1939 - The Year in Review

Homer_J_Simpson | January 1, 2010 | CougarGA7

[CougarGA7]

1939 – THE YEAR IN REVIEW

It was not a typical summer night on the Obersalzberg. On this night of August 21st the men of the Nazi party were in celebration. That day they had signed a pact with Russia that in effect had paved the way for Hitler’s next conquest; Poland. As Adolf Hitler and his entourage stepped on the terrace of this mountain retreat they were greeted with a rare display of the Northern Lights dancing in the sky. Albert Speer would later reflect on how these lights bathed everyone on the terrace with an eerie red glow. As Hitler looked at the red tinge on his hands he turned to one of his military adjuncts and said, “Looks like a great deal of blood. This time we won’t bring it off without violence.”¹

At this time even Hitler must not have known how right he was. In 1939 he was still riding his successes of the previous year. In 1938 he had managed to take all of Austria as well as the Sudetenland without a shot being fired. As 1939 commence he had kept the pressure on until he finally orchestrated his final absorption of the rump state of Czecho-Slovakia and had created a Bohemia Protectorate as well as a puppet state in Slovakia. This would be the last of his bloodless conquests. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, a man who had desperately clung to a policy of appeasement, had finally seen the light. Chamberlain would draw a line in the sand. Hitler was already making designs towards Poland and the Prime Minister reflected on this in his speech of March 31st when he threw the British lot in with the Polish people:

In the event of any action which clearly threatened Polish independence and which the Polish Government accordingly considered it vital to resist with their national forces, His Majesty’s government would feel themselves bound at once to lend the Polish Government all support in their power. They have given the Polish Government an assurance to this effect. I may add that the French Government have authorized me to make it plain that they stand in the same position in this matter. ²

The battle lines were now drawn. Hitler, still confident at his mountaintop chateau was ready to take up the British and French on their challenge. Convinced that the Western Allies would back down as they always had, Hitler moved forward with his invasion of Poland with Russia’s blessing on September 1st. For the first time in his long standing challenges to the west Hitler was wrong. On September 3rd England sent a declaration of war to Germany. Hitler’s interpreter Paul Schmidt translated the declaration and later described the scene:

After I finished, there was total silence…. Hitler sat there as if petrified and stared straight ahead. He was not stunned, as was maintained later, and he did not rant and rave either, as others claimed they knew. He sat in his seat completely quiet and motionless. After a while, which seemed like an eternity to me, he turned to Ribbentrop who kept standing at the window as if frozen. “What now?” Hitler asked his Foreign Minister with a furious gaze in his eyes as if he wanted to indicate that Ribbentrop had misinformed him about the reaction of the British. Softly, Ribbentrop replied: “I assume that the French will shortly give us an identical ultimatum”…Göring turned to me and said: “If we lose this war, may Heaven have mercy on us!” ³

Many years later Göring was probably reflecting on the prolific comment as he sat in his cell in Nuremberg getting ready to enact his final solution on himself with the cyanide capsule he had secreted away. But for now it will be a year of triumph for the Nazi war machine. In 1939 they made quick work of Poland and divided the spoils with their tenuous Russian ally. The French will make a half hearted attempt to advance into Germany in the Saar region only to cower away behind the protection of their perceived impenetrable Maginot Line. The British would wage war in the way they best knew how, taking on the Germans at sea in the beginning of the battle of the Atlantic. Germany, however, would take the first rounds in the bout. The German U-boat dominated the scene in 1939 pinnacled with daring attack on the Royal Oak in Scapa Flow. U-47 Captain Günther Prien brought his boat in on the surface against the stiff tides through Kirk Sound to come to bear on the “sleeping giant”.⁴ Above the surface of the ocean was a different story for the Kriegsmarine and the year finished out with a significant victory for the Royal Navy. On December 13th the 8 inch-gun cruiser Exeter was sent forward to investigate smoke to the northwest and sighted the pocket-battleship Graf Spee.⁵ In the following engagement the Exeter, Achilles and Ajax exchanged fire with the Graf Spee and while all three ships suffered varying degrees of damage they successfully chased the Graf Spee into the Uruguayan port of Montevideo.⁶ With the Graf Spee trapped Captain Langsdorff, with Hitler’s blessing, ordered the ship scuttled off the coast.

The Germans did not stand alone on the war path though. Despite the fact that Mussolini and Italy decided to shun away from war, the Soviet Union was emboldened by their new ally and the political dividing of Eastern Europe between the two. They began their own quest for territory by occupying their allotted portion of Poland on the 17th of September. There they showed an equal propensity for violence just as the German’s did in their portion. In what would become know as the Katyn forest massacre the Soviets exercised their authority by executing all Polish officers, reserve officers, and specialists that the Red Army captured.⁷ They followed up their occupation of Eastern Poland with demands made on the small Baltic states. These states conceded the right for the Soviets to establish bases on their territory but it was only reasonable when considered that the requests were made while Soviet planes flew over the respective capitals. On November 30th the Soviets took a more direct approach to the eastern land grab as they invaded the small country of Finland. By the end of the year they were starting to learn that they were not prepared to fight a dedicated opponent. The Finnish established a defensive position at what was called the Mannerheim Line and the combination of fighting in -30 degree cold and general unpreparedness was costing the Red Army dearly with no notable gains.⁸ At the end of the year only the United States stood as a major power not embroiled in conflict.

