1. The German Invasion of Poland
September 1st, 1939

2. Hitler Starts the War with a Lie
Hitler carried a fake attack at German radio station to start the war.
“I shall give a propagandist reason for starting the war, no matter whether it is plausible or not. The victor will not be asked, later on, whether he told the truth or not. In … a war, it is not the Right that matters, but Victory.”

3. The Polish Invasion Sept. 1, 1939- Hitler invaded Poland
no declaration of war
56 German divisions across 1,250 mile frontier spread Polish forces very thin
was told by the British to withdraw by Sept. 3 or face war
Sept. 3, 11:15 a.m. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced on national radio Great Britain was at war with Germany.

4. The Blitzkrieg

5. The Blitzkrieg
Germans introduced something new in the history of warfare- the blitzkrieg
(Lightning War)
Based on two key weapons: the tank and the airplane
German Luftwaffe (air force) destroyed Polish air force while most of it was on the ground

6. The Blitzkrieg
Luftwaffe bombed bridges, roads, railways, and radio stations, and concentrated Polish troops

7. The Blitzkrieg
Once the Polish Air Force was annihilated, German tanks in what were called Panzer units, were rolled in
The tanks destroyed roads, railways, bridges, tunnels, telegraph stations, and airfields.

8. The Blitzkrieg Poles tried to stop Nazi panzers with their Cavalry
Marks the end of the era of mounted Cavalry

9. The Blitzkrieg Armored cars and motorcycle troops followed the tanks.
Foot soldiers or infantry followed the armored cars.

10. The Blitzkrieg
Germans also unleashed calculated terror on civilian population
used stuka dive bombers
terrified civilians
caused mass confusion

11. The Blitzkrieg
Three SS Death’s Head regiments followed the infantry advance to conduct “police and security” measures behind the German lines.
whole villages burned to the ground
mass executions held in public rules of war ignored by Germany

12. Poland’s Defeat Sept. 16, 1939- Warsaw was surrounded
Sept. 17, Soviet forces invade from East
Sept. 28, Germany and U.S.S.R. agree to divide Poland into spheres of influence
Oct. 5, Polish resistance comes to an end

13. Poland’s Defeat
It was not lack of courage, but massively superior German power, that led to the defeat of Poland.
Remained under German occupation until January, 1945

14. The Defeat of Poland
In Soviet Union, 1.5 million Poles were transported to labor camps.
captured Polish officers shot at secret forest sites by the Soviet Union (Katyn massacre)

15. The Defeat of Poland Germans herded Polish Jews into ghettos
“Between 1939 and 1945, at least 1.5 million Polish citizens were deported to German territory for forced labor. Hundreds of thousands were also imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps.” (ushmm.org)
“It is estimated that the Germans killed at least 1.9 million non-Jewish Polish civilians during World War II. In addition, the Germans murdered at least 3 million Jewish citizens of Poland.” (ushmm.org)

16. Reactions of Britain and France
shock at the fall of Warsaw
deep sympathy with the fate of the Poles
amazement at speed of German advance
anger at the Soviets, who one month earlier had been independent
Fear that Germany may turn “lightning war” on the West
shame for not having helped