September 1939 - Polish Campaign
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The Polish September Campaign — known also as the "Polish-German War of 1939," in Poland sometimes as the "1939 Defensive War" (Wojna obronna 1939 roku), in Germany as the "Polish Campaign" (Polenfeldzug), and by the German General Staff codenamed Fall Weiss ("Case White") — was the World War II invasion of Poland by military forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union and by a small German-allied Slovak contingent.
The campaign began September 1, 1939, one week after the signing of the secret Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, and ended October 6, 1939, with Germany and the Soviet Union occupying the entirety of Poland. None of the major participants — Germany, the Soviet Union, Poland or the Western Allies — expected that this German invasion of Poland would lead to a war surpassing World War I in scale and cost.
The invasion of Poland marked the start of World War II in Europe as Poland's western allies, the United Kingdom and France, on September 3 declared war on Germany.
The September Campaign was the second military campaign to witness the use of German Blitzkrieg tactics (the Germans had first employed them in unofficial assistance to Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War).
Following the German-staged attack on 1 September 1939, German forces invaded Poland's western, southern and northern borders. Defending the long borders, the Polish armies were soon forced to withdraw east. After the mid-September Polish defeat in the Battle of Bzura, the Germans gained undisputed advantage. Polish forces then began a withdrawal south-east, following a plan that called for a long defence in the Romanian bridgehead area where Polish forces were to await an expected Western Allies counterattack and relief[7]. On September 17, 1939, the Soviet Red Army invaded the eastern regions of Poland. The Soviets were acting in co-operation with Nazi Germany, carrying out their part of the secret appendix of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (the division of Europe into Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence), which secured Hitler's right flank, and allowed him to concentrate on attacking the Allies, without worrying about Soviet Russia to the east. In view of this unexpected Soviet aggression, the Polish government and its high command decided that the defence of the Romanian bridgehead was no longer feasible and ordered the evacuation of all troops to neutral Romania. By the beginning of October, Germany and the Soviet Union had completely overrun Poland. The Polish government (which never surrendered) together with many of its remaining land and air forces successfully evacuated to neighboring Romania and Hungary. Many of the evacuees subsequently joined the recreated Polish Army in allied France, French-mandated Syria and the United Kingdom.
In the aftermath of the September Campaign, Poland, even under occupation, managed to create a powerful resistance movement and contributed significant military forces to the Allies for the duration of World War II. Germany captured the Soviet-occupied areas when it invaded the Soviet Union (June 22, 1941), and the Soviet Union would later recapture those areas in 1944. Between them the German and Soviet occupations were responsible for the death of over 20% of Poland's total population and the effective end of the Second Polish Republic.
The Polish September Campaign — known also as the "Polish-German War of 1939," in Poland sometimes as the "1939 Defensive War" (Wojna obronna 1939 roku), in Germany as the "Polish Campaign" (Polenfeldzug), and by the German General Staff codenamed Fall Weiss ("Case White") — was the World War II invasion of Poland by military forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union and by a small German-allied Slovak contingent.
The campaign began September 1, 1939, one week after the signing of the secret Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, and ended October 6, 1939, with Germany and the Soviet Union occupying the entirety of Poland. None of the major participants — Germany, the Soviet Union, Poland or the Western Allies — expected that this German invasion of Poland would lead to a war surpassing World War I in scale and cost.
The invasion of Poland marked the start of World War II in Europe as Poland's western allies, the United Kingdom and France, on September 3 declared war on Germany.
The September Campaign was the second military campaign to witness the use of German Blitzkrieg tactics (the Germans had first employed them in unofficial assistance to Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War).
Following the German-staged attack on 1 September 1939, German forces invaded Poland's western, southern and northern borders. Defending the long borders, the Polish armies were soon forced to withdraw east. After the mid-September Polish defeat in the Battle of Bzura, the Germans gained undisputed advantage. Polish forces then began a withdrawal south-east, following a plan that called for a long defence in the Romanian bridgehead area where Polish forces were to await an expected Western Allies counterattack and relief[7]. On September 17, 1939, the Soviet Red Army invaded the eastern regions of Poland. The Soviets were acting in co-operation with Nazi Germany, carrying out their part of the secret appendix of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (the division of Europe into Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence), which secured Hitler's right flank, and allowed him to concentrate on attacking the Allies, without worrying about Soviet Russia to the east. In view of this unexpected Soviet aggression, the Polish government and its high command decided that the defence of the Romanian bridgehead was no longer feasible and ordered the evacuation of all troops to neutral Romania. By the beginning of October, Germany and the Soviet Union had completely overrun Poland. The Polish government (which never surrendered) together with many of its remaining land and air forces successfully evacuated to neighboring Romania and Hungary. Many of the evacuees subsequently joined the recreated Polish Army in allied France, French-mandated Syria and the United Kingdom.
In the aftermath of the September Campaign, Poland, even under occupation, managed to create a powerful resistance movement and contributed significant military forces to the Allies for the duration of World War II. Germany captured the Soviet-occupied areas when it invaded the Soviet Union (June 22, 1941), and the Soviet Union would later recapture those areas in 1944. Between them the German and Soviet occupations were responsible for the death of over 20% of Poland's total population and the effective end of the Second Polish Republic.
posted by Noonan at 7:33 AM
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