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| Aug. 24 |
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| President Roosevelt appealed to King Victor Emmanuel, to Hitler, and to President Moscicki of Poland, suggesting direct negotiations between Germany and Poland, arbitration, or conciliation. Poland agreed to conciliation by a third party. | 1 |
| The British parliament met in special session and voted the government practically dictatorial powers; at the same time Britain and Poland signed a pact of mutual assistance. Poland began to call up reserves. | 2 |
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| Aug. 25 |
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| In discussion with the British ambassador, Hitler renewed his demand for a free hand against Poland. Roosevelt again appealed to Hitler to seek a peaceful solution. | 3 |
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| Aug. 26 |
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| Premier Daladier of France appealed to Hitler, receiving in reply (Aug. 27) a plea for German-French peace but also a reiteration of the German demands on Poland. | 4 |
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| Aug. 28 |
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| The British government replied to Hitler, again urging a truce and repeating former warnings of British action in case of German aggression. British shipping was recalled from the Baltic and Mediterranean. In Germany emergency rationing was introduced. On all sides military preparations were accelerated. | 5 |
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| Aug. 29 |
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| Hitler reiterated to Britain his extreme demands on Poland and refused to negotiate until these demands were met. He called for arrival of a Polish plenipotentiary in Berlin within 24 hours. | 6 |
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| Aug. 30 |
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| The Poles decreed partial mobilization, while in Germany a six-man “cabinet council for defense of the Reich” was set up under the presidency of Hermann Goering. | 7 |
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| Aug. 31 |
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| The German government published a 16-point proposal to Poland. This was of rather moderate tenor, but before it could be transmitted to Warsaw, communications were cut off. On this same day the Russian Supreme Soviet ratified the pact with Germany, and Hitler, claiming his proposals to Poland had been rejected, gave the order to march. | 8 |
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| Sept. 1 |
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| GERMAN ATTACK ON POLAND on land and in the air. Forster proclaimed the reunion of Danzig and Germany. Britain and France mobilized but expressed readiness to negotiate if German forces were withdrawn from Poland. Italy declared its intention of remaining neutral. | 9 |
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| Sept. 2 |
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| Italy proposed a five-power conference to discuss the situation, but Britain refused negotiation so long as the Germans remained on Polish soil. Hitler having failed to reply to the Anglo-French notes, these two powers sent an ultimatum, to which Hitler replied by a note blaming Britain for encouraging the Poles in a policy of persecution and provocation. The German government rejected the Anglo-French demands for withdrawal from Poland. | 10 |
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| Sept. 3 |
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| BRITAIN AND FRANCE DECLARED WAR ON GERMANY, thus signaling the second great war of the 20th century. (See World War II, 1939–1945) | 11 |
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