On this day (September 1, 1939), WWII began with Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland
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Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland in September 1939 was a pivotal event that marked the beginning of World War II. This invasion had far-reaching consequences for Europe and the world, ultimately leading to a global conflict that lasted until 1945.
The map below, created by the Holocaust Encyclopedia team, shows the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939.
Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, had long expressed expansionist ambitions in Europe, particularly in Eastern Europe, to create a Greater German Empire (Lebensraum). The Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, had imposed significant territorial and military restrictions on Germany, and Hitler sought to overturn these restrictions.
In August 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression treaty that included a secret protocol dividing Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. This pact ensured that the Soviet Union would not oppose Germany’s invasion of Poland.
On September 1, 1939, without a formal declaration of war, Nazi Germany launched a massive military invasion of Poland, often considered the start of World War II. The German military employed a new tactic called Blitzkrieg, characterized by fast-moving armored units, air support, and overwhelming force. Warsaw, the Polish capital, was subjected to heavy bombing, and Poland’s defenses quickly crumbled under the German assault.
Just 16 days after Germany’s invasion, on September 17, 1939, the Soviet Union, led by Joseph Stalin, invaded Poland from the east, in accordance with the secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. This led to the division of Poland into two parts, with the western part occupied by Germany and the eastern part by the Soviet Union.
The invasion of Poland triggered a swift and robust international response. Britain and France, fulfilling their commitments to Poland, declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. However, there was limited action on the Western Front in the early stages of the war, resulting in the “Phoney War” or “Sitzkrieg.”
The occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union was brutal. Both regimes conducted mass arrests, executions, and deportations. The Nazis implemented policies of racial and political persecution, leading to the Holocaust and the systematic murder of millions of Jews and other targeted groups.
The invasion of Poland marked the beginning of a series of aggressive moves by Nazi Germany in Europe, including the occupation of other countries. It eventually led to a broader global conflict, as more nations became involved in the fight against Nazi Germany and its allies, including Japan and Italy.
The invasion of Poland had profound and devastating consequences, both in terms of the immediate suffering it caused and in its role as a catalyst for World War II. The conflict would continue for six years, resulting in widespread destruction, and fundamentally reshaping the political, economic, and social landscape of the world.
To learn more about the Second World War, consider the following books:
