Extract from the radio broadcast Prime
Minister Chamberlain made on 3 September 1939, declaring war on Germany.
This is what is heard:
“I am speaking to you from the Cabinet Room at 10, Downing Street. This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a final note stating that unless we heard from them by 11 o’clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us. I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received, and that consequently this country is at war with Germany.
You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me that all my long struggle to win peace has failed.
Yet I cannot believe that there is anything more or anything different that I could have done and that would have been more successful. Up to the very last it would have been quite possible to have arranged a peaceful and honourable settlement between Germany and Poland.
But Hitler would not have it. He had evidently made up his mind to attack Poland whatever happened; and although he now says he put forward reasonable proposals which were rejected by the Poles, that is not a true statement. The proposals were never shown to the Poles nor to us; and though they were announced in the German broadcast on Thursday night, Hitler did not wait to hear comments on them, but ordered his troops to cross the Polish frontier next morning.
His action shows convincingly that there is no chance of expecting that this man will ever give up his practice of using force to gain his will. He can only be stopped by force and we and France are to-day, in fulfilment of our obligations, going to the aid of Poland, who is so bravely resisting this wicked and unprovoked attack upon her people.
We have a clear conscience. We have done all that any country could do to establish peace, but a situation in which no word given by Germany’s ruler could be trusted and no people or country could feel themselves safe had become intolerable. And now that we have resolved to finish it, I know that you will all play your part with calmness and courage.”
This is the remaining part of the speech, not heard on this vid.
“At such a moment as this the assurances of support that we have received from the Empire are a source of profound encouragement to us.
When I have finished speaking certain detailed announcements will be made on behalf of the Government. Give them your close attention. The Government have made plans under which it will be possible to carry on the work of the nation in the days of stress and strain that may be ahead. But these plans need your help.
You may be taking part in the Fighting Services or as a Volunteer in one of the branches of Civil Defence. If so, you will report for duty in accordance with the instructions you receive. You may be engaged in work essential to the prosecution of war or to the maintenance of life of the people—in factories, in transport, in public utility concerns or in the supply of other necessaries of life. If so, it is of vital importance that you should carry on with your jobs.
Now may God bless you all and may He defend the right. For it is evil things that we shall be fighting against, brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution.
And against them I am certain that the right will prevail.”
Duration : 0:3:5
[youtube qtrOJnpmz6s]
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
@MaximusProteus, …
@MaximusProteus, WWII has been a war of aggression. Hitler started it, not the freedom-loving Germans who had enough of war and believed he would pave the way for a prosperous Germany, with a strong government and position in Europe.
What Hitler did isn’t excusable, but to blame a whole generation of Germans for the atrocities of a few isn’t acceptable at all. The Germans of the era didn’t vote for a warmonger in 1933, but for a liberator who’d take away the shame of the Versailles Treaty.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
@MaximusProteus, …
@MaximusProteus, your anti-German thinking blinds you. I am German and I have to know what a burden it is to live with the Nazi past. Germany paid its price for the crimes of a few. We have been bombed back to Stone Age, our country’s name of the land of the poets and philosophers has been soaked with blood, and the most horrible war in the history of mankind.
And remember that no German at the beginning of Hitler’s reign could assume that there would be a World War at the end of the decade.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
german history …
german history painted in bright colors? HA! Look, I’m german, and WWII overshadows anything that could have been taken as positive in german history. True, eastern germans speak of the good times they had when the wall was in berlin, but if you mention WWII to most germans, they immediately fall silent. As for WWI, no-one in Germany really talks about it or even knows the details…
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
00:39-00:50 seconds …
00:39-00:50 seconds is the best 11 seconds in this speach
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
What can`t you …
What can`t you understand Peter? I`m sorry, maybe i just went too far accusing Germans in general, but it`s not an accident that 40% voted for Shitler nor is the fact they treated my people like cattle… they were doing so all along XIXc. You don`t read about it, for some reason everything what wasn`t nazi in German history is painted in bright colours and they`re being excused by the outcome of WWI… now it`s all the same talk, another war they lost, same excuses.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
yep for that time ” …
yep for that time “this country is at war with Germany”
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
0:48 best line ever …
0:48 best line ever said.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Can’t understand …
Can’t understand you maximusprotius, germany gave us auschwitz buchenwald adinfinitum. All most people want is to be left alone. The nazis were bullies, murdering thieving and cruel bastards. I think that is accepted by all reasonable people. Ordinary germans paid a high price for allowing their politics to get so far out of hand. It is interesting that nazis squealed like rabbits when cornered and bayoneted, not so brave when cornered by peace loving soldiers defending their homes.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
@Elberiver11
you …
@Elberiver11
you should be hanged
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
@Elberiver11
…
@Elberiver11
actually we were holding you nazi scum of perfectly fine and were happy to do so for the next hundred years but then that lame country japan bombed pearl harbour and the americans then insisted they help us and then you nazi scum invaded russia,the most powerful country in the world at that time, when they were on your side! Lol you nazi scum aren’t very clever are you? invading a country thats on your side not only that but the most powerful country in the world at that time.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
@egunif – i`m not a …
@egunif – i`m not a Brit. If they`d treat you same was as Germans did with us, you`d exist only in the historic books. Germans were just envying the French and British “empires” and all they wanted was replacing them with another “newcomers” like Japs and Italians. Britain didn`t saved us, we lost half of our land to the soviets and quarter of population to the German sadists, but i don`t regret a thing and i`ll not whine like that pathetic Kraut.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
@loveisdead2 – you …
@loveisdead2 – you obviously forgot soviets, if you mean “real power” (whatever it is), besides of the other “allies”… iron courtain is still on.
