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1939: הספירה לאחור לקראת המלחמה
24 באוגוסט 1939, וגורל העולם תלוי על בלימה. הדיקטטור הגרמני גמר אומר לפלוש לפולין ולהכניעהּ, ועתה הוא ממתין לתשובתו של הדיקטטור השני יוסיף סטלין, שליטהּ האכזר של ברית המועצות, ולהבטחה שישתף פעולה עם כוונות ההתפשטות של גרמניה הנאצית. לראשי מדינות המערב אין אשליות. הם מבינים היטב את כוונותיו ומכירים את שיטותיו. ועם זאת, הם מנסים ברגעים האחרונים ממש להציל את העולם ממלחמה ארוכה והרסנית.
ריצ'רד אוברי כבר הוכיח את יכולתו לחדור לנפשם של שני הדיקטטורים. כעת הוא פורש דיווח מסעיר של ימי השלום האחרונים. יום־יום, ולעיתים שעה־שעה, הוא עוקב אחר מעשי השליחים מצד לצד, אחר המסמכים ואחר האולטימטומים שכשלו ולא הצליחו למנוע אסון נורא.
ספרו של אוברי נקרא כספר מתח עוצר נשימה. הסוף ידוע, אך הדרך אליו מסעירה. וריצ'רד אוברי, כמו שהעידו עליו מבקריו, התברך ביכולות סיפור נדירות. מבקר האובזרבר הכריז עליו כי הוא אחד מגדולי ההיסטוריונים בימינו.
ספרו של ריצ'רד אוברי הדיקטטורים: גרמניה של היטלר, רוסיה של סטלין ראה אור בשנת 6200 בספרייה זו.
ריצ'רד אוברי כבר הוכיח את יכולתו לחדור לנפשם של שני הדיקטטורים. כעת הוא פורש דיווח מסעיר של ימי השלום האחרונים. יום־יום, ולעיתים שעה־שעה, הוא עוקב אחר מעשי השליחים מצד לצד, אחר המסמכים ואחר האולטימטומים שכשלו ולא הצליחו למנוע אסון נורא.
ספרו של אוברי נקרא כספר מתח עוצר נשימה. הסוף ידוע, אך הדרך אליו מסעירה. וריצ'רד אוברי, כמו שהעידו עליו מבקריו, התברך ביכולות סיפור נדירות. מבקר האובזרבר הכריז עליו כי הוא אחד מגדולי ההיסטוריונים בימינו.
ספרו של ריצ'רד אוברי הדיקטטורים: גרמניה של היטלר, רוסיה של סטלין ראה אור בשנת 6200 בספרייה זו.
119 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
47 people are currently reading
583 people want to read
About the author
Richard Overy
147 books351 followersRichard James Overy is a British historian who has published extensively on the history of World War II and the Third Reich.
Educated at Caius College, Cambridge and awarded a research fellowship at Churchill College, Professor Overy taught history at Cambridge from 1972 to 1979, as a fellow of Queens' College and from 1976 as a university assistant lecturer. In 1980 he moved to King's College London, where he became professor of modern history in 1994. He was appointed to a professorship at the University of Exeter in 2004.
His work on World War II has been praised as "highly effective in the ruthless dispelling of myths" (A. J. P. Taylor), "original and important" (New York Review of Books) and "at the cutting edge" (Times Literary Supplement.)[
Educated at Caius College, Cambridge and awarded a research fellowship at Churchill College, Professor Overy taught history at Cambridge from 1972 to 1979, as a fellow of Queens' College and from 1976 as a university assistant lecturer. In 1980 he moved to King's College London, where he became professor of modern history in 1994. He was appointed to a professorship at the University of Exeter in 2004.
His work on World War II has been praised as "highly effective in the ruthless dispelling of myths" (A. J. P. Taylor), "original and important" (New York Review of Books) and "at the cutting edge" (Times Literary Supplement.)[
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
March 9, 2020
At last scored a century !!! Richard Overy's ' 1939 : Countdown to War ' is the hundredth non fiction on World War 2 read by me. Ever since 2005 i have kept myself engrossed in the study of WW2 history with single minded devotion. 15 long years had elapsed since then but still this single topic holds me in supreme awe. WW2 history has become more or less intoxication to me with its aura of endless tales and mysteries.
