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Curated by: World War Two (1315 videos)
When Nazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, Britain and France declared war within days. But when the Soviet Union invaded from the east on September 17, the Western Allies did… almost nothing. So why no declaration of war on Moscow? The answer lies in the fine print of prewar alliances. Britain’s guarantee to Poland was explicitly framed around aggression by a “European Power” — a diplomatic euphemism that was understood to mean Germany alone. When the Red Army crossed the border, British Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax argued that Britain had no legal obligation to intervene. France’s treaty commitments were even narrower, applying only to German aggression. There were also cold strategic realities. Britain and France were not yet ready to fight Germany — let alone Germany and the Soviet Union together. Declaring war on both signatories of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact risked pushing Berlin and Moscow into even closer cooperation. To Poland, it felt like betrayal. To London and Paris, it was grim realpolitik at the very start of an already desperate war. Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory Or join the TimeGhost Army directly at: https://timeghost.tv/signup/ Check out our TimeGhost History YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/timeghost Between 2 Wars: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrG5J-K5AYAU1R-HeWSfY2D1jy_sEssNG Follow WW2 Day by Day on Instagram: @ww2_day_by_day Follow TimeGhost History on Instagram: @timeghosthistory Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeGhostHistory/ Source literature list: https://bit.ly/SourcesWW2 Archive footage: Screenocean/Reuters - https://www.screenocean.com A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH. #timeghost #timeghost #history #historical #history #worldwartwohistory #worldwartwo #ww2 #ww2history #historymatters #maps #cartography #camo