# France declares war on Germany (1939)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1939-france-declares-war-on-germany
Location: France
Categories: battle

France entered World War II after Germany invaded Poland. Within the broader Third Republic period, The Third Republic survived war, the Commune, constitutional crises and fierce ideological conflict. It expanded mass schooling and empire, faced the Dreyfus Affair, fought World War I and entered the troubled interwar era. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Albert Lebrun (President of the French Republic). France declares war on Germany mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
France declares war on Germany mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Albert Lebrun](https://history-france.com/rulers/albert-lebrun)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — France declares war on Germany](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=France+declares+war+on+Germany&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — France declares war on Germany](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=France+declares+war+on+Germany)
- [Vie-publique — French institutions and history](https://www.vie-publique.fr/)