I have selected this particular book to reach the milestone of hundred books for a particular reason. Mr. Overy's book, though short in size ( It consists of only 124 pages excluding notes and index ) tells us about the few tension packed dramatic days just before the initiation of the most devastating war in human history. Hitler was adamant to invade Poland and teach her a hard lesson. Poland was equally adamant to reject Germany's demand to give away the Danzig corridor to the latter. England and France , though hesitant to go to war against Germany , were more than determined to take military action against Germany in case Germany invades Poland as they had binded themselves with Poland under a treaty. But the real masterstroke was played by Hitler when a few days before the Nazi invasion of Poland , Nazi Germany and Soviet union signed a non-aggression pact together. This pact for the time being removed the Soviet threat of invasion against Nazi Germany in case the World War begins. But the most important of all Hitler's army could now concentrate only on the western front against Germany's most formidable arch rivals France and England.
The author in his book also explains quite beautifully how Hitler tried his best to give an impression to the allies that he wants to localize the war, i.e. he does not want to engage Germany in a world war but only wants to teach Poland a lesson because of her recalcitrance to cede Danzig to Germany. But to his surprise England and France both were reluctant to allow him to do this even if the threat of a world war was looming largely. Hitler's army was supposed to invade Poland on 26th August but originally the invasion was postponed for 5 days and ultimately began in the early morning of 1 st September. This postponement bears the sign of the mental turmoil of Hitler as far as his consternation of the possible involvement of England and France in the war is concerned. The author also focuses on the general mood of the public as well as the political leaders and diplomats of both the allies as the world was on the brink of another devastating war. There were some peace feelers as well as some hardcore supporters of war in both the countries. But one thing was certain. Everyone in both England and France was aware that if world war really takes place , it is going to be much more devastating than the previous one due to the rapid advancement of military technology between the war years . Who could guess then that the war that Hitler began on the first day of September on the soil of Europe would one day even engulf the entire continents of Asia, Africa and Australia ?
1939 is truly a year of divine curse on mankind. The war , which could have been perhaps avoided, with mutual understanding and a united stand by the allies and Soviet Union against Hitler's greedy ambition, took place ultimately on that fateful day of September when at 4.45 in the morning the German training ship Schleswig Holstein , moored off the port of Danzig, opened fire on the Polish fort at Westerplatte. On 3rd September both England and France declared war on Germany and the human ordeal of 6 years of pain and endurance began. Richard Overy's book is indeed a ground breaking work as it familiarizes the WW2 readers with the reality of the few preceding days of the monumental war of the last century.
I have selected this particular book to reach the milestone of hundred books for a particular reason. Mr. Overy's book, though short in size ( It consists of only 124 pages excluding notes and index ) tells us about the few tension packed dramatic days just before the initiation of the most devastating war in human history. Hitler was adamant to invade Poland and teach her a hard lesson. Poland was equally adamant to reject Germany's demand to give away the Danzig corridor to the latter. England and France , though hesitant to go to war against Germany , were more than determined to take military action against Germany in case Germany invades Poland as they had binded themselves with Poland under a treaty. But the real masterstroke was played by Hitler when a few days before the Nazi invasion of Poland , Nazi Germany and Soviet union signed a non-aggression pact together. This pact for the time being removed the Soviet threat of invasion against Nazi Germany in case the World War begins. But the most important of all Hitler's army could now concentrate only on the western front against Germany's most formidable arch rivals France and England.
The author in his book also explains quite beautifully how Hitler tried his best to give an impression to the allies that he wants to localize the war, i.e. he does not want to engage Germany in a world war but only wants to teach Poland a lesson because of her recalcitrance to cede Danzig to Germany. But to his surprise England and France both were reluctant to allow him to do this even if the threat of a world war was looming largely. Hitler's army was supposed to invade Poland on 26th August but originally the invasion was postponed for 5 days and ultimately began in the early morning of 1 st September. This postponement bears the sign of the mental turmoil of Hitler as far as his consternation of the possible involvement of England and France in the war is concerned. The author also focuses on the general mood of the public as well as the political leaders and diplomats of both the allies as the world was on the brink of another devastating war. There were some peace feelers as well as some hardcore supporters of war in both the countries. But one thing was certain. Everyone in both England and France was aware that if world war really takes place , it is going to be much more devastating than the previous one due to the rapid advancement of military technology between the war years . Who could guess then that the war that Hitler began on the first day of September on the soil of Europe would one day even engulf the entire continents of Asia, Africa and Australia ?
1939 is truly a year of divine curse on mankind. The war , which could have been perhaps avoided, with mutual understanding and a united stand by the allies and Soviet Union against Hitler's greedy ambition, took place ultimately on that fateful day of September when at 4.45 in the morning the German training ship Schleswig Holstein , moored off the port of Danzig, opened fire on the Polish fort at Westerplatte. On 3rd September both England and France declared war on Germany and the human ordeal of 6 years of pain and endurance began. Richard Overy's book is indeed a ground breaking work as it familiarizes the WW2 readers with the reality of the few preceding days of the monumental war of the last century.
