Invasion of Poland began this morning. Warsaw bombed. General mobilization proclaimed in England, ditto in France plus martial law. [Radio]
Foreign & General
1. Hitler’s terms to Poland boil down to return of Danzig & plebiscite in the corridor, to be held 1 year hence & based on 1918 census. There is some hanky panky about time the terms were presented, & as they were to be answered by night of 30.8.39,[1] H.[2] claims that they are already refused. Daily Telegraph [a]
2. Naval reservists and rest of army and R.A.F. reservists called up. Evacuation of children etc. begins today, involving 3m. people & expected to take 3 days. [Radio; undated]
3. Russo-German pact ratified. Russian armed forces to be further increased. Voroshilov’s speech taken as meaning that Russo-German alliance is not contemplated. Daily Express [b]
4. Berlin report states Russian military mission is expected to arrive there shortly. Daily Telegraph [a]
[a]
[b]
[1] Orwell wrote the date as 30.9.30 by mistake.
[2] Hitler. Peter Davison
Tags: bombing, Danzig, evacuation, France, invasion of Poland, martial law, mobilization, Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact, plebiscite, Polish corridor, reservists, Voroshilov, Warsaw
September 1, 2009 at 10:10 am
God help us. Let us hope that all will come out for the best. I for my part will help by teaching my servants how to put their gas masks on. May right be done and God Bless The King and Queen.
September 1, 2009 at 11:59 am
[...] 1.9.39. « THE ORWELL PRIZE orwelldiaries.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/1939 – view page – cached #THE ORWELL PRIZE RSS Feed THE ORWELL PRIZE Atom Feed THE ORWELL PRIZE » 1.9.39. Comments Feed THE ORWELL PRIZE Orwell Diaries 31.8.39. — From the page [...]
September 1, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Today, “news” has come.
September 1, 2009 at 12:48 pm
[...] Told You So By efrafandays From George Orwell’s diaries on this date 70 years ago: Invasion of Poland began this morning. [...]
September 1, 2009 at 1:48 pm
And so, it begins.
September 1, 2009 at 2:26 pm
But what’s happened to the hens? How many eggs today?
September 1, 2009 at 4:39 pm
War!? I never thought Hitler would actually do it! And now we have to wait 6 years to see how it turns out!
September 1, 2009 at 4:56 pm
[...] Diari di George Orwell, 01.09.39 [...]
September 1, 2009 at 5:03 pm
[...] 1.9.39. « THE ORWELL PRIZE From George Orwell's diary: [...]
September 1, 2009 at 6:40 pm
[...] 1.9.39. « THE ORWELL PRIZE: Invasion of Poland began this morning. Warsaw bombed. General mobilization proclaimed in England, ditto in France plus martial law. [...]
September 1, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Hold onto your hats! The diary is about to lose George’s references to the daily eggs! Or is it?
September 1, 2009 at 6:46 pm
According to A.J.P. Taylor (STRUGGLES FOR SUPREMACY, p. 224), on September 1st the Soviet government began broadcasting from their radio station at Minsk a regular signal which the Luftwaffe could use as a navigational aid while they were in Polish airspace. This was one of the first tangible benefits the Nazis derived from the Nazi-Soviet Pact. (The signal, incidentally, was the word “Minsk,” repeated as often as possible during regular broadcasting.)
September 2, 2009 at 1:15 am
Come now David, we don’t know that yet….
September 2, 2009 at 1:44 am
With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we shall gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God!
September 2, 2009 at 3:09 am
On the 70th anniversary of the German blitzkrieg on Poland, it would be wise to reflect on the consequences of appeasing barbarians over taking the action necessary to protect your country.
http://ronmossad.blogspot.com/2009/08/why-we-fight-in-defense-of-preemptive.html
1938: Neville Chamberlain signs the Munich agreement and 50+ million people die.
1967: Levi Eshkol launches a preemptive assault on 4 Arab nations and saves his country.
It is clear that in a choice between appeasement and victory there is no real choice to make at all. We can either put an end to the Iranian menace now or we can wait until they are on equal footing with us and the job becomes exponentially worse. For both sides. In the history books intentions are irrelevant, only results are remembered.
September 2, 2009 at 5:02 am
What does A.R.P. abbreviate?
September 2, 2009 at 6:03 am
Air Raid Precautions (or Patrol)
September 2, 2009 at 6:09 am
ARP stands for Air Raid Precautions. The abbreviation was painted on the steel helmets issued to British civilian volunteer air raid wardens. These men and women worked their full-time jobs, and then they gave their nights – or their days if they were night workers – to standing ARP shifts: seeing to people keeping the blackout; guiding and hustling people into air raid shelters. They also helped to rescue and succor many victims of the Nazi bombings of British cities – and to dig the dead from the rubble of bomb-demolished buildings.
September 2, 2009 at 7:53 am
[...] The New Republic on October 18, 1939. You can find the text of the poem here. Plus, you can also read George Orwell’s account of what happened that historic day in Poland. I found it, and just had to throw that in. [...]
September 2, 2009 at 10:34 am
We’ve been having fun with the eggs and such, but this is definitely one of those points in the narrative which reminds me how truly awesome this project is.
Many, many thanks to Peter Davison, the Orwell Prize staff, and everyone else with a hand in making this blog happen.
September 2, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Nothing to worry about, Mr. Orwell. I’m sure Poland will see the sense of German demands and the reich will be satisfied.
September 2, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Thanks!
September 2, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Thank goodness France is safe behind their Maginot Line!
September 2, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Now a day or two to visit the pubs, dispatch E to Hyde Park, and generally collect and share news.
September 2, 2009 at 8:07 pm
[...] George Orwell blogged* [...]
September 2, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Did Chamberlain sign away 50 million at Munich or did he buy time for Britain to arm – the only country who stood up to the Nazis, while ‘certain others’ stood by?
September 2, 2009 at 10:08 pm
I just recently saw newsreel footage of Chamberlain (not “certain others”) waving a piece of paper, smiling and bragging about Hitler’s signature on it as if that was the greatest thing ever.
I don’t think he was buying time. I think he was star-struck.
September 3, 2009 at 12:55 am
Chamberlain has my vote! All you warmongers! Wake up! Give peace a chance!
September 3, 2009 at 1:19 am
“only country who stood up to the nazis”? you mean aside from Czechoslovakia, Poland, and France? Chamberlain bought time for the Germans to build more tanks and artillery, is what he did.
September 3, 2009 at 8:52 am
Quite right, Andrew. I’m hiding my head in shame. Up the Czechs, the Poles and the French! But we all know who ’stood by’.
September 7, 2009 at 1:26 am
ronmossad, the choice Chamberlain had to make was not between appeasement and a preemptive strike. That’s a false dichotomy. There was a third choice, namely wait for Hitler to march his troops into the Sudetenland, and then attack them after that. Or even better, Britain and France could’ve attacked when Hitler took back the Rhineland years earlier. I agree appeasement didn’t work out well, but why have a preemptive attack?
September 7, 2009 at 8:17 am
I would have appreciated it if Orwell had posted something brief and terse along the lines of “War started. 10 eggs.”
September 11, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Fascinating contrast between this entry and the one a day before. Would make a fine start for a novel.