Seventy years ago, our country experienced the most terrible and destructive moments of modern history, which forever changed the course of development of Russia and the fate of Russian people. But for the whole world, the war began a little earlier, in 1939, when the Nazi government decided to treacherously attack Poland without warning. This event is considered the beginning of the Second World War.
Alignment of forces
In 1939, a very tense international situation developed in Europe: the spirit of war was everywhere, but until the end no one believed in the beginning of direct hostilities from Germany. In addition, the majority of the population of England and France, countries of the anti-fascist coalition, advocated a peaceful solution to the German conflict.
But the plans of the Wehrmacht never provided for any diplomatic agreements, from the very beginning all the actions of Germany were thought out in advance, and the peace negotiations and agreements turned out to be a strategic move to distract the attention of rivals.
Nazi plans
Only after years, the public was able to understand how the Second World War began and what caused it, because this event led to a complete rearrangement of forces in Europe and around the world.
With the Nazis coming to power, Germany's priorities were aimed at achieving only goals - the assertion of the German nation over others and sole domination. For several years, the country's economy was actively reviving, the military complex was expanding, and the young generation grew and was brought up in the spirit of the exceptional mission of the Germans on earth.
Background
By 1939, Germany had reached a fairly high level of development, and the next step of the fascist government was the idea of expanding “living space” through a military campaign in eastern Europe. Thanks to a skillful and thoughtful policy, Hitler was able to convince the leaders of France and England that he did not intend to deploy military operations in Europe in the near future against any country.
Therefore, the Polish campaign of the Wehrmacht was for Chamberlain and the head of France a kind of surprise, in Europe until the last hoped for the success of diplomatic negotiations.
Official reason
Mutual territorial claims have always existed between Germany and Poland, including over some African countries. But the main conflict erupted around the path to the Baltic Sea and the city of Danzig, to which the Germans had long tried to claim rights. Hitler and Ribbentrop several times unsuccessfully persuaded Poland to voluntarily recognize the German authorities, threatening Warsaw with war and the subsequent partition of the country, as they had just done in Czechoslovakia.
The warnings did not work, Poland refused any cooperation with the Nazis. But this did not upset Hitler’s circle at all: in the ruling circles of the Wehrmacht, a new stage of conquest was already developed and ready for implementation - Operation Weiss.
Nazi Strategy
Hitler’s propaganda actively disseminated information about Poland’s guilt in unleashing the conflict, and the reason for the contention was the fact that Warsaw refused to return the free city of Danzig to Germany.
The Weiss plan provided for a quick and almost unrequited seizure of the entire territory, the destruction of infrastructure and the establishment of its own regime. For these purposes, it was planned to use aviation, infantry and tank troops, as well as a special unit, whose responsibility was to mislead Polish generals regarding the goals of the main German forces.
The German attack plan on Poland was thought out to the smallest detail: the Wehrmacht's army should be surrounded by the main enemy troops from the south and not give him time to mobilize and deploy the main forces. Hitler hoped that England and France would not dare to enter the war, since they were constrained by a peace treaty signed earlier, but nevertheless provided for the possibility of opening a second front and set up an army led by Generals W. Leeb to guard the western borders with France and Belgium and the Netherlands.
Readiness of the parties for war
Given the state of the economy and the armed forces that Germany / Poland possessed in 1939, the outcome of the Nazi operation was completely predictable. Hitler's army was significantly superior to the rival in technical equipment. In addition, the Germans managed to organize a quick and successful mobilization, which Warsaw was almost completely unaware of.
The Polish army was significantly inferior in number, in addition, from the very beginning, the government decided to deploy all forces along the borders on a fairly large territory. Such wide dispersal weakened the army and made it the most vulnerable to a powerful and massive blow of the opponent.
Reason to attack
From the very beginning, Operation Weiss envisaged several provocative measures aimed at provoking aggression from Poland. Hitler announced to his generals that soon a good reason would be given for the start of hostilities, and whether it would be believable - no longer matters, since the winners are not judged.
On August 31, 1939, a group of German saboteurs, posing as Polish activists, broke into the building of the radio station of the city of Gleiwitz, made several shots and uttered a propaganda text in Polish against Germany. Immediately they shot several people brought with them. Subsequently, it turns out that they were dressed German criminals.