October 7, 2019
Ένα σύντομο και ιδιαίτερα περιεκτικό βιβλίο για τα αιτία και τις τελευταίες μέρες που οδήγησαν στην έναρξη του Β’ παγκόσμιου πολέμου.
Ενώ σε παρά πολλά βιβλία σχετικά με την έναρξη του πολέμου μαθαίνουμε τι συνέβη στη Γερμανία τις ημέρες προτού την εισβολή στην Πολωνία, εδώ μαθαίνουμε (τουλάχιστον εγώ έμαθα) μια άλλη πτυχή που αφορά τις ενέργειες της Πολωνίας, της Βρετανίας, της Γαλλίας και της Ιταλίας μέσω της διπλωματικής οδού ώστε να αποφευχθεί παρόμοια καταστροφή με αυτή που προηγήθηκε 25 χρόνια πριν κατά τον Α’ παγκόσμιο πόλεμο.
Ιδιαίτερα αξιόλογο και χρήσιμο το παράρτημα στο τέλος του βιβλίου καθώς περιέχει δεκάδες βιβλιογραφικές αναφορές για περαιτέρω μελέτη.
Ενώ σε παρά πολλά βιβλία σχετικά με την έναρξη του πολέμου μαθαίνουμε τι συνέβη στη Γερμανία τις ημέρες προτού την εισβολή στην Πολωνία, εδώ μαθαίνουμε (τουλάχιστον εγώ έμαθα) μια άλλη πτυχή που αφορά τις ενέργειες της Πολωνίας, της Βρετανίας, της Γαλλίας και της Ιταλίας μέσω της διπλωματικής οδού ώστε να αποφευχθεί παρόμοια καταστροφή με αυτή που προηγήθηκε 25 χρόνια πριν κατά τον Α’ παγκόσμιο πόλεμο.
Ιδιαίτερα αξιόλογο και χρήσιμο το παράρτημα στο τέλος του βιβλίου καθώς περιέχει δεκάδες βιβλιογραφικές αναφορές για περαιτέρω μελέτη.
March 15, 2017
Very short overview of the year of chamberlain's calamity. Goes through all the paces 1,2,3 but no spice
If one is interested in events immediately leading up to the declaration of war then this is the book for you
2017 Lenten Buddy Reading Challenge book #25
If one is interested in events immediately leading up to the declaration of war then this is the book for you
2017 Lenten Buddy Reading Challenge book #25
April 3, 2020
A quick microhistory of the months leading up to the declaration of WWII by Britain and France. Overy's voice is easy to understand; he tosses around a lot of names while still managing to keep hold of the main thread/timeline. There's lots of citations to other sources, including primary sources, like diaries of those who were involved in these decisions. It's not immersive or exhaustive by any means, but still a nice little taste of the time.
March 11, 2020
Overy zet de allerlaatste dagen voor het uitbreken van de oorlog op een rijtje en doet dat met verve, maar afhankelijk van je achtergrond is de kans groot dat je het allemaal eerder hebt gehoord.
March 10, 2020
Written in 2009, 80 years after the start of the Second World War, Richard Overy tries to answer why - 25 years after the Great War - Europe went to war again by covering the last final 9 days before the start of the war in September 1939.
Hitler wanted war. The Allies tried desperatedly to prevent war. That is the overall consensus between historians and the general view of the public. But why, after the horrors of 1914-1918, was there not yet another peaceful solution?
Hitler wanted a war, but wanted a local war. Until the end, he was convinced the British and French were bluffing and when the invasion of Poland started, would back down. After his agreement with Stalin he thought he had established this and hoped the British-French-Polish alliance would shatter.
But the reverse happened. France and Britain stated in a mutual protection pact that they would declare war, forcing Hitler to cancel his invasion plans on the 24th of August.
The Allies were convinced that the only way to contain Hitler was to remain steadfast, without concessions to Hitler, hoping that he would - at the last moment - agree to a conference where the problem of Danzig would be solved peacefully.
In the finals days of peace a frantic diplomacy was establish by the British and French. Based upon false intelligence that the position of Hitler was threatened and discontent between the German generals, they thougt Hitler would back down. But the only effect on Hitler was to convince him that the British wanted to desperatedly avoid war at all costs, and therefore once the invasion was underway, they would back down and not declare war.
