As previously reported, hostilities broke out with Italy on 12th January, 1940. The initial fighting, and Britian’s first land battles of the war, happened in a small pocket of Italian-held land in British-dominated East Africa: a pocket called Ethiopia.
Category Archives: Phoney war
To 14 August 1940: The Fall of France
Well, it’s been an eventful four months. The highlight (and low point), is Germany’s Declaration of War against Belgium, the Netherlands and poor old Luxembourg: an echo of the First World War’s Schlieffen Plan, bypassing the Martinot Line and quickly bringing France to its knees.
But first…
To 20 April 1940: Various naval disasters
In the two or so months since our latest report, we’ve made decent inroads into Ethiopia but have had several disastrous naval encounters, mostly due to the rank stupidity of our Supreme Leader.
To 25 January 1940: War with Italy!
Matters proceed apace over the next few months, with British and German naval forces playing cat and mouse with each other in the North Sea.
To 22 November 1939: First Blood
So, the fighting commences, although it’s bound to be low intensity until Germany vanquishes Poland. Our Supreme Leader was wise enough, for once, to set up naval and areal patrols before war was actually declared. They look something like this: