-
Beginning of 1939
The occasion for the start of the Second World War was given by Germany's demand that the German sovereignty be restored to the free city of Danzig (nowadays Gdansk, Poland).
Germany had decided since the beginning of 1939 to attack and occupy Poland. -
German-Soviet Boundary Friendship Treaty
Germany first secured the consent of the Soviet Union by signing in Moscow the German-Soviet Boundary Friendship Treaty, Non-Attack, known as the "Ribbentrop-Molotov" (23-24 August 1939), a secret protocol, which envisaged the partition of Poland. -
The cause of the attack
The cause of the attack, however, was the alleged attack by the Poles on the German radio station Sender Gleiwitz in Gleiwitz, Upper Silesia, one day before the invasion, of 31th August 1939, which later proved provocations of the Nazis and intended to create false impressions of hostility Poles to Germany and to justify the upcoming invasion of Poland -
German attack
The German attack on Poland by applying the doctrine of the "blitzkrieg" emerged on the dawn of 1th September 1939 and in less than a month the Wehrmacht armies had occupied most of the country. -
Soviet attack
The rest of Poland was occupied by the Soviets, who invaded September 17th from the east. -
Full control over all of Poland
The Poles fought bravely against their two opponents, in some cases desperately, even when it had already become clear that the country's defense collapsed and there was no hope of winning. Although they refused to surrender or capitulated to the Germans, on October 6th, Germans and Soviets gained full control over all of Poland. Poland is divided into a western zone under German control and an eastern zone under Soviet control.
