I have been reading a short book on inherited from my father called @ordeal by Battle' written during WW2 by Captain Cyril Falls - then Military Correspondent of 'The Times'. In it he talks about the way a number of neutral nations sat there desperately hoping that Germany would not attack them and allowing themselves to be picked off one at a time.

It made me think how short-sighted some of these nations were. The classic would be Poland (I hope Jozef is not on this site) who ganged up with Germany and Hungary over the dismantling of Czechoslovakia only to be attacked and overrun a year later. What is Poland had supported the Czechs, perhaps getting Cieszyn as price for their support. Germany would not have been strong enough in 1938 to have taken on both Poland and the Czechs. Also with Belgium, Luxemburg, and to a lesser extent the Netherlands, after the German occupation of Denmark and attack on Norway, if not earlier, it should have been obvious to them that Germany would not respect their neutrality during an offensive in the west. They would have been better allowing British and French forces to move in instead of waiting until they were attached.

Tim

Poland's participation in the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia means that Poland by definition was not a 'neutral' country.

Criticising countries for not attacking Germany before they were attacked is all very well in hindsight. Let's not forget that Germany was not the only state invading its neighbours in 1939. The Soviet Union also invaded Poland that same September. Despite this, however, countries like Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania etc remained neutral and did not attack the Soviet Union in solidarity with Poland.

Similarly the UK invaded neutral Iceland only 8 months later. Southern Ireland (which by any calculation would have been next of the UK's shopping list) nevertheless remained neutral and did not attack the UK in solidarity with Iceland.

My point was that Poland was very short-sighted to take part in the dismembering of Czechoslovakia for a very short term and minor gain compared to supporting Czechoslovakia when it should have been fairly obvious that they would be next on Hitler's shopping list.

I was not suggesting that Belgium or the Netherlands attacked Germany, but just hoping that by not co-operating with Britain and France that Germany would not attack them turned out to be a very false hope.

Britain only occupied Iceland after Germany had occupied Denmark. GB also seized Danish tankers.