Question

What caused Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany in 1939?

the appeasement policy
the invasion of Poland
the nonaggression pact
the surrender of Poland

Answer 1

Great Britain and France declared war on Germany in 1939 primarily due to **the invasion of Poland**. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, prompting Britain and France to fulfill their commitments to assist Poland. Both countries had made promises to protect Polish sovereignty and issued ultimatums to Germany, which went unanswered. Consequently, they declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939, marking the beginning of World War II in Europe.

While the appeasement policy and the nonaggression pact (the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union) were significant events in the lead-up to the war, the immediate cause of the declaration of war was the invasion of Poland. The surrender of Poland followed that declaration, as the Polish government was unable to withstand the military onslaught.