The Polish-British Common Defence Pact was an annex to the Franco-Polish Military Alliance signed on August 25, 1939 between representatives of the United Kingdom and Poland. The pact contained promises of mutual military assistance between the nations in the event either was attacked by Nazi Germany, which presented an immediate threat to Poland at the time. The United Kingdom, sensing a dangerous trend of German expansionism, sought to prevent German aggression by this show of solidarity.
The pact was preceded by a written "guarantee" of military assistance, issued by the governments of France and England to those of Germany and Poland on March 30. Both the guarantee and the pact were directed specifically against a possible German invasion and pledged to defend Polish independence. Interestingly, neither document pledged to protect Poland's territorial integrity; this was quite deliberate, since it was believed that Germany could be appeased by a cessation of the Polish Corridor and the port of Danzig. This was indeed Germany's frequent outward demand to the Polish government, a demand which Poland refused to meet. Because of this careful wording and other factors, Adolf Hitler was led to believe that England and France wished to avoid war, and could be compelled to stay out of the conflict.
The March 30 guarantee also promised to defend neutral Romania if it were attacked.
In case of war, the United Kingdom was to start hostilities as soon as possible, initially helping Poland with air raids against the German war industry, and joining the struggle on land as soon as the British Expeditionary Corps arrived in France. In addition, a military credit was granted and armament was to reach Polish or Romanian ports in early autumn 1939.
However, both the British and French governments had plans other than fulfilling their treaties with Poland. On May 4, a meeting was held in Paris at which it was decided that "the fate of Poland depends on the final outcome of the war, which will depend on our ability to defeat Germany rather than to aid Poland at the beginning." Poland's government was not notified of this decision, and the Polish-British talks in London were continued. Also in May 1939, Poland signed a secret protocol to the 1921 Franco-Polish Military Alliance in which it was agreed that France would grant her eastern ally military credit "as soon as possible." In case of war with Germany, France promised to start minor land and air military operations at once, and to start a major offensive (with the majority of its forces) no later than 15 days after a declaration of war. A full military alliance treaty between Poland and Great Britain was ready to be signed on August 22, but the British government postponed the signing until August 25, 1939.
Because of the pact's signing, Hitler postponed his planned invasion of Poland until September 1. But the pact was unsuccessful at preventing the invasion on that date. The invasion of Poland marked the outbreak of World War II in the West.
Anglo-French Guarantee of Aid to Poland
March 31, 1939
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The British government recognized that continued German expansion in Europe would irreversibly undermine the status quo. As a result, the Chamberlain government pledged Anglo-French support if the Germans threatened Polish independence. This treaty officially marked the end of the Chamberlain government's appeasement policy, as it became clear, after the German annexations of Bohemia, Moravia, and Memel and threats against Poland, that the Germans were determined to expand territorially in Eastern Europe. In place of appeasement, the Chamberlain government undertook a series of negotiations and mutual assistance treaties designed to form an anti-fascist front or "peace front." The British concluded agreements with Poland, Greece, Romania, and Turkey and conducted talks with the Soviet Union. |