The Invasion Of PolandSeptember 1939

The Invasion Of Poland

The Invasion Of Poland is the event that signifies the beginning of WWII. On September 1st, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. The Polish army was defeated within weeks. Germany attacked Poland from it’s own land to the West, from Czechoslovakia to the South, and from Prussia to the North. They attacked very quickly without warning. Warsaw surrendered to the Germans on September 27th. Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3rd, and the Soviet Union invaded Eastern Poland on September 17th. Nazi Germany occupied the remainder of Poland when it invaded the Soviet Union in June of 1941. Poland remained under German occupation until January 1945.

Course Of Action

Hitler promised to give the Germans living space in Europe, and to defend the Germans in Poland, one of Hitler’s aims was Gross Deutschland, which means, (All Germans living in one country) he needed to invade Poland to fulfill his aim. To oppose communism, Poland was close to Russia and so Hitler intended to use it as a starting point for his invasion. Chamberlain had promised Poland British protection, which infuriated Hitler. So he wanted to invade Poland to teach Chamberlain a lesson. Another reason why Hitler wanted to invade Poland was because of the Treaty Of Versailles, the treaty was a source of resentment in Germany, and by invading Poland this would challenge the terms and gain the support in Germany.

Invading German soldiers raise the Nazi flag in front of the city hall. Gdynia, Poland, September 1939.

Key Figures Of The Invasion

Adolf Hitler – Chancellor of Germany, he pursued aggressive territorial expansion in the late 1930’s

Neville Chamberlain – British Prime Minister, he adhered to the policy of accommodation that allowed German territorial takeovers in 1938

Joachim von Ribbentrop – German foreign minister; signed German-Soviet Nonaggression pact

Vyacheslav Molotov – Soviet foreign minister; signed German-Soviet Nonaggression pact

The Outcome

Hitler has previously managed to takeover Austria and Czechoslovakia in the eighteen months leading up to his invasion of Poland. Realizing that the Allies’ policy of appeasement was dead, the leaders of France and Britain signed the “Polish Guarantee”. This ensured Poland’s security in the event of Germany invading. Hitler believed that the promise was meaningless, and on September 1st 1939 he invaded Poland. Because of this World War Two was born, and the Germans got what they wanted.

Works Cited

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_poland

http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=28

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/invasion_poland_01.shtml

http://worldwar2database.com/html/poland.htm

http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/ww2/section1.html

http://www.history.co.uk/explore-history/ww2/poland.html

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-invade-poland

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/06/world-war-ii-the-invasion-of-poland-and-the-winter-war/100094/