Quick Question: Was Britain the only country at war with Germany in 1940?

[Darth_Pugwash]

Hello dear CFCers

I have a quick question: After the fall of France, during the Battle of Britain, was Britain the only country in the world at war with Germany?

Just wondering becuase WW2 was such a huge conflict with many countries involved, was Britain really alone in the summer of 1940?

(not counting common wealth countries or the British Empire)

Thanks in advance to any buff who knows the answer!

 

[YNCS]

There was the Winter War between Finland and the USSR which ended in March. The Battle of France didn't start until May 10th (Petain signed the peace treaty on June 22nd). The Netherlands entered the war with the bombing of Rotterdam on May 14th (Dutch Army surrendered May 15th) Norway didn't surrender until June 10th. On October 22nd, Italy invaded Greece (Mussolini didn't even bother to declare war).

So yes, in the summer of 1940, Britain did stand alone.

 

[Darth_Pugwash]

Thanks.

 

[Verbose]

Depends on what you mean.

Did Britain stand alone in the sense of alone still in posession of all her forces and resources?
Alongside the Commonwealth (y'know, assorted Canadians, Australians, South Africans etc.), yes.

But Norway was still at war with Germany, despite being under occupation, with a govt. in exile in London headed by the king, and the truly massive Norwegian fleet of merchant ships was put at the disposal of the British as part of the war effort.
Actually most German occupied countries had a govt in exile in London. The big exception being the French Vichy under Pétain, though the Danish and Belgian govts (parts of them at least) also stayed put, and tried to come to some kind of arrangement with the German occupiers in 1940.

Mussolini got Greece involved, which meant they were also at war with Germany in 1940. (Though not for very long.)

And the whole point of the Free French setting up shop in London was their the refusal to accept defeat like the Vichy had. Intitially they only controlled the French West Indies and sub-Saharan colonies, but it was a start.

 

[warpus]

Technically it wasn't, as the exiled Polish government in London was at war with Germany.

 

[History_Buff]

The Commonwealth was there, like we always are. 7 days after war was declared in 1939, Canada declared war, and I think we were the slowest of the Commonwealthers. The commonwealth however, includes huge amounts of both territory, resources, and man power, so Britain had some help.

And apart from the Yanks and the Ruskkies, all the major players were already in the war.

 

[Kamilian]

The countries that had their Governments-in-Exile, and some of their army, navy, and/or air force, in Britain were at war with Germany. It wasn't just British pilots, for instance, during the infamous Battle for Britain

 

[~Corsair#01~]

The Allies in 1940 consisted of
- the intact nations of Britain and the commonwealth
- the Free French, which controlled parts of France's former empire (I don't know exact territories)
- Iceland, which had been occupied once Denmark surrendered
- exiled governments of occupied countries which contributed manpower and some supplies
- various other countries eg. France, Denmark and Greece, which fought, lost and surrendered during 1940

EDIT- In addition to Asian factions, like the Chinese etc. But the above were the only European players.

 

[The Last Conformist]

Before Pearl Harbour and the Japanese attacks on the British and Dutch, the wars in Europe and Asia were disjoint.

 

[Pokurcz]

"And apart from the Yanks and the Ruskkies, all the major players were already in the war."

I would say that the russians where allready involved in the war, on Germanys side through the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Having in fact started WW2 as an ally of the Nazis by simultaniously attacing Poland from the east.

Three months later proceding their war effort by trying to invade Finland.

The "Non aggression pact" was far more than what it was called, the deal included the division of a number of ****ries in to spheres of interest, countries like Poland and Finland.

 

[Nobody]

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[Dreadnought]

New Zealand was at war the entire time.

Not counting Commonwealth countries.

 

[Zardnaar]

One thing I never quite figured out. If a country has surrendered why did the Germans accept POWs from the free forces? Couldn't they be executed as terrorists/guerrillas or something?

 

[History_Buff]

Given that many governments still existed in London, I doubt it.

 

[Verbose]

One thing I never quite figured out. If a country has surrendered why did the Germans accept POWs from the free forces? Couldn't they be executed as terrorists/guerrillas or something?

Yeah well, they treated all western POWs way better than any of their Russian POWs. Chalk it up to weird racial policies.

It seems to have extended to soldiers in uniform of the western armies in general. It could be a Wehrmacht thing, not letting the SS have its way with captured Free French, or Norwegian.
Though they did ship Norwegian resitance men to the KZs. And the entire Danish police force ended up there as well. (Buchenwald IIRC?)

 

[atreas]

- various other countries eg. France, Denmark and Greece, which fought, lost and surrendered during 1940

Not very good in WW2 history I guess. Italians invaded Greece in 28 October 1940, they were kicked really badly, were almost thrown in the sea, after losing most of the ALBANIAN territory they had conquered previously, and Hitler came to the resque in April 1941 because his allies were losing. The second front wasn't possible to be upheld so the Greek forces surrendered, with the last battle being done by English and Greek forces in Creta, in May 1941. Btw, it was the last time Hitler used paratroopers in large scale (he didn't fancy the losses of the operation).

But technically Greece wasn't in war with Germany in 1940 - we were in war with Italy.

 

[privatehudson]

One or two British POWs also ended up in the camps. My dad has a book somewhere by one such inmate, his experiences of the camp and struggle to persuade the British authorities that he wasn't lying about being there.

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

Technically it wasn't, as the exiled Polish government in London was at war with Germany.

Indeed my Old Country brethren were.

 

[Gelion]

"And apart from the Yanks and the Ruskkies, all the major players were already in the war."

I would say that the russians where allready involved in the war, on Germanys side through the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Having in fact started WW2 as an ally of the Nazis by simultaniously attacing Poland from the east.

Three months later proceding their war effort by trying to invade Finland.

The "Non aggression pact" was far more than what it was called, the deal included the division of a number of ****ries in to spheres of interest, countries like Poland and Finland.

You have a problem with at elast 3 historical facts:
1. USSR re-united Byelorussia and Western Ukraine with their monther nations stolen from them by the Poles in 1921.
2. Soviet troops entered Poland 3 weeks after Nazi Germans meeeting little to no resistance. Cetainly not simulataneously
3. Poland, France and Britain all had NAPs with Germany and coordinated plans for common war aganist USSR. Here's the exaplanation for your "strange war" in the West" and treason of the Polish army by its leaders. Do us all a favour and read up on the beginning of world war 2.

 

[YNCS]

3. Poland, France and Britain all had NAPs with Germany and coordinated plans for common war aganist USSR. Here's the exaplanation for your "strange war" in the West" and treason of the Polish army by its leaders. Do us all a favour and read up on the beginning of world war 2.

Do you have any evidence for France and Britain having coordinated plans against the USSR?