Agreement Of Mutual Assistance Between The United Kingdom And Poland
Without prejudice to the above commitments made by the parties to help each other and to assist each other without delay in the event of the outbreak of hostilities, they will exchange comprehensive and rapid information on any development that could jeopardize their independence and, in particular, on any development that these companies might undertake. Made in two languages, london, August 15, 1939. A Polish text is then adopted between the contracting parties and both texts are authentic. On 6 April, during a visit by the Polish Foreign Minister to London, it was agreed to formalize the commitment as an Anglo-Polish military alliance pending negotiations. [8] [9] The text of the “Anglo-Polish communiqué” states that the two governments are “in full agreement on certain general principles” and that it has been agreed “that the two countries are ready to conclude an agreement of a permanent and reciprocal nature… The British Blue Book for 1939 states that the formal agreement was not signed until 25 August. [10] The desire to put on a permanent basis the cooperation between their respective countries, resulting from the assurances already exchanged of mutual support of a defensive nature: the diplomatic correspondence between Georges Bonnet, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Lon Nel, French Ambassador to Warsaw on 31 March 1939, shows that an agreement was signed on 5 August 1940. “The forces of the sea and the air) will be organized and deployed under British command” but would be “subject to Polish military law and disciplinary judgment, and they would be tried by Polish military courts.” [19] The only change took place on 11 October 1940, when the Polish Air Force made an exception and took over British disciplines and laws. [20] Nor did the British have any idea of attacking Germany, even though they continue to bluff in the hope that Hitler would resign. The Royal Air Force would not be used against German units to support a French offensive, and airstrikes in Germany would be limited to clearly marked military installations (an unenforceable proposal, then as now, even with advanced technology).
Yet London continued to give Warsaw its own assurances by signing a formal mutual aid agreement between the United Kingdom and Poland on 25 August 1939, forcing Britain to declare war on Germany if it attacked Poland. The methods provided by this agreement for the implementation of the obligations of mutual assistance under this agreement are established between the competent maritime, military and aeronautical authorities of the contracting parties. (2) Maintain the allied forces and in particular ours on an equal footing with those of Germany, which are continually strengthened. It is important that we at least maintain the relationship between our forces and those of the Empire, that we do not give the false impression that we are giving the “ground”. [17] Shortly thereafter, a formal agreement was signed between Poland and Great Britain, which made it clear that if Germany attacked Poland, Her Majesty`s Government in the United Kingdom would immediately assist Poland. Seventeen years later, in the face of rising tensions with Germany, Poland and France felt it necessary to reaffirm the defence alliance they had formed after the First World War. [7] In mid-May 1939, the Polish Minister of War, General Tadeusz Kasprzycki, went to Paris for a series of interviews.