1939 marks the point where diplomacy ended and conflict began. Captured in these links are the stories of the transition into war as reported by the New York Times and brought to you by the diligent work of Freeper Homer_J_Simpson. In his second complete year of this effort he has shown a special wherewithal that has allowed us to open our “paper” every morning and relive the events as seen from the average American citizen. Inside each of these links you will also see these stories enhanced by other Freepers who contributed with their knowledge, sources, opinion, and occasional Tom-foolery. For those who are genuinely interested in the history of World War II this will provide you a great resource for events that occurred in 1939. For the more casual observer each headline may draw you into a story that meets your interest. Whether it is events overseas, national event, sports, or even entertainment all of 1939 is captured in these links for your amusement and education. Please enjoy and stay tuned for Homer’s running commentary of 1940 this year. I think I speak for all of us when I say thank you Homer for your contributions on this incredible project.

Map of the German Theater of Operations in 1939

Map of the Japanese Theater of Operations in 1939

1. Rhodes, Richard. Masters of Death: The SS – Einsatzgruppen and the Invention of the Holocaust. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002. p 4.
2. Shirer, William L. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany. New York: Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 1990. p 454.
3. Frieser, Karl-Heinz. The Blitzkreig Legend: The 1940 Campaign in the West. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2005. p 12.
4. Van Der Vat, Dan. The Atlantic Campaign. Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, 1988. pp 138-139.
5. Ibid, 144.
6. Ibid, 145.
7. Weinberg, Gerhard L. A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005, pp 106-107.
8. Murray, Williamson and Allan R. Millett. A War to be Won: Fighting the Second World War. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2000, 56.

