January 1, 1940; CHRONOLOGY OF EUROPEAN WAR, YEAR 1939:

THIS WAS REPOTED TODAY, JANUARY 1, 1940:

GHRONOLOGY OF THE EUROPEAN WAR, YEAR 1939

Compiled by JOHN D. GRANT

EUROPEAN WAR

MARCH

12—German troops mass near border of Slovakia.
13—Czecho-Slovakia submits to Hitler's de mands for further breakup of the Czech state.
14—Slovakia formally secedes from Czecho-Slovakia and becomes independent state under German protection.
Hitler seizes Bohemia and Moravia, completing subjection of Czecho-Slovakia.
15—Hitler absorbs Slovakia. Hungary annexes part of Carpatho-Ukraine.
27—Germany puts pressure on Poland.
28—Poland refuses German demand for pathway to East Prussia.

APRIL

4-7-Poland Joins British in war alliance.
17—Germany pushes drive to take Danzig French fleet guards Gibraltar, fleet sails to Malta.
British fleet sails to Malta

M A Y. .

7—Nazis plan plebiscite in Danzig.
8—Pope invites five powers to Vatican parley to settle Polish-German dispute.
20—Germany fortifies its eastern frontier against Poland.

JUNE

1—Hitler pledges Germany . will support Jugoslavia's border.
20—German troops move to encircle Poland
28—Britain appeals to Germany to settle dispute by negotiations.

JULY

 

6—-Warsaw reports 5,000 Polish families in East Prussia are forced to move away from border.

AUGUST .

13—Germany and Italy establish policy on Danzig; Polish attitude called unbearable.
15—Nazis declare Danzig must return to Germany before August 27.
18—Germany takes military possession of Slovakia;
21—Germany announces nonaggression pact with Russia.
22—German 'troops massed near Polish corridor.
23—Germany and Russia sign nonaggression pact '
23—Britain and Poland-' sign war alliance (----illegible------------) lineup.
29—Poland asks British help under new mutual aid pact

Germans Invade Poland

31—Germany opens war on Poland.

SEPTEMBER

3—Britain and France declare war on Germany, British ship Athenla torpedoed off coast of Ireland.. 1.400 aboard, 43 lost Germany blockaded -by British navy. 3—Germans shell Warsaw: government and citizens flee.
President Roosevelt proclaims U. S. neutrality.
6—Poles appeal to Britain to rush aid.
7—Nazi torpedoes sink five ships.
8—French planes bomb Siegfried line
10—German counterattack halts French on western front Russia rushes reserves to Polish border.
12—German forces shut a vise on Warsaw.
13—Big British army lands In France without loss. Polish defense cracks; Nazis move eastward.
15—Russian troops invade Poland to "protect minorities."
17—Warsaw decides to fight on after truce talk fails. Poland's defenses collapse under Nazi
pressure.-Russian army drives 50 miles into Poland.
20—Report Red purge of former officials In Polish Ukraine.
23—French repulse wave after wave of Nazi shock troops.
25—French defeat Germans In two big air battles: bombard whole length of Siegfried line: bomb Zeppelin works.
27—Warsaw surrenders to Germans after 20-day siege.
29—Britain defies warning, by foes to stop war,

OCTOBER

1—Britain calls 250.000 more troops.
4—Daladier says France will fight until victorious.
7—Hitler makes peace proposals to Britain and France; seeks armistice.
9—Hitler sets aside area in 'Poland for Germans to be transplanted .from other countries.
10—French premier spurns Hitler's peace terms. Finnish civilians ordered to leave danger zone near Soviet frontier.
12—Britain refuses peace . based on Nazi conquests.
14—British battleship Royal Oak sunk by sub. 786 lost
16—Nazi raid navy base in. Scotland: 16 killed.
17—German planes raid Scapa Flow: Iron Duke, training ship, damaged.
20—British repel another Nazi air raid over Edinburgh. .
23—British report three U-boats sunk. Germans capture American ship City of Flint and take it to Soviet port.
24—Four British, one Greek ship sunk' by Germans. Nazi sea raiders slip through blockade; prey on shipping. Belgians demand British ease blockade.
26-American ship City of Flint, turned over, in Germany by Russia, sails from Russia.
28— Germans claim 115 foreign ships sunk since -war began.
31— Soviet demands raise new crisis in Finland.

