The Phoney War

The Phoney War was an eight-month period at the start of World War II, that was marked by a lack of major military operations by the United Kingdom and France (the Western Allies) against the German Reich on Germany's Western Front. 

Even though Poland was overrun in about five weeks in the German Invasion of Poland, which commenced on 1st September 1939, the Western Allies did nothing - this was the start of the Phoney War (at least as far as the United Kingdom and France were concerned). 

This non-active phase of the war covered the months following Britain's and France's declaration of war on Germany on 3rd Sept, 1939, (two days after the Invasion of Poland), and continued up until the German Blitzkrieg into the Low Countries and the Battle of France in May 1940. 

War had been declared by each side, but no Western power committed to launching a significant land offensive, notwithstanding the terms of the Anglo-Polish and Franco-Polish military alliances which obliged the United Kingdom and France to assist Poland.

November 1939: Members of the British Expeditionary Force and the French Air Force in front of a shack called "Downing Street 10 "(the address of the Prime Minister).