• European Events

• Asian Events

• American Events

• Sports

• Entertainment

• Other

1939

January

• City Greets 1939 with Joyous Din – Jan 1

• Bowl Game Results; Rose, Sugar, Orange, Sun, Cotton – Jan 3

• Rose Bowl, True Crime and Herb Caen – Jan 3

• Dewey Calls 1940 Republican Year – Jan 5

• Czechs Shell Town at Hungarian Line; Dozen Die in Clash – Jan 7

• Huge, Fast Vessels Projected by Navy – Jan 9

• Whizzer White Arrives at Oxford – Jan 10

• Jack Benny Indicted – Jan 11

• $552,000,000 for Defense is Asked for by Roosevelt – Jan 13

• High-Flying Plane Build for Defense – Jan 15

• Roosevelt Asks Extension of Social Security Act – Jan 17

• 3,000 New Army Airplanes Authorized – Jan 19

• No Sign of War End in China, Envoy Says – Jan 19

• Hitler Removes Schacht – Jan 21

• Massacre Reported in Spanish Civil War – Jan 21

• Movie Review: They Made Me a Criminal – Jan 21

• Roosevelt Backs New Base at Guam – Jan 21

• Nazi Order Erases Old Officer Caste; Ties Army to Party – Jan 23

• Rebels Drive to Barcelona – Jan 25

• After Barcelona – Jan 26

• Movie Review: Gunga Din – Jan 27

• Six Years of Hitler – Jan 29

• Hitler to U.S. “Butt Out, Bourgeois Weaklings” – Jan 31

February

• U-Boats, Destroyers, and Vatican Disputes Hitler – Feb 3

• Movie Review: Idiot’s Delight – Feb 3

• Peace Move by Loyalists – Feb 5

• Russians Battle Japanese – Feb 5

• Pope Pius is Dead at the Age of 81 – Feb 10

• Mercy Death Law Ready for Albany – Feb 14

• Britian will Build 2 New Battleships – Feb 16

• Germans Want Pope Who Favors Fascists – Feb 17

• Movie Review: Made for Each Other – Feb 17

• Foreign Minister in Nanking Regime Slain – Feb 20

• Hitler Pained by British Arming – Feb 23

• Mystery SOS Tells of Torpedo Attack – Feb 23

• 100 Jews Each Day Must Leave Reich – Feb 26

• Yankees, Giants, Dodger Open Spring Training – Feb 28

March

• Pacelli Elected Pope; Reigns as Pius XII – Mar 3

• Movie Review: Stagecoach – Mar 3

• Neo-Paganism Gravest Problem for New Pope – Mar 5

• War Fear Dominates Palestine Discussion – Mar 5

• Naval Air Force Held World’s Best – Mar 8

• Germany Prepares to Act – Mar 11

• Stalin Says West Seeks to Foment Soviet-Reich War – Mar 11

• Movie Reviews: The Oklahoma Kid; The Little Princess – Mar 11

• Sidor New Premier on Slovak Cabinet – Mar 12

• Hitler’s Support of Slovak Cause is Seen by Prague – Mar 13

• Hitler Sends Troops Toward the Border – Mar 14

• Hitler Dissolves Czecho-Slovak Republic – Mar 15

• Hitler Follows His Troops into Prague – Mar 16

• Hitler’s Word – Mar 17

• Movie Review: Love Affair – Mar 17

• NCAA Tournament Begins Today – Mar 17

• NCAA Tournament – Final Four Set – Mar 18

• What is Hitler Up To? A Frantic Europe Asks – Mar 19

• Low Income-Tax Yield Intensifies Tax Issue – Mar 19

• Peril in the East – Mar 19

• NCAA Tournament: Oregon and Ohio State to Meet in Final – Mar 19

• Lithuania Yields Memel to Hitler – Mar 22

• Gandhi Exorts World to Disarm – Mar 22

• Millions in China Wander Homeless – Mar 22

• Moves for Peace Gain in China War – Mar 23

• NCAA Tournament: Oregon Five Halts Ohio State in Final – Mar 28

• Madrid Yields, Ending War – Mar 29

• Britain and France Decide to Defend Poland – Mar 31

• Movie Review: The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle – Mar 31

