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Music Hello everyone and welcome to history of the Second World War, episode 114, the September

campaign, Part 6, The Last Days of Peace.

During the last two weeks of August 1939, everything was coming into an alignment for a war in Europe. Among the diplomatic corps of various nations' messages were being exchanged

that an invasion of Poland would be an irreversible catalyst for a continental war.

As one memorandum by the German state secretary

would say on August 15th, quote, the French ambassador called on me today after his return from leave.

The ambassador then turned to general politics, expressing himself somewhat as follows and speaking

calmly and decisively. France had taken her stand. Her relations with Poland and with Britain were well

known. A conflict between Germany and Poland would automatically involve France. This was a fact,

not a desire, on the part of France." In the Soviet Union, the non-aggression pact would be

signed between Germany and the Soviet Union on August 23rd, taking the Soviet Union out of any conflict with Germany for the immediate future.

On the 23rd, the Danzig Senate would also vote to join with Germany,

which in any previous month would have been the biggest story anywhere,

but barely gets a mention and in fact caused no real responses from Britain, France, and Poland

because the war

...