So why did war broke out? First of all, Hitler was convinced that Poland was worth to be conquered and he didnt understand why Britain and France wanted to risk war for it. He simply made a gamble that the Allies would not declare war, and lost. The Allies on the other hand, thought the only way to have Hitler back down was to not make any concessions. On top of that, there was a growing concern in the British and French population that Germany was a threat to the way international politics was managed en they felt responsible to keep the democratic values in place.
Hitler wanted war. The Allies tried desperatedly to prevent war. That is the overall consensus between historians and the general view of the public. But why, after the horrors of 1914-1918, was there not yet another peaceful solution?
Hitler wanted a war, but wanted a local war. Until the end, he was convinced the British and French were bluffing and when the invasion of Poland started, would back down. After his agreement with Stalin he thought he had established this and hoped the British-French-Polish alliance would shatter.
But the reverse happened. France and Britain stated in a mutual protection pact that they would declare war, forcing Hitler to cancel his invasion plans on the 24th of August.
The Allies were convinced that the only way to contain Hitler was to remain steadfast, without concessions to Hitler, hoping that he would - at the last moment - agree to a conference where the problem of Danzig would be solved peacefully.
In the finals days of peace a frantic diplomacy was establish by the British and French. Based upon false intelligence that the position of Hitler was threatened and discontent between the German generals, they thougt Hitler would back down. But the only effect on Hitler was to convince him that the British wanted to desperatedly avoid war at all costs, and therefore once the invasion was underway, they would back down and not declare war.
So why did war broke out? First of all, Hitler was convinced that Poland was worth to be conquered and he didnt understand why Britain and France wanted to risk war for it. He simply made a gamble that the Allies would not declare war, and lost. The Allies on the other hand, thought the only way to have Hitler back down was to not make any concessions. On top of that, there was a growing concern in the British and French population that Germany was a threat to the way international politics was managed en they felt responsible to keep the democratic values in place.
November 21, 2020
I started reading this because I want some background information for my novel. It's like history readings assigned in class, but it does a good job explaining how the war started, and what stand each side took from the beginning to the end (of the start of war). Sometimes the facts and numbers can get a bit dry but the conclusion part sums everything up in a simple way.
April 14, 2023
The last book read was about the ending days of fascism and war in Europe, and this seemed like a good choice as the next book, to also see the days before the start of ww2.
Very hard decisions to make in that moments. The strategy needed when talking, accepting the need for war (what a sad truth & action to take), it was all there, not so many years ago. There were also some perspectives of the people involved, that reminded me of the invasion of Ukraine last year.
I found some new information that I didn't know, ideas and talks from all of the main political actors at the time. Also, having read recently how some of the people behaved in the ending days, it was interesting to observe how they changed their perspective during the war (or not).
And about the Romanian version, I felt that the words used made the reading smooth. Great translation.
Very hard decisions to make in that moments. The strategy needed when talking, accepting the need for war (what a sad truth & action to take), it was all there, not so many years ago. There were also some perspectives of the people involved, that reminded me of the invasion of Ukraine last year.
I found some new information that I didn't know, ideas and talks from all of the main political actors at the time. Also, having read recently how some of the people behaved in the ending days, it was interesting to observe how they changed their perspective during the war (or not).
And about the Romanian version, I felt that the words used made the reading smooth. Great translation.
March 19, 2018
This was fairly informative, but also incredibly dry. A bit of artistic flair would have made this already short book more readable.
January 3, 2024
This was an interesting read that clarified for me the situation in Europe prior to WW2.
July 10, 2012
It's not necessarily that this is a bad book, but rather that Overy has already written
The Road to War
, an excellent work offering a much broader investigation of the leadup to war. (Both in terms of the period covered and the nations involved.)
1939 presents a more focused view, narrowing in on a handful of events for a trio of actors. [Germany, Great Britain, and France. Poland gets a bit of discussion, but as they were largely a passive actor in terms of whether it would be a local war or a global one, their actions are primarily presented in relation to the other three.] Though more fine-grained at times than Road, I'd certainly recommend the latter before this book. In the end, I'd say that this work feels somewhat superfluous, and is for those who already know the general overview but want a detailed accounting of the actions taken in those final days.
1939 presents a more focused view, narrowing in on a handful of events for a trio of actors. [Germany, Great Britain, and France. Poland gets a bit of discussion, but as they were largely a passive actor in terms of whether it would be a local war or a global one, their actions are primarily presented in relation to the other three.] Though more fine-grained at times than Road, I'd certainly recommend the latter before this book. In the end, I'd say that this work feels somewhat superfluous, and is for those who already know the general overview but want a detailed accounting of the actions taken in those final days.