April

• 7 French Islands Annexed by Japan – Apr 1

• Movie Review: The Story of Alexander Graham Bell – Apr 1

• McCarthy’s All-Stars – Apr 3

• Albanians Resist the Invading Italians – Apr 8

• Easter Parade in Furs Indicated with Skies Dark and Threatening – Apr 9

• British Mediterranean Fleet Sails – Apr 11

• Britain and France Guarantee Rumania and Greece – Apr 14

• Movie Reviews: Wuthering Heights, The Hardys Ride High – Apr 14

• Roosevelt Asks Dictators for 10-Year Peace – Apr 16

• Major League Openers – Apr 18

• A Red Sox Conference – Apr 19

• Roosevelt Says Liberals Are Sole Hope for Party – Apr 20

• Movie Review: Dark Victory – Apr 21

• Appeal to Hitler Backed in Survey – Apr 23

• Reich Orders Out Jews it Released – Apr 26

• 2-Day India-to-England Service is Feat of U.S. Plane on Dutch Line – Apr 26

• Movie Review: Juarez – Apr 26

• British to Conscript 200,000 Yearly – Apr 27

• Marshall Named as Chief of Staff – Apr 28

• Hitler Says No to Roosevelt – Apr 29

• Movie Reviews: Confessions of a Nazi Spy, The Return of the Cisco Kid – Apr 29

May

• New York World’s Fair Opens – May 1

• Rival Groups Set to Mark May Day – May 1

• The Babe Ruth of Tomorrow – May 1

• Gehrig Voluntarily Ends Streak – May 1

• Litvinoff Quits Soviet Post; Molotoff Foreign Minister – May 4

• Beck Rejects All of Hitler’s Demands – May 6

• Pope Pius Asks Five Nations to Confer in Vatican City – May 9

• Deal With Stalin Sought By Hitler – May 9

• British Hopes Rise for Soviet Accord – May 9

• Chamberlain Warns Nazis Force in Danzig Means War – May 12

• Our New Army Chief – May 14

• German Fort Line Held Impregnable – May 16

• Movie Review: Goodbye, Mr. Chips – May 16

• On the Firing Line – May 16

• British Issue Plan to Make Palestine Independent – May 18

• 3 Nations Reject Reich Pact Offer – May 18

• Gunfire Rattles in Hills of Harlan – May 19

• Steel Rings Change War Strategy – May 21

• London-Paris-Moscow Treaty Talks Continue – May 21

• Russian Aid Expected if Germany Opens War – May 21

• New Tie to Reich Troubles Italians – May 21

• Palestine Plan Irks Both Arabs and Jews – May 21

• Axis Powers Sign Ten-Year Alliance to Remake Europe – May 23

• 59 Await Rescue on Sunken Submarine 240 Feet Down – May 24

• 33 Rescued from Squalus; 26 Others Feared Dead – May 25

• No Hope for 26 in Squalus – May 26

• New Border Clash Reported by Tokyo – May 30

• All Around the Mulberry Bush – May 30

• Nazis Seize Palace of Reich’s Primate – May 31

• Retaliate as Bus is Fired On – May 31

June

• Russians Balk on Pact – Jun 1

• Loss of 86 in Submarine Feared as Tide Engulfs It – Jun 3

• The Voyage of the St. Louis – Jun 3

• The Rising Debt – Jun 3

• Movie Review: Young Mr. Lincoln – Jun 3

• Yankees, Giants, Dodgers Results – Jun 4

• Japanese in China Kill Briton in Row – Jun 7

• Pope Seeks to Bar Soviets from Pact – Jun 7

• Reich Warns Niemoeller of Loss of Pulpit – Jun 10

• Gehrig of Yankees Will Enter Clinic – Jun 11

• British Try Anew For Soviet Accord – Jun 13

• Great Shot at 4th Helps Nelson Win U.S. Open – Jun 13

• French Submarine With 63 On Board Sinks in Far East – Jun 17

• Dizzy Dean Wins, 1-0, Then Cubs Crush Dodgers by 9-1 – Jun 19

• Soviet Again Finds Pact Plan Faulty – Jun 22

• Churchill Pledges Chamberlain Aid – Jun 22

• Gehrig Is Forced To Quit Baseball – Jun 22

• Spend and Spend – Jun 25

• Yankees First Ever Night Game a Loss to Philadelphia A’s – Jun 27

• Poles Shoot Down German Plane – Jun 28

• What Next in Europe? – Jun 30

• Movie Review: Bachelor Mother – Jun 30

July

• 51,435 Watch Giants and Dodgers Divide – Jul 3

• Free and Independent – Jul 4

• Armed Forces Put At 10,000 In Danzig; Free City is Calm – Jul 5

• 61,808 Fans Roar Tribute to Gehrig – Jul 5

• Japanese Again Bomb Chungking – Jul 7

• Catholics Nurses Ousted – Jul 10

• The Stars in Their Courses – Jul 11

• Homer by DiMaggio Marks 3-1 Victory – Jul 12

• 100 British Bombers Fly Far Over France and Back – Jul 12

• Movie Review: The Man in the Iron Mask – Jul 14

• Roosevelt Asks Congress to Change Neutrality Act – Jul 15

• Washington is Tangled on Our Neutrality Act – Jul 16

• Chruchill Backing Gaining in London – Jul 17

• Two Stitches in Jig-Time – Jul 18

• Overeating is Listed a ‘Treason’ in Reich – Jul 18

• Movie Review: Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever – Jul 19

