Why didn't Britain and France declare war on Russia?

[kordts]

If WWII was technically started by G.B. and France declaring war on Germany over German's invasion of Poland. Why did they let Russia get away with invading Poland?


Kordts

[kordts]

I posted this and saw another post called "Poland and the Allies" a bit further down the page :? Please ignore :D


Peace out,

Kordts

[Pirx]

Becouse those two countries never guaranteed that they declare war against USSR if they invaded Poland.

[Michael N. Ryan]

Declaring war on the Soviet Union was not in their political interests.

[Torquez]

Nor was it their obligation.

[Helmut Von Moltke]

Declaring war on the Soviet Union was not in their political interests.

exactly, so allying themselves to a tyranical regime, the Soviet Union, does not make them the "flawless angel hearted good guys." just my 2 cents...

helmut

[Alex Coles]

The reasons were simple :

They had to fight a military monster, which was very experienced. This country was called Germany.

Secondly, if they declared war on the Soviet Union, then the allies wouldn't stand a chance. Considering France fell in approximately 6 weeks, they wouldn't want to declare war on the U.S.S.R would they? Especially when you compare the amount of land, men, industrial strength and many other things, it balances into the favour of the Soviet Union, of course it would be the USA which is a large competitor.

Long Story Short :

Russia was larger and more powerful(overwhelming firepower) than the allied (land forces).
Germany gives them alot on their hands

[Dan38]

GB and French assistance agreement was only if Germany attacked Poland. There wasn't any guarantee or agreement regarding the USSR invading Poland. In any case the British and French didn't provide Poland any help at all. No attack on the Western side of German occurred. Actually both countries were incapable of guaranteeing any borders. Of course the USSR was interested in retaking all the territory lost to Poland during their border war in the twenties, (hence treaty with Germany.) Poland just took it as the USSR was weak at the time. Britain lucked out when Hitler turned East instead of landing paratrooper in the far West part of England. (Also paratooper landing in Scotland at the same time.) Hitler couldn't understand why both GB and France wanted to continue the war after Poland was a done-deal. Many in GB and France felt that Germany was just reclaiming German territory lost in WW1 and why prolong the war. GB and French Goverments couldn't or wouldn't believe Hitler at that time do to his continuous changing demands.

[Alex Coles]

Although many people say the allies should of supplied the Poles with weapons in Fall Weiss, where would it be unloaded? Danzig, the ONLY Polish port, was encircled quickly. Anyway, would the danes of allowed the allies to send equipment through Storebaelt? That was the way into Danzig through Western Europe.

[sid guttridge]

Hi 17SSPG,

Actually Danzig was technically a Free State under League of Nations mandate. The Poles had only a few customs and post office officials in the city. Danzig's population was almost entirely German and had been under local Nazi rule since the early 1930s. In mid 1939 the Danzig Nazis raised their own infantry brigade (later the German Army's 60th Infantry Division) to defend its borders against the Poles. Thus there was never any prospect of the Poles receiving Allied supplies via Danzig. (Indeed, during their war with the USSR in 1920 the Danzig dockers had refused to unload Anglo-French supplies for the Polish Army.)

Cheers,

Sid.

[2nd SS Panzer Das Reich]

Because Poland was "protected" only from Germany not the USSR.