Had WW2 become inevitable by mid1939/ was September 1939 ideal timing for Britain?

jamesrl · 07-22-2008, 11:29 AM

A new book Britain at War 1939 to 1945 What was life like during the war? (Arthur House) argues that if war had been declared any earlier, Britain would have had too few fighters to defend itself; any later and German rearmament and expansion would have made it too strong to stand against. Do you agree?

Gibbo · 07-23-2008, 02:51 PM

I think that if the Battle of Britain had been fought a year earlier then Britain would probably have lost it as we then had too few Spitfires & Hurricanes. The counter to this, however, is that the Germans may not have been able to get into a position to fight it a year earlier. The Czechoslovakian Army was considerably better equipped than the Polish one & its frontiers with Germany were more defensible than those of Poland. Also, a substantial number of the German tanks that over-ran Western Europe in 1940 came from the Czech Skoda works.

My understanding of the relative paces of British & German rearmament meant that a later start to the war was to the disadvantage of the Germans.

**Heidi** · 03-12-2009, 08:53 PM

Hello.

Germany only started the war in 1939 cause Germany ran out of time.(Bankrupt). Germany really wanted too start the war later when they were fully prepared for the war.
If Germany started the war earlier,in my opinion the war would have lasted shorter amount of time,if Germany started the war later on i still can't see Germany beating England- By starting the war later England had more chance too build up there army and military force.
My thoughts only!

**james S** · 05-03-2009, 01:21 PM

the German march into Prague certainly was a catalyst for disaster and the potential for war became so much more real with it - especially as the German dictatorship was focusing on Poland as the next neighbour who would have to give.

Overy and Wheatcroft's "The Road to War" paints an insightful context of the relationships and complex political dances which were going on.
Hitler and Stalin proved to be more pragmatic in serving their own self interests - Hitler misread the political landscape perhaps because of his own personality flaws as much as anything.
" As Goring sais "My fuhrer , do we have to go for broke? "

I have to agree with Hedi - German was entering dire straights - she simply did not have the resources , industrail base or earnings to support what Hitler wanted to do within the time scale which he has set - the rebuilding of the Armed forces , the naval "Z plan" having just been set in motion , the rebuilding of Berlin as "Germania" had been kicked off as had the massive construction of a party arena in Munich - all construction was on a massive scale all of which Germany could not afford.
The taking of Prague adn the Czechs. had eased some resource problems , Austrain gold reserves and resources likewise had helped but these alone were a drop in the ocean.
Had war not come Germany would have gone broke of that there is little doubt.