• ”Living Room” for Germans – Jul 22

• Yanks Confidant of Widening Lead – Jul 25

• Japan Blockades Canton; Major U-Boat Exercises in Baltic – Jul 26

• New Moscow Talks Brings Optimism – Jul 27

• Unemployment Remains Major Economic Worry – Jul 30

• British Optimism on Soviet Growing – Jul 30

August

• A Baseball Suggestion – Aug 1

• 3-Power Military Talks to Begin Now in Moscow – Aug 1

• ’Flying Fortress’ Here with Record – Aug 2

• Movie Review: Four Feathers, The Forgotten Woman, and In Name Only – Aug 4

• Roosevelt Appoints Six New Generals – Aug 4

• British Negotiator to Leave Moscow Without an Accord – Aug 5

• A Run on the Bank Holiday – Aug 8

• Danzig Proposes Poland Talk Over Customs Dispute – Aug 8

• Angry Reich Press Threatens Poland with Mailed Fist – Aug 9

• Fate of Hungary an Issue as Ciano Goes to Germany – Aug 11

• Movie Review: The Old Maid – Aug 12

• Ciano and Ribbentrop Meet; Confer with Hitler Today – Aug 12

• Now They Listen to Churchill – Aug 13

• Ciano Wins Delay on Danzig from Germany, Rome Hears – Aug 14

• Hamlin Wins No. 14 for Dodgers, 8 to 5 – Aug 16

• Japanese Blamed in Slapping Case – Aug 16

• Germany Reveals Demands on Poland – Aug 17

• Movie Review: The Wizard of Oz – Aug 18

• Reich Sees Polish Rebuff in Ignoring of its Terms – Aug 18

• Reich Takes over Slovakia; Puts Military in Control – Aug 19

• Reich Calls Slovak Troops to Army on Polish Border – Aug 20

• Poles Rush Troops to Face Germans – Aug 21

• 14 Hits Aid Hamlin in 15th Victory, 7-1 – Aug 22

• Germany and Russia Agree on Non-Aggression – Aug 22

• Britain and France Stand By Pledge to Poles – Aug 23

• Germany and Russia Sign 10-Year Non-Aggression Pact – Aug 24

• Hitler Acts to Take Danzig, Orders Army Be Ready – Aug 25

• Hitler Reported Willing to Ease Demands on Poland – Aug 26

• Hitler Demands Britain Abandon Polish Alliance – Aug 27

• Hitler Tells Paris He Must Get Danzig and Corridor – Aug 28

• Where There was Some Smoke – Aug 29

• Hitler Gets British Note and Will Make Written Reply – Aug 29

• New Hitler Note Keeps Negotiations Open – Aug 30

• British Reply to Hitler Narrows Issue – Aug 31

September

• German Army Attacks Poland – Sep 1

• Movie Review: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sep 2

• Britain and France Send Ultimatums – Sep 2

• Britain and France in War at 6 A.M. – Sep 3

• Movie Review: Angles Wash Their Faces – Sep 4

• British Liner Athenia Torpedoed, Sunk – Sep 4

• French and British Attack Germans on Wide Front – Sep 5

• Germans Shell Warsaw, Residents in Flight – Sep 6

• Poles Hold Germans in Battle for Warsaw – Sep 7

• Movie Review: Golden Boy, Lady of the Tropics, More – Sep 8

• German Rush Troops to West to Meet French – Sep 8

• Movie Review: The Rains Came – Sep 9

• Germans in Part of Warsaw, Poles are Resisting – Sep 9

• America is Mobilized – Sep 10

• Germans Try to Sweep Around Warsaw Defenders – Sep 10

• Poles Repel Attacks on Warsaw – Sep 11

• Cards Bow to Pirates and Trail Idle Reds by 3-1/2 Games – Sep 12

• Poles Halt Enemy on Wide Front – Sep 12

• Nazis Say Warsaw is Encircled – Sep 13

• Germans Bombing Open Towns, Britain Threatens to Retaliate – Sep 14

• Brooklyn Eleven Takes Opener – Sep 15

• Movie Review: The Real Glory, Blackmail – Sep 15

• Russia Threatens Poland as Her Defense Crumbles – Sep 15

• Bear Eleven Wins From Rams 30-21 – Sep 16

• Russia and Japan Agree on Armistice in the Orient – Sep 16

• Yanks Clinch 4th Pennant in Row – Sep 17

• Soviet Troops Marched into Poland at 11 P.M. – Sep 17

• Redskins and Packers Gain Triumphs in National Football League Contests – Sep 18

• Russians Drive 40 Miles into Poland, Defense Weak – Sep 18

• Soviet and Reich Forces Meet, Map Polish Partition – Sep 19

• Hitler Tells Allies it is His Peace or a Finish Fight – Sep 20

• Swift Attack Wins for Dodger [vs. Rams], 23-12 – Sep 21

• Nazis Concentrate Forces in West – Sep 21

• Movie Reviews: The Women, Two Bright Boys, Nurse Edith Clavell – Sep 22

• Roosevelt Asks Congress to Repeal Arms Embargo – Sep 22

• Movie Review: Espionage Agent – Sep 23

• Dutch and Belgians Open Dikes, Seeing Threat in German Moves – Sep 23

• French Repel 3 Counter-Attacks – Sep 24

• NFL Week 2 Results – Sep 25

• Nazi Guns and Planes Razing Warsaw – Sep 25

• French Shell Reich Forts on Rhine as Nazi Troops Mass – Sep 26

• Russo-German Pact to Dominate Balkans Seen in Moscow Parley – Sep 27

• Estonia Reported Ready to Yield – Sep 28

• Reds Clinch First Pennant in 20 Years by Beating Cards – Sep 29

• Reich and Soviet Join for Peace - - Or War – Sep 29

• Britain and France Spurn Nazi-Soviet Peace – Sep 30

October

• College Football Results – Oct 1

• Reich Threatens to Sink British Ships on Sight – Oct 1

• Cleveland Rams Upset Packers; Lions go to 3-0; Final Major League Standings – Oct 2

• Churchill Bars a Hitler Peace – Oct 2

• Germany Warns American Shipping – Oct 3

• Chamberlain Bars Hitler Pledges – Oct 4

• Yankees Top Reds 2 to 1 in Opener of World Series – Oct 5

• Turkey Resisting Russian Pressure for Dominance in Balkans – Oct 5

• Pearson Shuts Out Reds with 2 Hits as Yanks Win, 4-0 – Oct 6

• Movie Reviews: A Love Story, Everything’s On Ice, and U-Boat 29 – Oct 6

• U.S. Refuge Ship Will Be Sunk, Reich Says, Implying Allied Plot – Oct 6

• Movie Reviews: Dust Be My Destiny, Eternally Yours – Oct 7

• Hitler Demands His Peace or a War of Destruction – Oct 7

• Yankee Homers Beat Reds in Game 3 – Oct 8

• Roosevelt Cool to Mediator Role – Oct 8

• NFL Week 4 Results – Oct 9

• Yankees Beat Reds by 7-4 in the Tenth to Win Series, 4-0 – Oct 9

• Soviet Agrees to Rush Goods to Reich – Oct 9

• Finland and Russia Massing Troops – Oct 10

• Daladier Bars Peace on Nazi Terms – Oct 11

• Movie Reviews: Jamaica Inn, What a Life, and Fast and Furious – Oct 12

• U.S. Reported Joining 3 Powers in a Plea to Russia on Finland – Oct 12

• War In Earnest Unless U.S. Acts, Berlin Says – Oct 13

• U.S. Ignores Nazi Mediation Plea – Oct 14

• U-Boat Sinks British Battleship; 396 of 1,200 on Royal Oak Rescued – Oct 15

• NFL Week 5 Results – Oct 16

• Submarines Sink Three Allied Ships – Oct 16

• Nazis Bomb Navy Base in Scotland, Hit Cruiser, Kill 15 – Oct 17

• Nazis Attack with 100,000 on West Front – Oct 18

• Roosevelt Bars War Submarines from Using U.S. Ports, Waters – Oct 19

• Movie Reviews: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Babes in Arms – Oct 20

