority of equipment, inferiority of method." Six more squadrons were requested for France, above the four additional RAF squadrons which had already that morning been authorised. If the French request were heeded, it would leave just 25 squadrons for home defence, the final limit. Churchill explained that
5394-447: The forest was "private property" and could not be bombed; neither could weapons factories, as the Germans might do the same to England. In 1939, some officers of the British Expeditionary Force who were stationed in France tried to set up recreational hunting to pass the time. They imported packs of foxhounds and beagles, but were thwarted by French authorities who refused to make the countryside available. The Winter War started with
5487-410: The ground—the German crew members were laid to rest in the local cemetery with RAF support. Wreaths with messages of sympathy were displayed on the coffins. When British Member of Parliament (MP) Leopold Amery suggested to Kingsley Wood , the Secretary of State for Air , that the Black Forest should be bombed with incendiaries to burn its ammunition dumps, Wood amazed the MP by responding that
5580-444: The half-hearted Saar operation fizzled out within days and France withdrew. In November 1939, the Soviets attacked Finland in the Winter War , eliciting much debate in France and Britain about mounting an offensive to help Finland. However, the necessary forces for the offensive weren't assembled until after the Winter War concluded in March. The Allied discussions about a Scandinavian campaign triggered concern in Germany and resulted in
5673-415: The half-hearted offensive was halted after France seized the Warndt Forest, 7.8 km (3.0 sq mi) of heavily mined German territory. The Saar Offensive did not result in the diversion of any German troops from the Polish Front. On 12 September, the Anglo-French Supreme War Council gathered for the first time at Abbeville . It decided all offensive actions were to be halted immediately as
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#17328448928045766-432: The lack of hostilities on land between the Allies and Germany, the fighting on the seas was real. On 3 September, the British liner SS Athenia was torpedoed off the Hebrides with the loss of 112 lives in what was to be the start of the lengthy Battle of the Atlantic . On 4 September, the Allies announced a blockade of Germany to prevent her importing food and raw materials to sustain her war effort;
5859-431: The latter, trading agreements and industrial agreements were signed on 16 February 1940 and 7 March 1940 respectively. Paul Reynaud spoke of "a unity of purpose" which had created a solidarity between the two countries which was more than an alliance. It was agreed that there would be no alteration to the rate of exchange between the two currencies during the war and that each country would be able to cover its requirements in
5952-410: The leader. So on 10 May, Chamberlain resigned the premiership but retained the leadership of the Conservative Party. Winston Churchill , who had been a consistent opponent of Chamberlain's policy of appeasement , became Chamberlain's successor. Churchill formed a new coalition government that included members of the Conservatives , Labour and the Liberal Party , as well as several ministers from
6045-423: The massive Dunkirk evacuation , the Phoney War ended and the real war began. "Bore War" was the initial term used by the British. It was likely a pun on the Boer War fought four decades earlier in South Africa . Eventually, the Americanism "Phoney War" became the favoured phrase on both sides of the Atlantic. This term gained currency in the British Empire and Commonwealth in large part to avoid confusion with
6138-457: The meeting in their memoirs, but the precise details are confused. Churchill says that the French prime minister "dwelt not obscurely with the possible French withdrawal from the war". Reynaud pressed for more British air support and warned that if the Battle of France were lost, Pétain would urge strongly for an armistice. However, it seems that Reynaud did not directly ask Britain to release France from its promise made on 28 March not to enter into
6231-428: The meeting, a group formed around Churchill, Pétain and Spears. One of the French officials mentioned the possibility of a separate surrender. Speaking to Pétain, Spears pointed out that such an event would provoke a blockade of France by Britain and the bombardment of all French ports in German hands. Churchill declared that Britain would fight on whatever happened. The penultimate session was in France, on 11/12 June at
6324-405: The month, southern parts of Norway were in German hands. The fighting continued in the north until the Allies evacuated in early June in response to the German invasion of France ; the Norwegian forces in mainland Norway laid down their arms at midnight on 9 June. The debacle of the Allied campaign in Norway , which was actually an offshoot of the never-realised plans to aid Finland, forced
6417-421: The mornings and three in the afternoons, and three had already been committed to France as part of Lord Gort 's air power. Over the coming three to four days, the strength of the British Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF) would be further reduced. There was a meeting of the SWC in Paris on 22 May 1940. A private meeting between Churchill and Reynaud took place over lunch in London on 26 May. Both men deal with