Invasion
In response to “aggression” from Warsaw in the early morning of September 1, 1939 , German bombers launched several crushing attacks on Poland’s military infrastructure, a little later ships joined the attack, and the ground army launched massive offensives along the entire border.
Operation Weiss, whose start date is also considered the first day of World War II, provided for the rapid destruction of the entire aviation complex of Poland, so the first attacks were made precisely at the country's airfields. Already at the beginning of hostilities, the Polish leadership understood the failure of the war, but there was still hope for help from the countries of the anti-fascist coalition, so the defense continued.
Course of events
Despite the surprise of the Nazi attack, the rival troops offered fierce resistance. Events in Poland in September 1939 unfolded at lightning speed: after the destruction of all the Warsaw Air Force, Hitler allowed tank troops to enter. The rival was not ready to repulse the attack, especially the flat location contributed to the rapid advance of the Nazis inland.
On September 3, England and France declared war on Germany, and, by agreement with Poland, these countries were to immediately intervene in hostilities. The French military forces even crossed the border, but were immediately withdrawn. So the allies of the anti-fascist coalition missed the only moment when their intervention could still stop the advance of the Nazis.
Fierce battles
The border battles in Pomerania and Silesia ended in the complete defeat and retreat of the Polish troops. The Weiss plan was fully justified: within five days of the outbreak of hostilities, the Nazis got a free path to Warsaw. The successful attacks of the SS men allowed them to divide the Polish army into several disparate units, which had no connection with the center, nor a single plan for further actions.
The fighting continued already near Warsaw, the defenders of the city fought valiantly and, despite a significant superiority of forces, held the defense for several days. But the German side launched a destructive attack from the air, more than five thousand bombs were dropped, after which the capital surrendered.
Defeat
Operation Weiss led to the complete collapse of the Polish army. By September 17, many of the Polish military units surrendered or were taken prisoner. But fierce battles continued until October. Polish generals wanted to break through the German defense and leave for Romania, where it was planned to organize a center of resistance and wait for help from the allies.
The situation was aggravated by the introduction of Soviet troops, while Stalin still considered the German government his ally, moreover, the two countries were bound by a non-aggression pact, so the Soviet army entered Polish lands under the pretext of resolving the situation in a decaying state. The direct participation of the Soviet Union in the Polish-German conflict has not been proven, this time the Kremlin chose to take a waiting position.
Neither England nor France were in a hurry to send their troops, so with the fall of Warsaw, and a little later, of other major cities, the independent state of Poland ceased to exist. In the following months, a guerrilla war continued, and some parts of the defeated troops continued to fight in the armies of the countries of the anti-fascist coalition.
The reaction of England and France
In how the Second World War began, and, most importantly, how it continued, there is a large proportion of the guilt of the allied countries - England and France. The Polish operation was the first attempt for the Wehrmacht to seize the territory by military means, so Hitler did everything possible to protect himself from the opening of a second front if European countries entered the war.
A non-aggression pact was concluded with the governments of England and France, and the military elite in Germany believed that even with an unfavorable development, Chamberlain would not dare to intervene. And so it happened: the allied countries were not ready for Hitler’s Polish operation and delayed several days with the decision to declare war. It was not until September 3 that England officially entered the fight against fascism, followed by France, Australia, the African Union and Canada. The United States, until a certain point, maintained neutrality.
The declaration of war on Germany had little in common with the humanistic desire to help the Polish people: both England and France were seriously concerned about Hitler’s growing strength and were primarily afraid for the integrity of their own countries.
Summary
Millions of victims, hundreds of destroyed cities, redrawn borders and spheres of influence - all this brought with it the Second World War. The German attack on Poland was an inevitable fact. With the Nazis coming to power, the start of hostilities was only a matter of time. The first experience of the victorious war was very successful, the Nazi state significantly expanded its borders, joining the cities of Lodz, Poznan, Pomerania, Silesia, Kielce and part of the Warsaw lands.
Other countries also managed to snatch their victory pieces, the USSR returned Western Ukraine and Belarus, Slovakia - some areas that had previously left Poland to the Versailles Peace, and Lithuania returned to Vilnius Territory.
The Polish campaign of the Wehrmacht, aimed at the destruction of the independence of this state, the division of territories and the establishment of their own authority as a great power, has justified itself for all purposes. After the victory, Germany again tried to lull the vigilance of England and France, offering them peace, but the countries responded with a strong refusal and began a systematic struggle against the fascist regime.