Western Front

1939–1940: The Phoney War

September 1939 – May 1940 · 1 battle

Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, but on land they hardly waged it. After a brief and cautious offensive in the Saar the French army withdrew behind the Maginot Line, and the British Expeditionary Force dug in along the Belgian frontier. For eight months the two sides faced each other, exchanging occasional shots, leaflets and communiqués. The French called this period the drôle de guerre, the Germans the Sitzkrieg. It ended on 10 May 1940 with the German offensive in the west.

7 September – 16 October 1939Saar OffensiveIn September 1939 the French pushed a few kilometres into the Saar, but on 12 September halted the advance and by 17 October had withdrawn. Poland got no help.