• Turkey Signs 15-Year Treaty with Allies – Oct 20

• Berlin Says War is on to the Finish – Oct 21

• College Football Results – Oct 22

• Nazi Planes Attack Convoy, 4 Downed – Oct 22

• NFL Week 6 Results – Oct 23

• French Quit Warndt Forest; Hold Only a Few Outposts – Oct 23

• Nazis Seize U.S. Ship City of Flint – Oct 24

• U.S. to Demand Soviet Release Ship – Oct 25

• American Crew Safe on City of Flint – Oct 26

• City of Flint, Freed, Quits Murmansk – Oct 27

• Repeal of Arms Embargo Wins in Senate, 63 to 30 – Oct 28

• College Football Results – Oct 29

• Soviets Insists Flint Sailed; Berlin Reports Conflicting – Oct 29

• NFL Week 7 Results – Oct 30

• Flint’s Route Held a Military Secret by Nazi Officials – Oct 30

• Nazi Tortures Detailed by Britain; Concentration Camp Horrors Told – Oct 31

November

• Molotoff Lays War to Allies, Berates Us – Nov 1

• White House Accuses Molotoff of Meddling – Nov 2

• House Dooms Arms Embargo, 243-181 – Nov 3

• Movie Review: Drums Along the Mohawk – Nov 4

• Norway Interns German Crew, Frees Flint – Nov 4

• College Football Results – Nov 5

• Roosevelt Establishes Combat Area – Nov 5

• NFL Week 8 Results – Nov 6

• Norway Rejects German Protest Over Flint Action – Nov 6

• Reds Urge World Revolt, Include Reich as Capitalist – Nov 7

• Hitler Escapes Bomb Explosion by 15 Minutes – Nov 9

• Movie Reviews: Ninotchka, Dancing Co-Ed, Allgheny Uprising – Nov 10

• Fatal Border Clash Stirs Dutch – Nov 10

• Movie Reviews: The Roaring Twenties, Call a Messenger – Nov 11

• Lowlands Tense, Foreigners to Leave – Nov 11

• College Football Results – Nov 12

• Nazis Boast Army Fills Entire West Ready for Attack – Nov 12

• NFL Week 9 Results – Nov 13

• Britain and France State War Aims – Nov 13

• British Destroyer Sunk by Nazi Mine; 4 Other Ships Lost – Nov 15

• Russians Berate Helsinki; Finland is Calm – Nov 16

• Martin is Cleared by Senate, 28 to 19, in Removal Vote – Nov 17

• 9 Czech Students Executed – Nov 18

• Mine Sinks Dutch Liner in North Sea; 140 Lives Feared Lost – Nov 19

• NFL Week 10 Results – Nov 20

• Mines Sink Five More Ships, Four Owned by Neutrals – Nov 20

• 6 More Ships Sunk; British Weigh Ban on Reich Exports – Nov 21

• Britain to Seize Reich Exports; Cruiser Reported Hit by U-Boat – Nov 22

• Movie Reviews: The Cat and the Canary, The Return of Doctor X – Nov 23

• Mine Sinks British Warship, 40 Lost – Nov 23

• Movie Reviews: Another Thin Man, Daytime Wife, The Flying Deuces – Nov 24

• Report Nazis Drop Mines from Air; 9 Ships Sunk – Nov 24

• Mines Forced London Port to Close – Nov 25

• College Football Results – Nov 26

• Nazis Bomb British North Sea Fleet – Nov 26

• NFL Week 11 Results – Nov 27

• Soviet Charges Attack by Finns – Nov 27

• Finns Offer Parley on Withdrawal – Nov 28

• Russia Scraps Pact with Finland – Nov 29

• Movie Reviews: Destry Rides Again, That’s Right, You’re Wrong – Nov 30

• Russians Start Their Invasion of Finland – Nov 30

December

• Finns’ Cabinet Resigns as Soviet Bombs Cities – Dec 1

• Movie Reviews: The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, The Housekeeper’s Daughter – Dec 2

• Soviet Sets Up Red Regime on Finnish Border – Dec 2

• 102,000 See Navy Beat Army, 10-0, On Fog-Bound Field; USC-Washington – Dec 3

• Finns Report Soviet Drive Halted – Dec 3

• NFL Week 12 Results – Dec 4

• Finns Ask for Peace Negotiations; Says Mines Killed 1,000 Russians – Dec 4

• Russia Refuses Peace, Spurns League – Dec 5

• Finns on Offensive, Raid Enemy Bases – Dec 6

• Red Organ Calls on Rumania for Pact Similar to Those with Baltic States – Dec 7

• Russians Blockade Finland; Balked at Mannerheim Line – Dec 8

• Finns Report Foe Hurled Back Anew on Karelian Front – Dec 9

• U.S.C.-U.C.L.A.; Tennessee-Auburn; NFL Championship Preview – Dec 10

• Finns Hurl Back Russians in Attacks on Wide Front – Dec 10

• Green Bay Routs Giants at Milwaukee to Win Its Fifth World Football Title – Dec 11

