Notes
- On Sept. 1, 1939 the Germans attacked Poland using Blitzkrieg warfare (lightning war: surprise, mechanization, tanks, planes). This marked the beginning of World War II.
- The Soviet Union joins the invasion and occupies the Eastern half of Poland on Sept 17, 1939 while Germany gets the other half.
- The British and French declare war on Sept 3, 1939 as they had pacts with Poland.
- The war ends on Sept 29, 1939.
- The Phony War was a term used to describe the lack of action after the invasion of Poland.
- Ends during the April of 1940.
- The Winter War was a military conflict between Finland and the Soviet Union during this time. This led to the Soviet Union being expelled from the League of Nations.
- The French make a small attack into the Saarland, the purpose being to assist Poland.
Video
Summary
Sept. 1, 1939 the Germans attacked Poland using Blitzkrieg warfare. This marked the beginning of World War II. The Soviet Union joins the invasion and occupies the Eastern half of Poland on Sept 17, 1939 while Germany gets the other half. Ends during the April of 1940.
Audio
Pictures
Political Cartoon
Quotes
Poland, of course, was the key country. I remember Stalin telling me that the plains of Poland were the invasion route of Europe to Russia and always had been, and therefore he had to control Poland. - W. Averell Harriman
Subjunctive Question
What would've happened if the Germans did not attack Poland?