People don`t blame UK for the war, are you nuts? Except of these neonazis like ElbeRiver who, as you say, “bow thier head”. Chamberlain sold Czechoslovakia and allowed Germans to do whatever they wanted just to avoid the war, such a “warmonger” he was.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Well the only …
Well the only history the arogant british care to remember is WW2, thinking yo’re great because you “saved” the polish, not to mention destroying the rest of the world! and completely disregarding the fact that Britain had not all that many years previously come to Ireland and robbed 1/4 of the country which we still haven’t got back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
they are only 2 …
they are only 2 main countrys that have real power one is uk and the other was america during that world war.
i think people blame us (uk) for the war but if ur from germany u bow ur head and don’t talk about it. i find that upsetting cause in a worst way there country made that mark in history. Uk had strong history line before that but it down to hitler that war and was it right what he did? no i think the war was a must but hitler in the end knowed what he did and he was not a man to face us
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Sweden ,the weakest …
Sweden ,the weakest country in europe ??? we’re weakest in killing ,dropping blood,raping ,,yes you’re right !
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
@lookgooddz – …
@lookgooddz – Geymany sucks, i know becouse i was there, friday in Berlin and you can`t find a single party in the center… but you can buy soviet hats and uniforms from some Borats on the street.
I was never to Britain, but from all the European capitals i saw, Berlin was the uglyiest and most boring.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
LOL, United Kingdom …
LOL, United Kingdom (England is just its part you ignorant) is maybe not as big as Germany, but at least British are not running around youtube whineing about it. Britain has a great history, unlike Germany that was created in 1871
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
“Poland had STOLEN …
“Poland had STOLEN German land”
Hahaha, the land that was populted by the Polish majority and was Polish for ages… You Geymans are funny, all the history you know is XIXc when your state was created and you ment anything. No wonder you don`t like to talk about what was before.
You`re a pathetic desperado Peter, all you say is bunch of lies and swears. Do you thinks that the people you offend will belive in a single of your words? Funny
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
@Elberiver11 – ” …
@Elberiver11 – “Westprussia was OUR Land” – yes, populated by the Polish majority, was called this way and administrated by the Geymans for a one century. Even when Geymans finally developed some sort of parliametarism, most of representants of this province were always Polish. Even that pro Geyman book “Orphans of Versaillese” notes it… Who`s the liar?
Shitler made no peace offers, didn`t even declared war, all he did were sneak attacks even on the neutral states.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
@lookgooddz
nazi …
@lookgooddz
nazi scum the whole world hates you especially israel and russia and germany sucks you are the weakest country in europe
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
its not difficult …
its not difficult to ignore these people, click ‘thumbs down’ and ‘Spam’ and they’ll disappear! (albeit not from actual existence just the comments section on this video, shame.)
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Why the is …
Why the is everyone having an argument? o.o Is it really necessary?
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
@LegoPerson1000 …
@LegoPerson1000 Who’s the losers now !? YOU fat brits evils ! Germany is 1250000000000 times better than your tiny little island !
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
@LegoPerson1000 But …
@LegoPerson1000 But they could take the 17 million soviet soldiers !
February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
In the worst cases …
In the worst cases Germans are always bullies. Thats why they picked on the weak, the defenceless, women & children etc. They were as history shows plainly cruel, greedy thieving bastards. They were never brave enough to stand and face a bayonet attack by freedom & peace loving, defenders. I had a good friend and he shot more and better germans than you have had hot breakfasts, and a lot better than the likes of “Elberiver”. Nazis burn in hell. What a line of runts they were, half were faggots