• U.S. Gives Finland $10,000,000 Credits – Dec 11

• League Calls on Russians to End War and Negotiate – Dec 12

• Russia Rejects League Demands, Presses Drive in Central Finland – Dec 13

• British Defeat Nazi Raider in All-Day Fight – Dec 14

• Uraguay Lets the Spee Stay for Repairs as British Mass Warships off Montevideo – Dec 15

• Spee Must Go by 6:30 P.M. Tomorrow – Dec 16

• Spee Still in Harbor at Daybreak Although Ready for Dash to Sea – Dec 17

• Captain, on Hitler’s Order, Sinks Spee off Montevideo After Debarking Crew – Dec 18

• Air Fleets Flight off Helgoland; German Cruiser Sunk in the Elbe – Dec 19

• Movie Review: Gone with the Wind – Dec 20

• Liner Columbus Scuttled off U.S. – Dec 20

• Columbus Crew Held at Ellis Island; Captain of Graf Spee Kills Himself – Dec 21

• Russians Retreat in Arctic from Finns, Cold and Snow – Dec 22

• Finns Press Retreating Foe; Rome Hears of Peace Talks – Dec 23

• Taylor Named Peace Ambassador by Roosevelt to Work with Pope – Dec 24

• Pope Offers 5 Bases of ‘Just Peace’; Urges ‘Right to Life’ of all Nations – Dec 25

• Finns Push Battle over Foe’s Border; Menace Rail Line – Dec 26

• Finns Repel Foe in Karelia; Viborg Again is Bombarded – Dec 27

• Finns Again Cross Border, Imperil Russian Railroad – Dec 28

• Gain on Soviet Soil Reported by Finns; New Red Drive On – Dec 29

• 3,000 Russians Die as Finns Beat off Karelian Attacks – Dec 30

• Finns Drive Russians Back over Border for Third Time – Dec 31

[CougarGA7]

Welcome to 1940, and Happy New Year.

[CougarGA7]

Ping for the entire realtime alumni. Happy New Year to each and every one of you.

[LibertyRocks]

Thank you, and Happy New Year to you and yours!

[GeronL]

Wow. Awesome.

The invasion and fall of Poland should give everyone pause.

We should also think about doing that to the Obama administration. just saying.

[mkjessup]

Thanks for the HNY wishes, my best to everyone on the ping list too, thanks Homer!

[freedumb2003]

I really love watching this all unfold in “real time.”

Thanks, guys and Happy New Year!

[CougarGA7]

I think this year was a ton better than the last and 1938 was pretty darn good. Over the course of the year we have added a tremendous knowledge base and there is so much information each and every day it is almost impossible to absorb it all.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Thank you, Cougar, for this presentation. And thanks to everyone who contributed by posting daily diary entries, links to extended information, pictures, personal and family lore, arguments, counter-arguments, book recommendations, expert knowledge, and other stuff that escapes me right now. And thanks also to the quiet folk who just observe and absorb. I know you are there because the view-counter keeps ticking away.

Which reminds me. In case you are curious about such things, I went back over my posting history to see which threads generated the most interest, as measured by number of views. I have listed the top ten below. Keep in mind that the earlier threads have had more time to build their numbers than the more recent ones. So the Winter War may become more competitive over time.

10. Germans Rush Troops West to Meet French September 8 1,299 views

9. Britain Will Build 2 New Battleships February 16 1,357

8. Overeating is Listed as ‘Treason’ in Reich July 18 1,427

7. Russians Drive 40 Miles into Poland, Defense Weak September 18 1,453

6. Jack Benny Indicted January 11 1,536

5. ‘Flying Fortress’ Here With Record August 2 1,697

4. British Liner Athenia Torpedoed, Sunk September 4 1,838

3. Germans Try to Sweep Around Warsaw Defenders September 10 1,840

2. Huge, Fast Vessels Projected By Navy January 9 2,085

1. Take a guess. April 5 2,194 views

I will now present the Viewers’ Choice Awards for most popular movie reviews. Again, the earlier threads have an advantage. The envelopes, please -

10 Drums Along the Mohawk-November 4 432 views

9 Dodge City-April 8 453 views

8 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes-September 2 498 views

7 Stagecoach-March 3 511 views

6 Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever-July 19 528 views

5 The Rains Came-September 9 579 views

4 Gone With the Wind-December 20 607 views

3 Goodbye, Mr. Chips-May 16 645 views

2 Gunga Din-January 27 765 views

1 The Wizard of Oz-August 18 885 views

And lest I forget – a big thank you to the JimRob and all the folks at Free Republic HQ who provide this ideal platform for indulging our interest. Happy New Year, one and all. And keep your seat belts buckled. 1940 will continue a bumpy ride.

[CougarGA7]

I have to admit I’m shocked by the number one view. Maybe there’s something to the fact that MJ’s death got more press than the fine Seattle officers who were killed around the same time.

