In his study, the English historian-publicist John Kimhi exposes the generally accepted thesis that in the fall of 1939 Britain and France were not able to give an armed rebuff to fascist aggression. Kimhi scrupulously analyzes documentary materials and convincingly proves the unwillingness of the British and French ruling circles to fulfill their obligations towards countries threatened by fascist Germany. Having studied the relevant documents on Anglo-French "guarantees" to Poland, the author clearly demonstrated how the governments of these countries behaved when it came to fulfilling their promises. The historian emphasizes that it was the West's double-dealing with Poland that allowed Hitler to derive the maximum benefit from his appeasement policy. The book contains sensational facts confirmed by genuine documents.