The presentation talks about the main political and socio-economic processes in the Eastern Bloc countries after the end of World War II. Special attention is paid to the events of the 1980s - 1990s. Designed for 11th grade students, extracurricular activities, etc.
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Eastern European countries after World War II
Countries of “people's democracy” After the war, under pressure from the USSR, the influence of communists in Eastern Europe increased. Gradually, the communists and socialists united and seized power. 1947-1948 the defeat of the “opposition” parties and the coming to power of the communists.
Prague in February 1948. In Yugoslavia and Albania, the communists took over without a fight. In Poland, the Home Army launched terror against the communists and by 1948 they broke the resistance through repression. In Romania, P. Grosu began to get closer to the USSR. In Czechoslovakia in 1948, the country was on the brink of civil war. The Minister of Defense refused to fight the communists and President Benes gave up power.
Soviet caricature of I. Tito 1947 - instead of the Comintern, the Cominform Bureau arose, coordinating the activities of the communist parties. But in Yugoslavia the communists claimed independence. J. Tito and G. Dimitrov, without the approval of J. Stalin, agreed to create a federation of the Balkan peoples. G. Dimitrov soon died and the wrath of I. Stalin fell on I. Tito. In response, I. Tito arrested all supporters of the USSR in his Communist Party. I. Stalin declared him a fascist.
L. Rajk, head of the Hungarian Communist Party at the trial, the Cominform Bureau supported J. Stalin, but W. Gomulka (Poland) stood up for J. Tito. In response, I. Stalin launched repressions against the “Titoists” and “American spies.” The persecution of dissidents swept not only Eastern Europe, but also the USSR, where, under the guise of fighting “cosmopolitanism,” the authorities launched an anti-Jewish campaign.
The socio-economic system established in the countries of Eastern Europe is called “real socialism”. But she was very different from the theory. Power was in the hands of the nomenklatura. Nevertheless, successes were achieved - Poland, Romania, Bulgaria created a powerful industry. Created in 1949, the CMEA became an instrument for beneficial economic cooperation between socialists. countries Workers received huge social benefits and payments. Communism exists. Dutch caricature.
In Eastern Europe, the influence of the West was felt - rock developed, artists toured, banned films were shown. At the same time, the economy was experiencing a severe crisis - planning could not keep up with the needs of the market. These countries were saved from collapse by the assistance provided by the USSR to the countries of “people's democracy,” but at the same time their economic and political dependence on the USSR grew. V. Molotov and G. Zhukov sign the Warsaw Pact
1956 – speech by N.S. Khrushchev at the 20th Congress of the CPSU - the debunking of Stalin’s personality cult, which was reflected in Eastern Europe and manifested itself in the emergence of movements advocating the restoration of democracy. 1956 - Stalinists shot a demonstration in Poland, and as a result of mass strikes, W. Gomułka returned to power. In Hungary, I. Nagy began a policy of transformation, but M. Rakosi relieved him of his posts. The USSR achieved the removal of M. Rakosi and the return of J. Kadar. But it was not possible to stop the discontent. Residents of Budapest smash a monument to Stalin
October 23, 1956 - the authorities used weapons against the demonstrators. Part of the army went over to the side of the rebels - an uprising against the regime began. In response, the USSR sent Red Army units into Hungary. I. Nagy, returned to power, agreed on a ceasefire, but announced his withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact. November 4, 1956 - Soviet troops captured Budapest. Y. Kadr came to power, and I. Nagy was shot. I. Nagy among the residents of Budapest
1968 - the new leadership of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, headed by A. Dubcek, declared the need for democratic reforms. April 1968 - the plenum of the Central Committee adopted a plan for building “socialism with a human face.” May 1968 - a wave of demonstrations swept across the country demanding the abolition of the Communist Party's monopoly on power. In the elections that took place soon, supporters of the reforms won. L. Svoboda and A. Dubcek “Prague Spring”
August 21, 1968 – Internal Affairs Troops entered the territory of Czechoslovakia. The leadership of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia was arrested. Then the primary organizations held a congress ahead of schedule and elected a reformist Central Committee. Under pressure from the USSR, the results of the congress were canceled. April 1969 - A. Dubcek was dismissed, and G. Husak became the head of Czechoslovakia. Soviet tanks on the streets of Prague "Prague Spring"
Self-government council at a furniture factory in Sarajevo A special model of socialism arose in Yugoslavia. Enterprises were headed by workers' councils, market features were preserved in the economy, and the autonomy of the republics that were part of the SFRY was strengthened. The reforms carried out by I. Tito did not lead to democracy, but production increased 4 times, national and religious problems were quite successfully resolved.
