Dodał: WorldWarTwo
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. Britains 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. Frances 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 MolotovRibbentrop 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.
So why no declaration of war on Moscow?
The answer lies in the fine print of prewar alliances. Britains 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. Frances 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 MolotovRibbentrop 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.
