Britain was better prepared for some kinds of war in January 1939 than for the sequence that followed the September declaration against Germany. In a continental land war, France led the main ground campaign and therefore constrained important British choices about escalation. The debate over whether bombing factories improperly damaged private property illustrates how cautious and legally minded some early-war thinking remained. This comparison does not claim that Britain was fully prepared. Preparedness depends on the enemy, theatre, alliance structure, and operations a state is asked to conduct.
Chapter · 19:30-20:41
Why a January war changes British strategy
A war beginning in January 1939 would give Britain a more familiar maritime problem than the politically constrained European conflict of September.