Today (03/09/2024) marks 85 years since Britain and France declared war against Germany. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced that Britain was at war at 11:15am on Sunday 3 September 1939. This BBC radio broadcast was made just two days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. Adolf Hitler’s decision to invade Poland marked the beginning of a brutal global conflict that would last six years, involved many nations, and resulted in unprecedented devastation and loss of life. As we remember this day, it is important to recognise and honour the millions who fought, those who lost their lives, and the communities affected.
British Online Archives hosts a great deal of primary source material relating to the Second World War. In particular, the course of the war, especially its early stages, can be tracked via BOA’s British Illustrated Periodicals, 1869–1970. This series of fascinating collections brings together nine of the “sister” titles belonging to The Illustrated London News (ILN): The Graphic, 1869–1932; The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, 1874–1970; The Sketch, 1893–1959; The Sphere, 1900–1964; The Tatler, 1901–1965; The Bystander, 1903–1940; The Illustrated War News, 1914–1918 & 1939; Britannia and Eve, 1929–1957; and London Life,1965–1966. During the First and Second World Wars these publications underwent significant shifts in perspective, redirecting their focus away from routine content to the ongoing conflicts. Within these publications you can therefore find a vast amount of information on the Second World War. For example, you can find material on the role of women, as well as articles highlighting children’s perspectives on the war. The periodicals also contain detailed accounts of battles, advice for the public during blackouts, and guides aimed at women on how to utilise rations. You can also use these publications to explore key themes in the development of wartime entertainment and fashion.
Below, we have highlighted some of the articles in our collections that were published during the first few weeks of the outbreak of the Second World War:
For example, on 2 September 1939, The Sphere published a “London Newsletter” which discussed the possibilities of the looming war. 
British Online Archives, The Sphere, 1900–1964, “London Newsletter,” 2 September 1939, image 4. The Sphere published its first wartime “Newsletter” on 9 September 1929—the king’s speech is referenced, as well as the responses of different countries to the outbreak of war.
British Online Archives, The Sphere, 1900–1964 , “A War Newsletter,” 9 September 1939, images 4–5. The same issue of The Sphere contains photographs from “The Day of The War Declaration":
British Online Archives, The Sphere, 1900–1964, “The Day of The War Declaration,” 9 September 1939, images 8–9.In September 1939, publications such as The Tatler, The Sphere, and The Sketch began to document the role of women during the conflict:
British Online Archives, The Tatler, 1901–1965 , “Princess in Uniform,” 13 September 1939.
British Online Archives, The Tatler, 1901–1965, “Women Spring to Attention,” 20 September 1939.
British Online Archives, The Sketch, 1893–1959, “Wartime Job Transformations,” 20 September 1939, images 12–13.The primary sources featured within this article are just a snapshot of what the publications at British Online Archives have to offer.