Homer, I really appreciate what you have started here. You have provided a portal to many and an glimpse to many others of a time that was incredibly complex and engaging for the entire world. The entire planet was touched by these events that embarked a sense of globalization that we live with today and accept as a standard instead of a unique circumstance.

My hope for the coming year is to expand what I have to offer to this project as well as enjoying the continually growing community of insightful participants who each bring something new to the conversation.

[Colonel_Flagg]

This is one of the best daily reads on FR. Let’s learn from history so we don’t repeat it.

[libertarian27]

Thank you Homer for this daily walk through history in real time. Thanks Cougar for this wonderful roundup.

Bring on 1940
Happy New Year!

[BroJoeK]

Thanks for your great work and wonderful threads.

Interesting to note how many others share a curiosity about this period.

But something tells me 1940 will be a less "interesting" year -- after all, President Roosevelt is working for peace. The Pope is working for peace. Mussolini is calling for peace. Stalin got a bloody nose in Finland. Neville Chamberlain's government is talking through many different channels about peace feelers from Germany. Even some German Army officers are planning to overthrow Hitler and request a negotiated peace.

So, no doubt, in 1940 at leasst one of these peace efforts will pay off, and what could have been a very deadly war -- resulting in the deaths of thousands, possibly tens of thousands -- will be avoided, and sanity will be restored to civilized men everywhere.

What do you think? ;-)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

So, no doubt, in 1940 at leasst one of these peace efforts will pay off, and what could have been a very deadly war -- resulting in the deaths of thousands, possibly tens of thousands -- will be avoided, and sanity will be restored to civilized men everywhere.

I wish I shared your optimism. Roosevelt and Pius XII working for peace is all very well, but this Hitler character is a wild card. I just don't trust him. He acts as though he doesn't really want peace at all. And he seems to be firmly in control of the German government. He could launch an attack against the Maginot line any time now. Even though it would probably be suicidal, it would be very costly in human terms for the French as well as the Germans. With Goering's air force, or Luftwaffe, as they call it over there, supporting a "Blitzkrieg" attack on France, he might just get lucky and prevail. He has had remarkable good fortune so far, has he not? If that happens he is just a short hop across the Channel from Great Britain. It is not out of the question that next year by this time Hitler could be the new master in both Paris and London. What will FDR do then, do you suppose?

[BroJoeK]

"It is not out of the question that next year by this time Hitler could be the new master in both Paris and London. What will FDR do then, do you suppose?"

Isn't President Roosevelt preparing military budget requests that are six times greater than his 1939 requests? (The military will grow another 100 times beyond that by war's end). So I suspect he's already thinking the unthinkable.

And something else I hear rumors of -- it's still super top secret, so if I told you too much I'd have to kill you -- but Boeing Aircraft has already presented plans for the largest bomber ever conceived. Might look something like this..

But it's far to expensive, no way could it ever be built. I think FDR is just daydreaming...

And something else... and I know they'll kill me if they find out I mentioned anything to anyone, but that crazy Einstein fellow from Germany, he has some nutty ideas about making really, really high explosives, and they could never be built -- vastly too expensive -- but I hear that FDR is taking him seriously... don't tell ANYONE!

So maybe Roosevelt is as crazy as that Einstein?

But look, all of this is total speculation -- that's because the French have spent more money on their Maginot Line than any defensive works in history, and there's just no way that Hitler, wild as he is, is nuts enough to send the German army to their doom against French guns.

So, not to worry -- all will be well. Peace will be found, and the world will step back from the brink of conflagration, or in a more biblical term, a Holocaust. No doubt about it... ;-)

[CougarGA7]

I think I have to agree with Homer on this one. It was frighting how fast the Nazis took out Poland. They may not have been the biggest army in Europe but I would have thought they would have lasted longer. It seemed like they were then all of a sudden the entire mood of the stories I was reading in the paper changed and Poland was crumbling.

My impression is now that the Germans are just waiting for the Spring to start their next offensive, when they are more likely to have better weather for an offensive. Come spring I wouldn’t be surprised if the Germans came sweeping in through the Belgium much like the Schlieffen Plan had them doing in 1914. I bet they come through Belgium again and I hope that Gamelin there in France is moving units to employ them to extend the Maginot Line since that seems to be what they are relying on. The French to have good tanks like the Char-B and the Hotchkiss and a lot of them. I hope they can use them as good as the Germans seem to use their Panzers.

[BroJoeK]

"I think I have to agree with Homer on this one. It was frighting how fast the Nazis took out Poland."

You dare compare the Poles to France? Sacre bleu! The French are no pushovers. They held back the Huns for four years after 1914, and they can do it again. They have better tanks and better planes. So don't worry about the French.

Besides the Brits are coming again, just as they did in 1914. So the north will be secure -- might be stretched a bit thin, probably neeed to plug some holes, move the reserves away from inactive sectors, like the Ardennes... ;-)

[CougarGA7]

Yeah, I have to admit I’m not too worried about the Ardennes. There’s no way you could get those big old tanks through that forest.