March 25, 2014
This is a very quick read, worthwhile for anyone interested in the thinking of Hitler, as well as the leaders of the English, French, and Poles, in the week immediately preceeding the breakout of World War II. Hitler was determined to have Danzig and his Polish corridor, and was willing to believe that the French and British would back down rather than enter into a war over the matter. The British and French, on the other hand, hoped that their strong stance in support of Poland, and their stated committment to support of the Polish state would deter Hitler. Both sides, and Overy shows, were mistaken in their thinking, and the diplomatic exchanges proved ineffective. Reading about the thinking of both sides in the leadup to WW II was both informative and interesting.
June 27, 2014
A highly readable, fast-paced historical examination of the events leading up to the outbreak of WWII, written by a most esteemed scholar on the subject. It reads like a thriller, and beyond the obvious reasons that it is one, it is well laid out, highly descriptive, and full of insights into the personalities and events that shaped the outbreak of war. Highly recommended - and it won't take you three days to read it!
July 29, 2017
We all know how World War II started. Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Simple, right? Well, like many events in history, there’s more complexity than we might think. In his 2009 book 1939: Countdown to War, British historian Richard Overy takes us through the final week before the invasion day by day. Even during those last days of August, there was still hope among many leaders in France and England that war could somehow be avoided.
Forming the backdrop for the events of 1939 was the Czechoslovakian crisis of 1938, which had ended with the Munich Agreement. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain famously said of the Munich Agreement, “I believe it is peace for our time.” Chamberlain hoped that Hitler would be satisfied after Munich, but instead, Hitler made it clear that Germany wanted the Danzig Corridor, former German territory that had become part of Poland after the Treaty of Versailles. Poland allied itself militarily with France in England in 1939, and those two countries pledged to come to the aid of Poland if Germany invaded.
Throughout 1939: Countdown to War, Overy deftly explores the hour by hour diplomacy of the final week of peace. Overy makes it quite clear that Hitler never believed that France and England would actually keep their word to Poland. As always, Hitler used best case scenario reasoning to inform his planning. Since he thought that France and England wouldn’t actually fight him over Poland, then why not take Poland? Adding to Hitler’s hubris was the signing of the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact on August 23rd, which ensured that, for the moment, the Soviet Union would not enter into a war against Germany. Hitler thought he could have a local war with no other countries interfering. The Non-Aggression Pact emboldened Hitler to go ahead with the invasion of Poland, which was scheduled to begin on August 26th. However, Hitler soon canceled the invasion, which was then rescheduled for September 1st.
One thing I particularly enjoyed about 1939 was Overy’s nuanced portrait of Neville Chamberlain. Chamberlain’s historical reputation has ebbed and flowed, but I think in the minds of most people he remains the symbol of appeasement. Chamberlain remains fixed in memory as the man waving the paper saying “it is peace for our time,” in contrast to the pugnacious Winston Churchill saying “We will fight them on the beaches.” Of course, we in 2017 have the benefit of hindsight-we know that Chamberlain’s “peace in our time” will blow up in less than a year. But, as Overy shows, Chamberlain changed his mind about Hitler after Munich: “Neville Chamberlain is often painted as a man who searched for any way of evading conflict in 1939, but though he always thought peace preferable to war, he had few illusions about Hitler by the beginning of 1939. In March he described Hitler to a guest as ‘the blackest devil he had ever met.’” (p.15) Chamberlain was not going to back down if Germany invaded Poland, a point that he made clear in a letter he sent to Hitler on August 22, 1939.
Overy does an excellent job of describing the diplomatic exchanges among the countries during these days, and the back-channel attempts at brokering some kind of deal to avoid a war. There was hope on both sides that a major war could be avoided-some in England and France thought that standing firm would cause Hitler to back down, and Hitler remained stubbornly convinced that England and France would never honor their treaty obligations to Poland and actually fight.
Overy unearthed an odd attempt at back-channel diplomacy by Birger Dahlerus, a Swedish businessman who had connections to English diplomats and also to Hermann Göring. Dahlerus worked furiously to bring both sides together to broker a deal, and he met with Göring early in August, but was unsuccessful.
Even after the invasion of Poland on September 1st, there was still drama, as Chamberlain presented Hitler with an ultimatum demanding that German troops withdraw from Poland immediately. Originally, the ultimatum did not have a time limit, which left members of Parliament confused as to whether a state of war existed or not. A time limit was set for 11AM on September 3, 1939, and when there was no response from Germany; Chamberlain announced that England and Germany were at war. World War II had begun.
1939: Countdown to War is a slim volume, just 124 pages, not counting footnotes and index, but it tells the story of a momentous time in history, as Europe entered into another destructive war.
Forming the backdrop for the events of 1939 was the Czechoslovakian crisis of 1938, which had ended with the Munich Agreement. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain famously said of the Munich Agreement, “I believe it is peace for our time.” Chamberlain hoped that Hitler would be satisfied after Munich, but instead, Hitler made it clear that Germany wanted the Danzig Corridor, former German territory that had become part of Poland after the Treaty of Versailles. Poland allied itself militarily with France in England in 1939, and those two countries pledged to come to the aid of Poland if Germany invaded.
Throughout 1939: Countdown to War, Overy deftly explores the hour by hour diplomacy of the final week of peace. Overy makes it quite clear that Hitler never believed that France and England would actually keep their word to Poland. As always, Hitler used best case scenario reasoning to inform his planning. Since he thought that France and England wouldn’t actually fight him over Poland, then why not take Poland? Adding to Hitler’s hubris was the signing of the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact on August 23rd, which ensured that, for the moment, the Soviet Union would not enter into a war against Germany. Hitler thought he could have a local war with no other countries interfering. The Non-Aggression Pact emboldened Hitler to go ahead with the invasion of Poland, which was scheduled to begin on August 26th. However, Hitler soon canceled the invasion, which was then rescheduled for September 1st.
One thing I particularly enjoyed about 1939 was Overy’s nuanced portrait of Neville Chamberlain. Chamberlain’s historical reputation has ebbed and flowed, but I think in the minds of most people he remains the symbol of appeasement. Chamberlain remains fixed in memory as the man waving the paper saying “it is peace for our time,” in contrast to the pugnacious Winston Churchill saying “We will fight them on the beaches.” Of course, we in 2017 have the benefit of hindsight-we know that Chamberlain’s “peace in our time” will blow up in less than a year. But, as Overy shows, Chamberlain changed his mind about Hitler after Munich: “Neville Chamberlain is often painted as a man who searched for any way of evading conflict in 1939, but though he always thought peace preferable to war, he had few illusions about Hitler by the beginning of 1939. In March he described Hitler to a guest as ‘the blackest devil he had ever met.’” (p.15) Chamberlain was not going to back down if Germany invaded Poland, a point that he made clear in a letter he sent to Hitler on August 22, 1939.
Overy does an excellent job of describing the diplomatic exchanges among the countries during these days, and the back-channel attempts at brokering some kind of deal to avoid a war. There was hope on both sides that a major war could be avoided-some in England and France thought that standing firm would cause Hitler to back down, and Hitler remained stubbornly convinced that England and France would never honor their treaty obligations to Poland and actually fight.
Overy unearthed an odd attempt at back-channel diplomacy by Birger Dahlerus, a Swedish businessman who had connections to English diplomats and also to Hermann Göring. Dahlerus worked furiously to bring both sides together to broker a deal, and he met with Göring early in August, but was unsuccessful.
Even after the invasion of Poland on September 1st, there was still drama, as Chamberlain presented Hitler with an ultimatum demanding that German troops withdraw from Poland immediately. Originally, the ultimatum did not have a time limit, which left members of Parliament confused as to whether a state of war existed or not. A time limit was set for 11AM on September 3, 1939, and when there was no response from Germany; Chamberlain announced that England and Germany were at war. World War II had begun.
1939: Countdown to War is a slim volume, just 124 pages, not counting footnotes and index, but it tells the story of a momentous time in history, as Europe entered into another destructive war.
November 21, 2019
The final days before the start of the second World War. It was more complex than I thought. The author successfully conveyed the situation, the uncertainty, the guesses, the bluffing, the misinformation and the nerve war. I would have loved if the author also included Czechoslovakia to show the contrast between the two situations, and why Poland, UK and France didn't want a repeat of it. Hitler -despite his criminal intentions- didn't want a general war; he sought a local conflict. He thought that France and UK wouldn't risk going to a general war, especially after the weakness they showed before. He held to this belief even after the war was announced. The situation was not cut clear as I previously thought, there were many developments which made the British and French guarantees to Poland less deterrent than intended.
April 18, 2017
In this book it is most stunning to think how much both the French and the British misread and misunderstood Hitler. Even though both countries had agents in Germany they appeared to have been totally blind to the military buildup and the eventual invasion of Poland.
Both Chamberlain and the French Prime Minister were both advocates of peace and wary of conflict (given that WW I was so brutal for both countries). The really didn't want to go to war and they really felt that they were not going to have to go to war...and that could be how they were caught so flat footed by Hitler.
This book chronicles the events that led both Britain and France to finally declare war on Germany. But the fact they did so so reluctantly only makes you wonder what was going through their minds. This book gets into how that happened...
Both Chamberlain and the French Prime Minister were both advocates of peace and wary of conflict (given that WW I was so brutal for both countries). The really didn't want to go to war and they really felt that they were not going to have to go to war...and that could be how they were caught so flat footed by Hitler.
This book chronicles the events that led both Britain and France to finally declare war on Germany. But the fact they did so so reluctantly only makes you wonder what was going through their minds. This book gets into how that happened...
April 4, 2022
This is a very thorough play-by-play on how WWII was started in 1939. There are extensive footnotes.
It's kind of depressing reading this right now because it's so similar to what's happening with Ukraine and Russia.
It's kind of depressing reading this right now because it's so similar to what's happening with Ukraine and Russia.
November 22, 2017
Found this very interesting and informative.
May 1, 2024
A short quick walk through the final few days before the declaration of war. The book highlights the opportunities missed to calm tension and is quite relevant in current circumstances. A good background book into the lead up and a quick introductory read into the topic.
November 18, 2019
Overy packs a great deal of analysis into this very short book, which covers the ten days between the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and the outbreak of World War Two from the perspective of British, French, and German leaders. He argues that in times of crisis leaders' thinking skills tend to be compromised and constricted by physical and mental exhaustion. After a week or so of confrontation, Chamberlain, Daladier, and Hitler became mentally "boxed in" and were unable to consider more than one or two outcomes to each of their decisions. This helps explain why the former two men actually believed there was a chance Hitler would withdraw his troops from Poland after the Wehrmacht invaded: they were boxed into a "deterrent" mindset and thought their own preparations for war must somehow make the Germans blink, even after Hitler had made it clear that they wouldn't. Meanwhile, Hitler was willing to invade Poland because he'd convinced himself Britain and France would always back down - he was shocked by their declarations of war, and the German people entered World War Two without any initial idea that it was a necessary conflict (whereas the British and French were willing to fight to preserve the status quo).
January 28, 2021
"1939" é o clássico livro de não-ficção sobre História. Trata-se de um livro dedicado a descrever as semanas que antecederam o início da Segunda Guerra Mundial e descreve as jogadas de bastidores e as ligações políticas que se foram desenhando nessas semanas e que conduziram a um dos piores conflitos de sempre. Confesso que estava algo expectante com esta leitura, estando à espera de um livro que aprofundasse o racional que levou Hitler a invadir a Polónia e a arrastar os países europeus para um buraco sem fundo. Apesar de não-ficção e do tema ser um dos meus preferidos (e do tamanho reduzido do livro), confesso que não gostei tanto do livro quanto estava à espera. Achei que a narrativa se perdia demasiado em determinados detalhes e que não tinha a fluidez necessária para compreender toda a sucessão cronológica dos acontecimentos. Houve mesmo momentos em que achei a escrita um pouco "enfadonha" e sem conseguir prender-me na leitura. Esperava mais deste livro e de uma escrita que não me fizesse ter vontade de abandonar o livro várias vezes...
June 30, 2012
This slim volume focuses with heart-in-mouth breathlessness on the scant few days between August 24 and September 3, 1939, when Germany, Poland, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France teeter on the brink of a war that is to be far larger than the one Hitler originally wanted. Overy lays out, with great precision, the back story of Hitler’s frustrated push for a war with Czechoslovakia the year before, and his eagerness to reclaim the land he believes was unfairly appropriated for Poland during the Great War. He appears to want a “limited war;” what he gets is an alliance between Great Britain and France, sworn to come to Poland’s aid, and events that spiral out of hand even as elder statesmen bring all of their diplomatic skills to bear to avoid a Second World War. We know how this one ends, but it doesn’t diminish the day-by day retelling, and the vain hope that the reader can somehow avert all-out war.
July 18, 2013
Overy, in straightforward and highly readable prose, presents the case that there was more to the belligerency of 1939 that led to WWII than just Hitler and Stalin's ambitions. While not breaking new ground, Overy's book serves an important purpose in informing the public that Poland was not an entirely innocent victim of Nazi and Soviet aggression. A European middle-power in its own right, Poland annexed its own slice of the Czechoslovakian pie at the same time that Germany was applying the screws to Prague. Buoyed by military successes against the Soviet Union during the interwar period, Poland all but refused to sit at the negotiating table with Hitler or Stalin. Poland's interwar conduct is often forgotten in the public consciousness, an ignorance which creates false ideas about the causes of WWII (this misinterpretation is perhaps best represented in the labeling of the Second World War as 'Hitler's War').
