October 6, 1939: Hitler Peace Effort

Friday 6 October 1939

Hitler addresses the Reichstag at the Kroll Opera House, 6 October 1939 (Ang, Federal Archive).

Battle of Poland: The last remaining Polish forces between the Bug and Vistula rivers, some 8,000 men, surrender at 10 a.m. on 6 October 1939.

To sum up the result of the Battle of Poland:

Germany: 10,572 dead, 3,404 missing, 30,322 injured; 217 tanks and 285 aircraft destroyed;
Soviet Union: 737 dead, 1,859 injured.

Poland, of course, has been divided roughly equally between the two victorious nations. Some 100,000 Polish soldiers are estimated to have escaped to neutral or Allied countries. Polish prisoners of war total 700,000 in Germany and 217,000 in the USSR.

War at Sea: The British Admiralty lodges a protest against Admiral Raeder's recent claim that a "false flag" operation was being set up to sink the freighter Iroquois in order to antagonize United States relations with Germany.

The 9,462-ton British motor merchant Lochgoil, carrying war supplies, hits a mine in the English channel.

Great Britain detains the US freighters Black Gull and Black Falcon.

France releases the US freighter Exeter at Marseilles after its examination of its cargo.

Peace Talks: Hitler gives a speech at the Reichstag in which he calls for a European Conference to arrange a peace deal. He blasts those who oppose the idea, such as Winston Churchill, as "warmongers." He argues that his only intent was to correct the injustices of the Treaty of Versailles and that now has been done. He disclaims any further war aims, though he does want other aspects of the Treaty of Versailles nullified, such as restoration of German overseas colonies, a perennial aim in right-wing German inter-war circles.

Taken in their broadest possible context, Hitler's suggestion of an "international security conference" sounds eerily like the later United Nations.

The British government issues a statement that it will give the matter some thought, but that more than words would be required to restore faith in the German government.

British/French Relations: Another war council is held in France.

Finland: The Finns mobilize their army, some 21,000 troops.

China: The First Battle of Changsha ends. The Chinese 98th Infantry Division of the Chinese 9th War Area recaptures Pingchiang. It is a major Chinese victory, with some 40,000 Japanese dead from their 120,000-man army. The Japanese also have lost vast quantities of arms in the battle.

American Homefront: A Gallup poll finds that 95% of respondents feel that US armed forces should not be sent to fight Germany.

"Ninotchka," starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas, is released. Some consider it the high point of Garbo's career. "Garbo laughs" is the tag line. It is directed by German Ernst Lubitsch, who had left the German film industry in 1922.

Garbo laughs (along with Melvyn Douglas) in "Ninotchka."

Future History: "Ninotchka" goes on to become a big success. It becomes a classic that routinely makes lists of top films of all time. Greta Garbo makes only one more film, "Two-Faced Woman," released in 1941. After that, she becomes a famous recluse in New York City and passes away at age 84 on 15 April 1990.

October 1939

October 1, 1939: Occupation of Warsaw
October 2, 1939: Hel Peninsula Falls
October 3, 1939: The Diamantis Incident
October 4, 1939: Otto Kretschmer Gets Rolling
October 5, 1939: Polish Resistance Ends
October 6, 1939: Hitler Peace Effort
October 7, 1939: The British Have Arrived
October 8, 1939: First RAF Kill from UK
October 9, 1939: "City of Flint" Incident
October 10, 1939: Lithuania Under Pressure
October 11, 1939: The Atomic Age Begins
October 12, 1939: England Rejects Hitler's Peace Offer
October 13, 1939: Charles Lindbergh Speaks Out
October 14 1939: Royal Oak Sunk
October 15, 1939: Cuban Rockets
October 16, 1939: First Aircraft Shot Down Over UK
October 17, 1939: Marshall Mannerheim Returns
October 18, 1939: Prien Receives His Award
October 19, 1939: Preliminary Plan for Fall Gelb
October 20, 1939: Hitler Grapples with the Jews
October 21, 1939: Hurricanes to the Rescue!
October 22, 1939: Goebbels Lies Through His Teeth
October 23, 1939: Norway the Center of Attention
October 24, 1939: German "Justice" Gets Rolling
October 25, 1939: Handley Page Halifax Bomber First Flies
October 26, 1939: Jozef Tiso Takes Slovakia
October 27, 1939: King Leopold Stands Firm
October 28, 1939 - First Luftwaffe Raid on Great Britain
October 29, 1939: Tinkering with Fall Gelb
October 30, 1939: Defective Torpedoes
October 31, 1939: Molotov Issues an Ultimatum

2019