Lecture
William Tyler
Monday 16.03.2026
William Tyler
The Phoney War
Monday 16.03.2026
How to watch
This lecture starts on 16 March at 5:00pm (UK).
Summary
War began in autumn 1939, when Germany invaded Poland on 1 September, followed two days later by France and Britain declaring war on Germany. Little happened to begin with on the Western Front, hence the appellation “Phoney War.” But as everyone knows, this stage of the war ended abruptly in April/May 1940, when Germany moved against Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. By the end of June 1940, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) had retreated from Dunkirk and France had surrendered.
William Tyler
William Tyler has spent his entire professional life in adult education, beginning at Kingsgate College in 1969. He has lectured widely for many public bodies, including the University of Cambridge and the WEA, in addition to speaking to many clubs and societies. In 2009, William was awarded the MBE for services to adult education, and he has previously been a scholar in residence at the London Jewish Cultural Centre. Link to William’ s blog with recommended book lists for his Lockdown lectures.