NOVEMBER

3— Norway frees City of Flint and Interns German prize crew. Finland defies Soviet air threat ready to fight.
7— Belgium and Holland offer to mediate peace between warring nations.
8— Hitler escapes plot: blast in Munich beer cellar kills 6 and Injures 60.
9— Dutch open defense dikes: clash at border with Germans.
10— French repulse two German attacks.
15—Four more merchantmen sunk in sea warfare.
17 — Germans shoot nine Czech students . seize 1.299 and close academies for three years.
18— Dutch liner hits German mine in North sea: sinks with 140 lives.
19— Four more ships sunk by German mines off England.
20 — Germans extend war at sea: 10 vessels lost since November13- 333 dead or missing.
21----Geraaay charges Munich man with beer garden explosion; arrests two British agents.
Britain declares unrestricted blockade of  Germany reprisal for Illegal mine warfare; forbids neutral nations to trade with Germany.
22— British destroyer sank. 40 missing. Nazi bombers raid Shetlands, no damage.
French report torpedo boat sank two subs.
23—Eight more vessels sunk; total for six days, 25. Prince and Britain claim 20 air victories in three days on western front. Exiled Polish government begins functioning in France.
24—British cruiser damaged in port by blast from mine or submarine.
25—Berlin claims bombers hit four British warships: London denies. Six nations protest British ban on German trade.
25—Two hundred eighty-seven die in a British armed ship. Germans fight back British planes attempting to raid Kiel canal. Britain fights for a new Europe. Chamberlain says.
Finnish guns kill four Russian soldiers Soviet charges.
27—Russia demands Finns remove soldiers from border: Finland offers to negotiate border issue: Russia threatens war.
28—Russia denounces nonaggression pact with Finland: Finland declares Russian reports of border attacks false. Germany claims British cruiser sunk by submarine; Britain denies.
29—Russian troops invade Finland after breaking off diplomatic relations; Finns stunned by break.
30—Russians claim 10-mile advance into Finland: bomb Helsingfors.

DECEMBER

1—Finns disable Russian cruiser with 500 aboard. Russians capture Finnish port.
New cabinet takes over Finnish government.
2—Finnish rebel regime cedes territory to Russians. Regular Finnish government orders evacuation of all southern towns. Sweden tightens its defenses.
3—British planes attack German naval base and score hits on German warships. Finns shatter Red troops in Arctic battle.
League of nations summoned to hear Finnish appeal for aid. Britain puts blockade against German exports into effect.
4—German pocket battleship sinks British steamer Doric Star in south Atlantic.
5—Finnish flyers inflict heavy casualties on Soviet troop concentration.
6—Finns repulse Russian army of 200.000 on three fronts.
7—Russians to blockade Finnish coast; warn shipping.
British fighting planes beat off German raids offensive on Karelian
8—Finns repel offensive on Karellian isthmus.
10—Finns, report Russian attacks repelled on all fronts. .
11—League of Nations requests Russia to cease hostilities, against Finland.
12—Russia rejects 'league of nations proposal to mediate conflict with Finland. German liner Bremen runs British blockade to home port.
13—British ships disable and chase German raider Graf Spee into South American port.
14—Russia expelled from league of nations. Uruguay gives Graf- Spee 72 hours to
make repairs.
16—Finn coast artillery sinks Russian destroyer.
18—Germans scuttle Graf Spee outside Montevideo harbor rather than risk fight with British ships waiting outside.
19—Huge Red forces storm Finns' mountain positions. Germans claim 34 out of 44 British planes shot down in battle over Hellgoland.
British claim sinking of German cruiser and damage to two others

ADDITIONAL GHRONOLOGY OF THE EUROPEAN WAR, YEAR 1939: From E.T’s Blog

20---Dec. 19—(AP)—The luxury liner Columbus, once the pride of Germany's merchant marine, was a smoldering, sinking wreck at sea tonight—apparently scuttled at the approach of a British warship by her own crew,
21---AMSTERDAM, Dec. 21 (AP) -Netherland planes fought an air battle with aircraft of undetermined nationality today in full view of hundreds of residents of Utecht.
22---HELSINKI, Dec. 22.—The Russian military machine was thrown into an accelerated reverse tonight on two Finnish fronts and fought to a full stop on a third.
23---Helsinki, Dec. 23 (AP)—A savage battle at Aglajarvi on the south-eastern front In which a surrounded Russian force was practically destroyed before it surrendered was reported tonight In the Finnish high command communique.

29---HELSINKI, Finland, Dec. 29. — Russia threw an army estimated at 100,000 men at the western end of the Finnish Mannerheim Line today in a new attempt to break through and crush resistance.

30---Belief that Russia was preparing for a general drive was bolstered by reports that Gen. K. A. Meretskoff had been removed as commander of the campaign against Finland.