I. Tito pursued an independent foreign policy. In 1958, the new program of the UCC announced economic development based on “market socialism.” In response, the rest of the countries of the socialist camp sharply criticized the SFRY and the SFRY took the course of relying on its own forces. After the death of I. Tito in 1980, the new leadership did not enjoy the same authority and interethnic conflicts intensified in the country.
The struggle for democracy in Poland Ser. 70s The Polish leadership, trying to pay off its debts to the West, increased pressure on the working people. In response, strikes began. The intelligentsia created the human rights organization "KOS-KOR". The influence of the Catholic Church grew in society. In the summer of 1980, meat prices were raised and worker uprisings began in response. In November 1980, the Solidarity trade union was created, headed by L. Walesa. He demanded free elections.
The PUWP delayed carrying out reforms, realizing that if elections were held, it would lose power, the Department of Internal Affairs would send troops into Poland and bloody clashes could begin. As a result, General W. Jaruzelski became the head of the government. On December 13, 1981, he introduced martial law in the country. Hundreds of opposition leaders were arrested. Lech Walesa and John Paul II
In the 1980s A wave of “velvet revolutions” swept across Eastern Europe. The USSR could no longer support fraternal regimes. 1990 – L. Walesa became President of Poland. 1990 – K. Gross became the leader of Hungary. He transformed the Communist Party into a socialist one. The Democratic Forum won the 1990 elections. "Velvet Revolutions"
1990 – dissident Zh. Zhelev became president in Bulgaria. 1989 - V. Havel came to power in Czechoslovakia. 1989 – E. Honecker resigned in the GDR. In the 1990 elections, the CDU (supporters of German reunification) won. December 1989 – Romanian dictator N. Ceausescu was overthrown. Late 80s – democratic reforms began in almost all countries of Eastern Europe.
August 1990 - G. Kohl and L. De Maizières signed an agreement on the unification of Germany. The new governments demanded the withdrawal of Soviet troops from their territories. 1990 - The Warsaw Pact and Comecon were dissolved. December 1991 – B. Yeltsin, N. Kravchuk and S. Shushkevich dissolved the USSR.
1993 – Czechoslovakia splits into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. 1990 - the collapse of the SFRY began, which took on a military character. Serbia, led by S. Milosevic, advocated maintaining unity, but in 1991, Slovenia and Croatia left the SFRY, which led to the outbreak of war. 1992 – Religious clashes began in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Civil war in Yugoslavia (1991-1995) President of the SFRY Slobodan Milosevic
The FRY supported the Bosnian Serbs, and the West supported the Muslims and Croats. 1995 - NATO intervened in the war, bombing Serbian positions. 1995 - “Dayton Accords” - Bosnia and Herzegovina was proclaimed as a single state. All peoples could elect their own administration, but could not secede from the republic. Civil War in Yugoslavia (1991-1995)
1998 – Albanian terrorists became more active in Kosovo. They launched a war for secession from Yugoslavia. NATO demanded that the SFRY withdraw its troops, but S. Milosevic rejected the ultimatum. March 1999 - NATO began bombing Yugoslavia. The UN was unable to resolve the crisis. Civil War in Yugoslavia (1991-1995)
Civil war in Yugoslavia (1991-1995) June 1999 - “Raid on Pristina” - Russian paratroopers, having made a rush, occupied the Pristina airfield. The West made concessions, but soon it demanded that S. Milosevic resign. A new leadership came to power and betrayed Milosevic.
1999 – Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary joined NATO. 2004 – Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic signed an association agreement with the EU. 2007 – Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU. Hungarian Parliament building
General conclusion: Thus, for the countries of Eastern Europe in the second half of the 20th century. – n. XXI centuries It turned out to be a very controversial period, which included both the establishment of a socialist society and integration into the world community as a result of the company to overcome dependence on the Soviet Union. The modern development of Eastern European countries is characterized, firstly, by the difficult economic situation in many of them (Bulgaria, Romania), and secondly, by the unresolved “old” problems (for example, national-ethnic issues on the Balkan Peninsula).
Homework: & 19-20 + notes in notebook
As a result of World War II, Poland lost almost 40% of its national wealth and more than 6 million people. From the late 1940s to the late 1980s, the Polish economy was organized according to the Soviet model, characterized by central planning and state ownership of the means of production. Economic growth in the years immediately after World War II, despite significant depletion of resources, occurred at an accelerated pace. The government restricted individual consumption to maintain high levels of investment. Unlike the Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries, Poland did not undergo general collectivization. Agriculture was the main source of livelihood for 35% of the population. Manufacturing and mining industries gradually grew in importance, and in the late 1970s these industries accounted for half of the country's national income and a third of all jobs.
