Winter, 1940

Chapter 2

The Phoney War

January - March

Rations are issued in a British shop

As 1940 began the war was in a state of limbo. The Soviets were still active in Finland, but the fall of Poland had ended the major combat action for the Germans. The Allies had begun to settle into their positions and were maintaining a defensive posture along the Franco-German border, with the Germans doing the same on their side. The effects of war began to hit home, however, as rationing on basic goods began on the various homefronts.

A German BF108 crashed in Belgium, January, 1940

Even if the armies were stagnant it did not mean there was no movement. Plans were being formulated by both sides for the conduct of this new war. On January 10th the Germans encountered a major setback when a Messerschmitt BF108 crashed in Belgium, and despite the efforts of the crew to burn the documents they carried they were captured by the Belgians. The charred documents contained German plans for an invasion of Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg and France. Belgian intelligence translated the remains of the documents, and warnings were sent to the Belgian Army as well as the Dutch, Luxembourg, French and British governments. The resulting mobilization caused the Germans to cancel their planned Western Offensive in January, and the relative calm prevailed.

German dead are removed from the supply ship Altmark in Norway

The Germans were not the only ones with invasion plans, however, as the British and French were even now working on a joint plan to invade neutral Norway. The hope was to use the Scandinavian country to deny the Germans access to shipments of iron ore from Sweden. The tensions grew yet more when the German supply ship Altmark was encountered by British destroyers and took shelter in a fjord. On the orders of the Admiralty, the British entered the fjord, and ignoring the Norwegian Navy ships that responded, boarded Altmark to engage in hand to hand combat with bayonets and secure the ship, liberating the prisoners aboard, who had been captured by the Graf Spee. The result was the decision that a neutral Norway could not ensure German interests, and Hitler orders plans for their own invasion to be accelerated.

Finish soldiers rest during a lull (Finnish War Archives)

As the year continues the war in Finland sees a major movement on February 11, with the Soviets breaking through the Mannerheim Line and penetrating into the Finnish heartland. With the Finns temporarily holding a fallback line further along the Karelian Isthmus, but nearing exhaustion, they opened negotiations with the Soviets as the month continued on, with final terms delivered on the 25th. The Soviets continued their drive, reaching the city of Viipuri as March began, and the Finns abandoned it on March 9th. The war would end on March 13th with the Finns accepting Soviet terms and surrendering a significant amount of territory to the Soviet Union. Finnish civilians are forced to evacuate behind the new border, often destroying their homes to deny them to the Soviets.

Hitler and Mussolini at the Brenner Pass

Shortly afterward, on March 18, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini met at the Brenner Pass to discuss the entry of Italy into the conflict. Hitler informs the Italian Duce that he intends to launch his attack on Western Europe soon, and that the time was coming for Italy to honor the agreements made in their alliance. Mussolini agrees that Italy will enter the war, but at a time opportune to its own interests.

Paul Reynaud, the new French Prime Minister

The last major development before the end of March took place on the political stage in France, as Prime Minister Daladier was replaced on March 21st by Paul Reynaud as Prime Minister. The end of Daladier’s career came as the French government believed that he had not extended enough effort to aid Finland against the Soviet invasion. The new Premier was elected by only a single vote majority, and took control of an unstable Third Republic that was bitterly divided on whether Germany or the USSR posed the greater threat, and accordingly which should be targeted by French military operations.

Timeline

• 1-7-1940

  • Rationing begins in Britain

• 1-10-1940

  • A German liason plane crashes in Belgium, the pilot is unable to destroy the plans for the invasion of the west carried aboard

• 1-16-1940

  • Mitsumasa Yonai is named Prime Minister of Japan

• 2-5-1940

  • Britain and France decide to invade Norway to cut off the Germans from Swedish iron ore

• 2-16-1940

  • British destroyers enter Norwegian territorial waters to seize the German auxiliary ship Altmark. The Germans decide that Norwegian waters are not secured, and decide to invade

• 3-12-1940

  • The Winter War ends as the Finns sign an armistice, loosing substantial territory to the Soviets but retaining their independence

• 3-18-1940

  • Meeting Hitler at the Brenner Pass in Austria, Mussolini agrees that Italy will enter the war “when the time is right”

• 3-21-1940

  • Eduard Daladier resigns as French Prime Minister after the fall of Finland, and is replaced by Paul Reynaud

• 3-29-1940

  • The Soviet Union declares neutrality in the general European war, effectively closing the Eastern Front for the time being