On the 1st of September, 1939, Nazi Germany and the Slovak Republic invaded Poland. The Invasion of Poland in September 1939 marked the beginning of the Second World War, setting in motion a conflict that would engulf much of the globe over the following six years. This pivotal event not only illustrated the brutal effectiveness of modern military strategies but also demonstrated the devastating consequences of appeasement and diplomatic failures in the interwar period.
Background and Prelude to Invasion
The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, had imposed stringent territorial losses and military restrictions on Germany after the First World War. Over the subsequent two decades, resentment towards these conditions festered within Germany, creating fertile ground for the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Hitler’s aggressive expansionist ideology, encapsulated in his concept of Lebensraum (living space), aimed at securing territories in Eastern Europe for German colonisation.
By the late 1930s, Hitler had already annexed Austria during the Anschluss of 1938 and dismembered Czechoslovakia following the Munich Agreement. Sensing the weakness of British and French resolve, Hitler turned his sights towards Poland, coveting not only the Danzig Corridor—a territory that separated mainland Germany from East Prussia—but also the broader goal of territorial dominion in the East.
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
A critical precursor to the invasion was the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact on the 23rd of August 1939. This non-aggression treaty between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union contained a secret protocol that divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. Poland was to be partitioned along the Narew, Vistula, and San rivers, with the western portion going to Germany and the eastern areas falling under Soviet control. This agreement ensured that Germany could invade Poland without fear of Soviet intervention, effectively sealing Poland’s fate.
The Invasion Begins
At dawn on the 1st of September, 1939, German forces launched Fall Weiss (Case White), the codename for the invasion plan. The offensive employed a strategy known as Blitzkrieg or “lightning war,” characterised by rapid, coordinated attacks using mechanised infantry, tanks (Panzer divisions), and overwhelming air support from the Luftwaffe. This strategy aimed to encircle and destroy Polish forces quickly, preventing them from mounting an effective defence.
German forces attacked from three directions: from the north through East Prussia, from the west across the German-Polish border, and from the south via Slovakia, which had become a German puppet state. The Polish military, although courageous and determined, was ill-equipped to withstand the modern, mechanised German war machine. Poland’s army consisted largely of infantry and cavalry units, with limited armoured vehicles and outdated aircraft.
Polish Resistance and the Soviet Invasion
Despite facing overwhelming odds, Polish forces mounted fierce resistance. Battles such as the Defence of Westerplatte, the Siege of Warsaw, and the Battle of Bzura showcased Polish bravery. The Polish Air Force, though outnumbered, managed to inflict significant damage on German aircraft in the initial days. Nevertheless, the disparity in military technology and numbers soon became apparent.
On the 17th of September, 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east, citing the need to protect ethnic Ukrainians and Belarusians following the collapse of the Polish state. This invasion was executed in accordance with the secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The Polish government, realising the hopelessness of their situation, fled to Romania, and organised resistance dwindled.
The Aftermath
By the 6th of October, 1939, organised Polish resistance had effectively ceased, and Poland was partitioned between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. The German occupation was marked by extreme brutality, particularly against Poland’s Jewish population, intelligentsia, and political elites. The Soviets, meanwhile, conducted mass deportations and executed thousands of Polish military officers in events such as the Katyn Massacre.
Poland’s invasion had far-reaching consequences. On the 3rd of September, 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany in response to the aggression, honouring their commitments to Polish independence. However, their declarations were not accompanied by significant military action, a period known as the “Phoney War” or Sitzkrieg, which lasted until Germany’s invasion of France in 1940. By late May that year Britain was desperately evacuating the remainder of its army from Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain was about to begin.
Significance and Legacy
The Invasion of Poland highlighted the effectiveness of Blitzkrieg tactics, which Germany would employ with devastating effect across Europe. It also exposed the weaknesses of international agreements and collective security mechanisms established after the First World War, particularly the ineffectiveness of the League of Nations.
For Poland, the war resulted in immense suffering. The Polish underground resistance, including the Home Army (Armia Krajowa), continued to fight throughout the war, contributing significantly to the Allied effort. The war’s end in 1945 did not bring freedom to Poland but a new chapter of Soviet domination, as the country fell within the Soviet sphere of influence during the Cold War.
In retrospect, the Invasion of Poland stands as a solemn reminder of the destructive potential of unchecked aggression and the importance of robust international responses to acts of blatant violation of sovereignty.