6510-421: The most important Conservative MPs. He was a governor of The Peckham Experiment in 1949. Along with Churchill and Anthony Eden, Stanley was seen as one of the Conservative Party's leaders in 1950 . He succeeded his father as Chancellor of the University of Liverpool . By this time, however, his health was in decline; and he died on 10 December 1950 at his home in Sulhamstead . Stanley had been Chairman of
6603-403: The occupation of Norway. These developments alarmed the Kriegsmarine and the Nazi government. Such an expedition would threaten their iron ore supplies and gave a strong argument for Germany to secure the Norwegian coast. Codenamed Operation Weserübung , the German invasion of Denmark and Norway commenced on 9 April. From the 14th, Allied troops were landed in Norway, but by the end of
6696-489: The other's currency without the need to find gold. Officials from both sides endeavoured to find ways to make the British and the French view each other more favourably. The British Ambassador, Sir Eric Phipps , asked the Minister of Information (MOI) to provide the French press with details of the arrival of British forces to prove that Britain was resolved to contribute fully to the war effort. However, it created tensions with
6789-558: The outset of World War II during which there were virtually no Allied military land operations on the Western Front . World War II began on 1 September 1939 with Nazi Germany 's invasion of Poland . Two days later, the "Phoney" period began with declarations of war by the United Kingdom and France against Germany, but with little actual warfare occurring. Although the Western Allies did not conduct major military actions during
6882-457: The pattern. The first known recorded use of the term in print was in September 1939 in a U.S. newspaper which used the British spelling. Other contemporaneous American usages specified "Phony" since both spellings were acceptable. In Great Britain, the term first appeared in print in January ;1940. The Phoney War was also referred to as the "Twilight War" (by Winston Churchill) and as
6975-525: The previous incumbent, Leslie Hore-Belisha , had been sacked after falling out with the leading officers. Much was expected of Stanley's tenure in this office, for his father had held it during the First World War, but four months later the government fell, and Stanley was replaced by Anthony Eden . Churchill offered Stanley the Dominions Office , which Stanley turned down. Instead, Churchill made him
7068-499: The same time that lesser men would take to wrote a decent paragraph”. However, Butler’s view was that he probably would not have been a great Prime Minister or even Chancellor of the Exchequer, as he was too indecisive, but that he was great in opposition. Historian Sir Charles Petrie went further, and argued in his 1972 memoirs ( A Historian Looks At His World ) that "the greatest blow the Conservative Party has sustained since
7161-496: The struggle. He acknowledged that the two countries had agreed never to conclude a separate peace at a meeting of the SWC London on 28 March 1940, but France was physically incapable of carrying on. The news was received by the British with shock and horror. Churchill said with determination, "We must fight, we will fight, and that is why we must ask our friends to fight on." Prime Minister Reynaud acknowledged that Britain would continue
7254-507: The two further meetings in 1939, on 17 November (in Paris) and 19 December, the French turned down a British scheme to bomb industrial targets in the Ruhr if the Germans were to invade Belgium. The French view was that such action would not stop the invasion of Belgium, but it would risk retaliation by the Luftwaffe against Britain and France. The meeting of the SWC held in Paris on 5 February 1940
7347-483: The war in Poland is all but over. Most of the correspondents a bit depressed. Britain and France have done nothing on the western front to relieve the tremendous pressure on Poland.… One week after the Anglo-French declaration of a state of war the average German is beginning to wonder if it's a world war after all. He sees it this way. England and France, it is true, are formally fulfilling their obligations to Poland. For
7440-459: The war, affirming that France would also continue the struggle from North Africa, if necessary, if there were a chance of success. That success could come only if America were prepared to join the fray. The French leader called for British understanding, asking again for France to be released from her obligation not to conclude a separate peace now that she could do no more. The day ended in confusion; Churchill flew back to London without speaking to
7533-471: 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." General Wilhelm Keitel stated: "We soldiers had always expected an attack by France during the Polish campaign, and were very surprised that nothing happened.... A French attack would have encountered only
7626-532: Was Churchill's personal representative to the French Prime Minister, General Sir Edward Spears . Three main points were considered: Narvik , the Dunkirk evacuation and the prospect of an Italian invasion of France. Reynaud complained that at the evacuation, Operation Dynamo , more British troops had been taken off than French. Churchill promised to do everything to redress the balance. During discussions after
7719-413: Was General Charles de Gaulle ; Spears had not met him before and was impressed with his bearing. As wrangling continued over the level of support from Britain, Spears suddenly became aware that "the battle of France was over and that no one believed in miracles". The next day, Weygand's catastrophic account of the military situation reinforced his pessimism. Despite assurances from Admiral François Darlan ,
7812-462: Was a prominent British Conservative politician who held many ministerial posts before his early death. Stanley was the second son of Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby , by his wife Lady Alice , daughter of William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester . Edward Stanley, Lord Stanley was his elder brother. He was educated at Eton , but did not proceed to the University of Oxford due to the outbreak of
7905-518: Was accompanied by Paul Baudouin , a member of the War Committee. Spears found the atmosphere quite different from that at Briare, where Churchill had expressed goodwill, sympathy and sorrow; now, it was like a business meeting, with the British keenly appraising the situation from its own point of view. Reynaud declared that unless immediate help was assured by the US, the French government would have to give up
7998-517: Was agreed that the Allies would stand fast in Norway; Trondheim and Narvik would continue to be the main objectives. It was also decided that the RAF would, without further discussion, bomb the Ruhr if the Germans were to invade the Netherlands or Belgium. When the Supreme War Council met on 27 April, the French mistakenly hoped that Britain would postpone the evacuation of Norway. Reynaud
8091-651: Was at Abbeville on 12 September 1939. with Britain represented by the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain , and Lord Chatfield , the French delegation headed by the Prime Minister, Édouard Daladier , and General Maurice Gamelin . The participants assessed the consequences of German invasion on Poland and ultimately decided to leave Poland with no military assistance. The next meeting took place at Hove on 22 September 1939. At both meetings, discussion centred on Italy and whether it would be possible to deploy military force at Salonika or Istanbul without provoking Benito Mussolini . With their huge army mobilised but idle,
8184-482: Was chaired by Jean Monnet ; it was responsible for joint economic planning and oversaw ten executive committees which were created in January of the following year. In December 1939, an Anglo-French financial agreement was signed to ensure that contributions to the war effort would be made according to the respective national wealth of each country – France would contribute 40% with Britain responsible for 60%. In addition to
8277-466: Was even put forward that unemployed French chefs in London should tour British schools to introduce children to French cuisine. A more ambitious idea came from a Foreign Office official: to allow the two countries to operate internationally as a "single unit" after the war. A committee was established under Lord Maurice Hankey to examine the possibilities of such a union, thus presaging the proposal made by Britain on 16 June 1940 , an attempt to prevent
8370-549: Was furious, deploring "the old men [in London] who do not know how to take a risk" and returning to Paris with influenza. There was acrimony on both sides; the French convinced that Albion was indeed perfidious and the British stereotyping their ally as "temperamental". At 7.30 on the morning of 15 May, Winston Churchill, who had been prime minister for just five days, received a desperate telephone call from Paul Reynaud announcing that "the French were beaten ... that they had lost
8463-760: Was not a member; yet his French counterpart, General Maurice Gamelin , was. In the view of General Edward Spears the failure to include the British C-in-C was a mistake: "No government should ever lose effective touch with the commander of its army." Associated bodies were the Anglo-French Purchasing Committee and the Anglo-French Co-ordinating Committee. The latter, announced in The Times on 28 November and set up in December 1939
8556-535: Was ostensibly to assist Poland, was stopped after a few kilometres and the French forces withdrew. According to the Franco-Polish Alliance , the French Army was to start preparations for a major offensive three days after the beginning of mobilization . The preliminary mobilization had occurred in France on 26 August. By 1 September, full mobilization was declared. The French forces were to gain control over
8649-645: Was the first to be attended by Winston Churchill, who, as First Lord of the Admiralty , had been invited to participate by Neville Chamberlain. Here, the British rejected France's proposal for an expedition to Petsamo in Finland to help the Finns in the Winter War for fear that this would provoke the Soviet Union. Sir Alexander Cadogan , the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs , described it as
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