Well, Britain and France was rearming at a pace that made Hitler gamble in 1939, as he knew that time was no longer on his side. Take a look at Britain´s programme for naval construction of 1936. They certainly prepared for a war.
As for DENMARK in World War II:
The government decided sometime in the second half of the 1930´s, that Denmark, given its geography vis-a-vis Germany was indefensible and staked everything on neutrality in a coming conflict.
The evolution of military technology since WW I, when Denmark sustained its largest ever peacetime army, in one way justifies that view, but was all screwed up, beacuse that same technological advances insured that Denmark would never be allowed to remain neutral in a conflict between Germany and Britain.
The relevant authorities in Denmark knew very well that something was brewing before the invasion of 9apr1940, but not exactly what the Germans had in mind and so didn´t bother mobilise the forces, which was perhaps just as well as it meant that only about 25 Danish military personel lost their lives that day.
The screw up was to allow the Germans a walk over. That what happens to countries with no credible defense. The Danish forces of WW I, though in no way a match for the German army, at least made Germany think twice and conclude that free access to the Belts and the loot of Danish farm products, could not be had without weakening other fronts, withdrawing troops that was sorely needed.
As the Southern part of Denmark was under German control 1864-1920 (There was some serious political screw ups on the Danish side leading up to 1864, but that´s another story), some danes were forced to serve Germany in WWI. My grandfather had no less than 15 uncles + his own father who served in the German forces. No one ever saw anybody of higher rank than major… two served in submarines, one spending a day caught in an anti-submarine net in the English Channel, all 16 survived, by some miracle.