June 11, 2014
The build-up to the outbreak of war in 1939 is normally told as a long, slow – and seemingly inevitable – descent into conflict that began with Hitler’s rise to power. In “1939: Countdown to War”, Richard Overy tells the story of the last ten days of the conflict. It is a gripping tale of brinkmanship that reminds us that the past is never scripted, and that hindsight never helps the historian.
By the end of August, Hitler was convinced that the French and the British would “chicken out” from coming to Poland’s aid; but when Neville Henderson, the British Ambassador in Berlin, delivered the ultimatum on 3 September Overy tells us that Hitler “turned to Ribbentropp with a savage look and asked, “What now?”
It is with many such telling insights that Overy brings the drama alive. Far from chickening out, the exhausted British leadership had realised that the time had come.
Only two decades after the end of one global conflict, there was no choice but to start another.
By the end of August, Hitler was convinced that the French and the British would “chicken out” from coming to Poland’s aid; but when Neville Henderson, the British Ambassador in Berlin, delivered the ultimatum on 3 September Overy tells us that Hitler “turned to Ribbentropp with a savage look and asked, “What now?”
It is with many such telling insights that Overy brings the drama alive. Far from chickening out, the exhausted British leadership had realised that the time had come.
Only two decades after the end of one global conflict, there was no choice but to start another.
March 1, 2014
I'm fascinated right now with this period in history - the lead up to WWII. Richard Overy's book provides a clear, concise, and well-referenced description of the five days before Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. Overy provides the reader with a non-judgemental, transparent view into the negotiations and attempts made by the French and English to stop Hitler from seizing Poland, and also gives equal footing to the German side, to the in-fighting among Nazi leadership and doubts about keeping the war in Poland "localized." But of course this was not the case. Overy's book reminds us once again how world history is not shaped by gigantic movements, but incremental ones.
August 12, 2012
Quick read about the last 10 days before the beginning of ww2. All the diplomatic and military intrigues as the face off over poland was set up and then crumbled down upon Europe is told day by day with a startling level of uncertainty as to why in the end the war was undertaken. At its great, hitler did not believe Britain and France would ever fight; and Britain and France believed that honor required at long last that they engage Germany directly. But they didn't until later. It's one more example of how different history looks in real time than in hindsight. What it must have been like to follow the news in those treacherous panicky days!
Worth the read (only 123 pages long).
Worth the read (only 123 pages long).
August 26, 2013
An excellent short book which detailed the tumultuous events which led up to the outbreak of war in September 1939.
Richard Overy, an outstanding historian of this period, has made use of his extensive knowledge, obtained from years of thorough research, to spell out in great detail just how war became inevitable once Hitler had shown his determination to annexe both Danzig and the Polish corridor.
This is a fine and utterly invaluable work for anyone who wishes to understand why the Second World War broke out.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil (www.thebluepencil.co.uk)
davidlowtherblog.wordpress.com
Richard Overy, an outstanding historian of this period, has made use of his extensive knowledge, obtained from years of thorough research, to spell out in great detail just how war became inevitable once Hitler had shown his determination to annexe both Danzig and the Polish corridor.
This is a fine and utterly invaluable work for anyone who wishes to understand why the Second World War broke out.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil (www.thebluepencil.co.uk)
davidlowtherblog.wordpress.com
July 20, 2018
Overy is biased. He tries to portray Daladier and Chamberlain as the heroes of the story and he makes a lot of excuses for them. Actually, mostly for Chamberlain, as the book is very disproportionate (a lot of British insight; poor coverage on the French side). Furthermore, there was almost no reference to how the Soviets saw the situation, although the purpose of the book is to present how Europe felt just before WW2. Throughout the book I felt like I was reading a piece of wood, that's how dry Overy's style is. Personally, I think that a better title for this book would be "How Chamberlain tried to be the hero and failed miserably, but, hey, it's definitely not his fault, ok?"
December 13, 2014
Sometimes it's probably nice to be short. Other times being short might only seem nice, but detracts from being good. Without further context, one might get the idea here that Hitler was looking for an easy way to get, or carve up, Poland, and that once he had succeeded in that effort, all would be well and life could go on with a, now, sated Germany. I'm sorry but there seems little evidence to support that in any histories I've ever read - Hitler was not going to be happy until he had it all.
September 20, 2014
I appreciated the concise and detailed account of the weeks leading up to WWII… with the large cast of characters is was easy to mix up who's who so I would have preferred a detailed index or cheat sheet of the various players from each country, but overall this was a great read, especially for Americans who often forget about the European origins of the war… Also important to understand the way these weeks shaped ideologies of cold warriors of the 1950's & 1960's
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