State of the War: 31 October 1939

The Second World War, in real time

Day 61 as it happened · 31 October 1939

● Live now · Day 62 Open the live feed → Today’s war is happening now on liveww2.com. Tap here to follow every dispatch as it lands.

Filed

1 November 1939
08:00 GMT

Reporting

31 October 1939
Day 61

State of the War

Britain has published its consuls' reports of brutality in the German concentration camps at Dachau and Buchenwald. Finland's delegation is taking its final answer back to Moscow, reportedly refusing the Soviet Union any base on Finnish soil, as Soviet radio turns on the Finnish Government for the first time. In Moscow, the Supreme Soviet has met to hear Molotov.

Here is everything that reached us between 06:45 and 14:30 GMT yesterday, and where it stands as you read this.

Latest updates

10 of 34 updates

06:45GMT

Lucknow The Congress Ministry of the United Provinces has resigned. It follows Madras, where the Governor has accepted the Ministry's resignation.

07:00GMT

Breaking London Britain has published a White Paper of consular reports describing the brutal treatment of prisoners at Dachau and Buchenwald. A former Buchenwald prisoner describes mud to the knees, 16-hour working days and frequent floggings.

07:15GMT

Helsinki Finland's delegation is taking Finland's final answer to Moscow. It will reportedly say the Soviet Union needs no naval or air base on Finnish soil.

07:30GMT

London A U-boat has sunk the British steamer Malabar in the Atlantic, and five men trapped in the engine room have been killed. Seventy survivors have been landed in the West of England.

07:45GMT

London Britain has formally assured Washington that the Athenia carried no guns, munitions or bullion and was sunk by a submarine. Germany says Britain sank her.

08:45GMT

Vilna The Lithuanian flag has been raised over Vilna's castle before crowds singing the national anthem. Lithuanian troops entered the city at the weekend.

11:00GMT

London The City of Flint has left Tromsø in northern Norway for a German port, possibly Hamburg, flying the German flag. Norway asked her to leave three hours after she arrived.

13:45GMT

Moscow The Supreme Soviet has been called to an extraordinary session at 16:00 GMT to hear Molotov on Soviet policy. He is expected to set out Russia's aims in northern Europe.

14:00GMT

Helsinki Soviet radio has made its first attack on the Finnish Government, calling it inefficient. Helsinki has told evacuees to stay out of the cities because “the critical situation is unchanged”.

14:30GMT

Rome Mussolini has reshuffled his Cabinet and made Marshal Graziani Chief of the General Staff of the Army. Some of those moved, including the party secretary Starace, are regarded as sympathetic to Germany.

23:59

End of Day 61. Day 62 is live now. Follow it →

Dachau prisoners are kicked, beaten and kept on their feet for 14 hours a day, the British Consul-General in Munich reports.

Still waiting

What Molotov has told the Supreme Soviet. The session opened at 16:00 GMT, and no report of his speech had reached us by the close.

Missed something? Read every dispatch from 31 October 1939

Pass it on

LIVE WW2 is a labour of love, and it’s completely free.

Every day, we report what happened on that same date during the Second World War, exactly 87 years later, as if the news is unfolding now, with no hindsight and no spoilers.

And it works best when lots of us are experiencing it together.

So if you know someone who’d love this, pass it on: a friend, a parent, a history group, a Facebook community, a subreddit, or that one person you know who lives and breathes this stuff.

WhatsApp X Facebook Reddit Email

State of the War is the daily briefing from LIVE WW2, a Chronos FM production. It arrives at 08:00 GMT with the previous day of the war.

No hindsight. No spoilers. Just the news.

Got a correction, a question, or something you want covered? Reply to this email, or write to liveww2@chronosfm.com.

Previous days · Sources · Corrections ·

You’re getting this because you signed up at liveww2.com.