I never stated that the USA didn't have a good reason for the embargo, merely that it was the main reason for Japan's decision to go to war against the US and Britain ( who had joined the US embargo)
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I never stated that the USA didn't have a good reason for the embargo, merely that it was the main reason for Japan's decision to go to war against the US and Britain ( who had joined the US embargo)Of course, the embargo was in direct response to Japan's invasion of China, so it's not like the US declared its embargo just for giggles.
As a personal onservation, there should have been red flags showing with how Germany had been attempting inroads against Poland since the mid 30's with "Diplomatic" overtures, like their interest in Danzig and certain requests for territory exchanges.
I suspect the Soviet military was in no position to take unilateral offensive action prior to the German invasion of Poland. Stalin's Great Purge removed three of five marshals (then equivalent to five-star generals), 13 of 15 Army commanders (then equivalent to three- and four-star generals), eight of nine admirals (the purge fell heavily on the Navy, who were suspected of exploiting their opportunities for foreign contacts), 50 of 57 army corps commanders, and 154 out of 186 division commanders. That scale of change in just a few years, and the fear that it must have generated, must have impacted operational efficiency. To that end, Silence's observation about Soviet performance during the Winter War is absolutely relevant.
As to British and French responses to the German invasion of Poland, frankly there wasn't much either country could do to prevent it. As has been observed, neither country wanted war. Their alliance and the promises made to Poland were a bluff and Hitler called them on it. Neither France nor Britain had the access or means to provide and sustain any military force of substance in a position to aid the Poles.
The wider question of partial declarations of war is an interesting one. What would have happened, for example, had Japan attacked just Thailand, Malaya and the Dutch East Indies? Would Roosevelt bring America into the war on that basis? I suspect not. Of more immediate historical relevance, what would have happened if Hitler had not declared war on America - that always struck me as one of the daftest moves ever by a political leader.
They did.The one thing the UK could have done was to reimpose the blockade,
There were a small number of communists in Britain and a small fraction of these belonged to the Labour Party, the Labour Party however represented the acceptable face of capitalism rather than its unacceptable face. The majority of those in Britain that supported the lunatic fringes of politics had their roots in the Tory Party, both the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail were huge advocates of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, there were in fact a great number of pro Nazi defeatists within the Tory party and good old Winston had first to tread them into the ground in order to save Britain from surrender.
The Communist party was so named after the revolution. Before that it was called the russian social democratic Labour Party. The British Labour party was much older and believed in small successive "victories" (Fabianism) rather than a single revolution. Both were Marxist based and had strong ties. However many pro Nazis there were in the Tory Party they are vastly outnumbered by the Marxists in the Trades Unions from where Churchill would have to recruit his army. Declaring war on Russia would be madness and would do absolutely nothing for Poland. I am sure the USA would just sit on the side shaking its collective head.
They did.
However as part of their pact the Soviets were supplying them with the raw materials and foodstuffs they needed.
France moving into Germany in Sept. '39 could likely have toppled the Nazi government. I think it would have given the dissenting Generals the "honorable" reason they thought they needed to move against Hitlers and he fellow defectives. (While I admire their sense of honor, it makes me sad that they clung to it so tightly while millions died.)
I remember reading that the announcement of war in Germany brought a pall down over the country, quite unlike the euphoria of 1914.
As a personal onservation, there should have been red flags showing with how Germany had been attempting inroads against Poland since the mid 30's with "Diplomatic" overtures, like their interest in Danzig and certain requests for territory exchanges.
Nope. Until 1936 the Poles and germans enjoyed very good relations and had a non-agression pact and, if memory serves me correctly, a treaty of military co-operation. As late as 1938 there was still military co-operation between poland an Germany, as evidenced in the carve up of the mutal foe, the Czechs. Then, all of a sudden, almost overnight, German intentions changed towards Poland. it took some time for the Poles to realize they were on the menu however, by which time it was completely too late.