| In Poland... Warsaw surrenders after two days of
intensive air and artillery bombardment. The siege has resulted in the
deaths of some 2000 Polish soldiers and 10,000 civilians. A total of
40,000 people are believed to have been killed or injured. About one eighth
of the buildings in the city have been destroyed. German forces take
about 150,000 prisoners. General von Blaskowitz, who received the Polish
surrender, allows the Polish officers to keep their swords and promises
that the troops will only go into captivity for as long as it takes to
"dispose of the necessary formalities." The terms of the
capitulation provide for the immediate relief of the civilian population
and the wounded. In Berlin... Hitler tells his service chiefs that he plans to attack in the west as soon as
possible and sets the date as November 12th. He has reached this decision entirely on his own.
Army representative oppose the decision. Meanwhile, Hitler establishes
the Reichssicherheitshauptamt [Reich Chief Security Office] (RSHA)
under Reinhart Heydrich, who now heads the Gestapo, the Criminal
Police (Kripo) and the Security Service (SD)
In London... Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir John Simon presents his first War Budget. Income tax is raised from 5/6d (25 1/2p) to 7/6d (37 1/2p) in the pound. |
