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What was the Winter War (1939-1940)?

Introduction The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union (USSR) and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peace Treaty on 13 March 1940. Despite superior military… Read More

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What was the Phoney War (1939-1940)?

Introduction The Phoney War (French: Drôle de guerre; German: Sitzkrieg) was an eight-month period at the start of World War II, during which there was only one limited military land operation on the Western Front, when French troops invaded Germany’s Saar district. The Phoney period began with the declaration of war by the United Kingdom… Read More

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What was the Saar Offensive (1939)?

Introduction The Saar Offensive was a French ground invasion of Saarland, Germany, during the early stages of World War II, from 07 to 16 September 1939. The plans called for roughly 40 divisions, including one armoured division, three mechanised divisions, 78 artillery regiments and 40 tank battalions to assist Poland, which was then under invasion,… Read More

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What was the Invasion of Poland (1939)?

Introduction The invasion of Poland (September campaign, Polish: Kampania wrześniowa; 1939 defensive war, Polish: Wojna obronna 1939 roku; Poland campaign, German: Überfall auf Polen) marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 01 September 1939, one week after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union, and… Read More

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What was the British Expeditionary Force?

The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was the name of the British Army in Western Europe during the Second World War from 02 September 1939 when the BEF GHQ (General Headquarters) was formed until 31 May 1940, when GHQ closed down. Military forces in Britain were under Home Forces command. During the 1930s, the British government… Read More