[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

On . . . August 24, while the jubilant Ribbentrop was winging his way back to Berlin, the Allied military missions in Moscow requested to see Voroshilov. Admiral Drax had actually sent an urgent letter to the Marshal requesting his views on the continuation of their talks.

Voroshilov gave them to the British and French military staffs at 1 P.M. the next day, August 25. “In view of the changed political situation,” he said, “no useful purpose can be served in continuing the conversations.”

William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Developments in Europe – 2
Nazi Talks Secret – 2-4
Liberal Weeklies Score Soviet Pact – 4
Turks Give No Sign of Turning to Reich – 4
Serbs, Croats in Accord – 5
British Railway Strike Called Off in Emergency – 5

This song hit big after it was released in May 1939 and became Glenn Miller’s signature song.

Moonlight Serenade

Final Soviet-British-French pact talks update at reply #2.

[Condor51]

Ha!
I love the piece on the 'Liberal Weeklies', The Nation and The New Republic. They were open Stalin loving Communists even back in 1939!

Now as to Danzig: IMHO after WWI the allies (read: France) had no business *giving* Danzig to Poland. Danzig was part of Prussia / Pomerania (German people) for hundreds of years.

It would be like giving Louisiana or Florida to Mexico if we had a war over the SW and lost.

[CougarGA7]

Here's another snippet from the radio. This time it's Edouard Daladier condemning the pact between the Germans and the Soviets.

It will make more sense to you if you speak French, which I don't (my German's rough enough that I can at least listen to the Nazi recordings and get some of it, I tried to learn French in High School, but quickly realized that the French teacher was an A****LE! So I got a D). But even if you don't speak the language it will give you some feel for the tension of the time, you can hear it in his voice.

[CougarGA7]

The UK Telegraph is also resigned to the fact that war is pretty much inevitable now. There are many stories in today's copy starting with the headline:

Hitler's midnight conference - Aug 25, 1939

The German News Agency meanwhile is already spinning the story of Polish aggression.

...the following announcements were made by the official German News Agency:

“A Polish division at war strength has surrounded Danzig. The military preparations by the Poles have now assumed an offensive character. The war spirit within the Polish Army has reached its climax”.

“The Polish Press is sounding the drum for an offensive war. All signs point to the fact that the Poles, within the next few hours, will undertake a coup against Danzig”. (More at link).

Everything is ramping up now. I did find it interesting that the New York Times is already reporting on the Soviets and Germans dividing up Eastern Europe in their agreement. I didn't think that leaked out until the Soviets began to move into their partition of Poland in mid September.

[dfwgator]

"Serbs, Croats In Accord"

In a related story, Hell Froze Over.