288
I
n August 1939, Nazi Germany
and the Soviet Union signed
a non-aggression pact, also
secretly agreeing to invade and
then divide Poland between them.
Russian leader Joseph Stalin had
decided that in the event of war,
Germany offered the best hope of
Soviet security. One week later,
on September 1, 1939, more than
a million German troops invaded
Poland from the west. Soon after,
on September 17, Russian troops
attacked Poland from the east. The
context for this unprovoked assault,
as declared by the German Führer,
Adolf Hitler, was the pursuit of
Lebensraum, “living space” deemed
necessary for the expansion of the
German people, whom Hitler saw as
a superior “Aryan master race,” with
the right to displace inferior races.
The invasion lasted just over
a month. Trapped between two
huge, well-armed powers, the
Polish air force and army fought
valiantly, but they lacked modern
aircrafts and tanks. The German
Luftwaffe was quickly able to
gain command of the skies. In
the end, Poland’s aviators and
soldiers, fighting on two fronts,
were overwhelmed.The invasion ended in a resounding
victory, and it added to Hitler’s
increasing belief that he was a
military genius. Some areas in
western Poland were absorbed
into Germany, while territory east
of the River Bug was annexed by
the Soviet Union.The Nazi regime in Poland
The Nazis imposed a brutal regime
on the German part of Poland.
Hitler was bent on the elimination
of anyone who stood in the way of
German domination.
As part of Hitler’s plan for
ethnic cleansing, around 5 million
Polish Jews were rounded up
and herded into ghettos. The
invasion of Poland gave some
forewarning of the violence that
would soon be visited upon
scores of countries and countless
people around the globe.The rise of the Nazi Party
Although World War II was
triggered by Hitler’s invasion of
Poland, its origins can be traced
back to Germany’s defeat in
World War I and the demand for
reparation payments. The defeated
nations lost land and prestige,NAZI INVASION OF POLAND
German forces
invade Poland.Britain and France
declare war on Germany,
leading to World War II,
the most destructive
conflict in history.The Treaty of
Versailles sets tight
limits on German
armaments and
armed forces.With economic
depression crippling
Germany, Adolf Hitler
grows in popularity.IN CONTEXT
FOCUS
World War IIBEFORE
1919 The Treaty of Versailles
at the end of World War I
humiliates Germany and sows
the seeds for future conflict.1922 The Union of Soviet
Socialist Republic (USSR)
is founded.1933 The Enabling Act gives
Adolf Hitler dictatorial power
i n G er ma ny.AFTER
1942–43 The Soviets defeat
the Germans at Stalingrad.1944 The June 6 D-Day
Landings, which were the
largest amphibious military
operation in history, begin the
liberation of Western Europe.1945 As Russian troops win
the Battle of Berlin, Hitler
commits suicide. The Germans
surrender unconditionally.Britain and France want
to ensure Germany is
incapable of starting
another war.Hitler’s government
rebuilds Germany’s
military and promotes
extreme nationalism.US_286-293_Invasion-of-Poland.indd 288 15/02/2016 16:44
289
Adolf Hitler watches a victory parade
in Warsaw following the invasion of
Poland. He and Soviet leader Joseph
Stalin agreed to the invasion and
division of the country.causing deep resentment. Germany
was forced to return Alsace and
Lorraine to France, and all of its
overseas colonies were annexed
by the Allies.
Germany’s Weimar Republic
began its economic recovery in the
1920s, but it could not survive the
blow that was inflicted by the
US economic crash of 1929. This
financial crisis aided the rise of
the National Socialist (Nazi) Party,
led by Hitler, who promised the
German people he would make
the nation great again.
Hitler had fought in World
War I, and the experience of trench
warfare, the shock of defeat, and
the terms of the Versailles Treaty
were to influence the rest of his
life. He developed extremist views
based on far-right nationalism; and
by the time he became chancellor
of Germany’s coalition government
in 1933, and dictator of the country
the next year, he ruthlessly pursued
his policies of nationalism, anti-
Semitism, and anti-communism.Hitler’s Lebensraum
Under this creed, Hitler embarked
on an ambitious foreign policy.
In 1935, openly going against the
terms of the Versailles Treaty, he
began a massive program of
re-armament. In 1936 he occupied
the demilitarized Rhineland, but
none of the major powers
intervened. In March 1938, Hitler
annexed Austria to Germany,
before setting his sights on the
German-speaking part of
Czechoslovakia, the Sudetenland.
British and French politicians
wanted to avoid a repeat of the
horrors of World War I and felt
that the Sudetenland was not
worth fighting for. In the Munich
Agreement of September 29, 1938,
the Sudetenland was handed to
Hitler in exchange for his promise
to end his land-grabs. British prime
minister Neville Chamberlain
declared that he had secured
“peace for our time,” only for the
Nazis to invade the remainder of
Czechoslovakia in March 1939.Fascism in Europe
Italy’s Fascist dictator Benito
Mussolini also had aspirations for
foreign glory. In October 1935, he
invaded Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in
retaliation for the defeat the Italians
had suffered there in 1896. By May
1936, Mussolini had conquered
the country, facing no opposition
from the Western powers.
Further evidence of Western
democracies’ weakness in facing
up to the Fascist challenge was
provided the same year, when
both Mussolini and Hitler sent
“volunteers” to fight in the Spanish
Civil War, to aid nationalist
General Franco in his campaign
against left-wing supporters of
the Spanish Republic. Britain
and France took no action, and
Franco’s victory in 1939 bolstered
the Fascist cause. ❯❯See also: The Battle of Passchendaele 270–75 ■ The Treaty of Versailles 280 ■ The Wall Street Crash 282–283 ■
The Reichstag Fire 284–85 ■ The Wannsee Conference 294–95 ■ The Berlin Airlift 296–97 ■ World War II in the Pacific 340 ■
The founding of the United Nations 340THE MODERN WORLD
German troops crossed
the Polish frontier this
morning at dawn and
are since reported to be
bombing open towns. In
these circumstances there is
only one course open to us.
Neville ChamberlainUS_286-293_Invasion-of-Poland.indd 289 15/02/2016 16:44