In the 1980s, the government loosened controls on businesses. At the same time, enterprises continued to insist on government subsidies and other forms of support. The authorities, unable to finance a higher level of spending from tax revenues, were forced to resort to emissions. As a result, the government of T. Mazowiecki, which came to power in September 1989, was faced with a huge budget deficit and rapidly growing inflation. Minister of Economy L. Baltserovich developed a strategy for economic reforms, which consisted of two stages. During the first phase, implemented in the fall of 1989, the government established control over the budget and corrected some price imbalances, created a system of unemployment benefits, and developed a legal basis for bankruptcy proceedings. The second stage began on January 1, 1990 and included a sharp reduction in the budget deficit, reform of the tax system, restriction of the monetary exchange rate, liberalization of most prices, devaluation of the zloty and a sharp reduction in the rate of wage indexation.
Economic history (18th-20th centuries). The economic history of Poland for the 150-year period before the First World War should be considered in close connection with the history of the neighboring powers, which included parts of the country from the end of the 18th century - Russia, Austria and Prussia. Economic activity in each of these parts of Poland was subject to the authority of the respective power, and the different judicial and financial systems and the cross-centered transport network that emerged during this period created serious difficulties for the new Polish state that emerged after the First World War.
During the period between the two world wars, the Polish economy faced the challenges of overcoming devastation, unifying previously divided parts of the country, achieving financial stability, implementing agrarian reform and industrialization.
After World War II, Poland established Soviet-style economic organizations and a central planning system. Land reform eliminated the remaining large private landholdings, and large state farms were created in their place; part of the land was distributed in small plots among peasants. Private nonfarm enterprises based on wage labor were eliminated through the nationalization of enterprises that employed more than the state minimum, as well as through controls and confiscatory taxation that destroyed incentives to work. The public sector (including cooperatives) in 1989 covered 90% of production and 85% of capital investment. According to Baltserovich's plan, privatization was carried out through the accelerated corporatization of the public sector and the sale of enterprises. In accordance with the privatization law adopted in the summer of 1990, a central agency to manage the privatization process and a ministry for property affairs were created. The rapid growth of the private sector began already in 1989: small and medium-sized firms, as well as personal enterprises ("small privatization") emerged. In 1992, the share of the non-agricultural private sector in gross domestic product (GDP) was 45%, including 31% in industry, 78% in construction and about 91% in trade. The privatization of large enterprises caused less interest on the part of potential buyers and active resistance on the part of workers. By 1992, only 501 of the 8,841 enterprises were incorporated, and only 76 were acquired at market price by domestic or foreign buyers.
Employment. Since the 1970s, there have been significant changes in the structure of employment of the country's population: the share of people employed in agriculture decreased, in industry it increased until the mid-1980s, and in services and other sectors it grew after 1988, especially since 1990.
Unemployment, which was officially less than 1% in 1989 (7.3% in 1950), rose to 13.7% in 1996. Significant expansion of the private sector brought this figure down to 9.6% in 1998. industrial and urban areas of Silesia, Warsaw and Lodz have significantly lower unemployment rates than less developed rural areas; Thus, in 1992 in the Warsaw region it did not exceed 5%, and in the northeastern part of the country it was 21%.
According to 1996 estimates, Poland's labor force amounted to 22 million people, or 57% of the population. In 1996, the private sector accounted for more than 65% of all employment. The workforce in Poland is one of the youngest in Europe: about 60% of employees are under 40 years of age. Of the total number of employed, 11% have higher education, 66% have secondary education. At the end of 1995, 26.5% of all employees were in agriculture, 25% in industry (3.5% in food processing, 2.5% in mining, 5.2% in mechanical engineering), 12.7% in trade, 5.7% in construction and 5% in transport.
National income. The country experienced significant economic growth from the 1950s to the 1970s. In the 1960s, annual growth in national income was 6.2%, in the early 1970s - 8.1%. However, since 1974, due to the global economic crisis and increasing external debt, growth began to slow down. After 1978, especially in 1980-1981, the economic and socio-political crisis caused a sharp decline in production. Its average annual decline in 1978-1981 was 6.5%. In the 1980s, stagnation set in, and in 1990, GDP fell sharply (by 11.6%) due to a decline in industrial output by 22%. In all other sectors of the economy in 1990 there was a decrease in production volume - from 14.5% in construction to 0.4% in the service sector. In 1991, GDP fell by 7.4%. In February 1992, the volume of industrial production decreased by 41% compared to its average volume in 1989. Since the second half of 1992, there have been positive changes in the economy. Since 1994, annual GDP growth has reached 6.3%, in 1997 - 6.9%.
In 1997, Poland's GDP was $135.8 billion, or $6,406 per capita. In 1998, national income grew by 6.3%, the volume of investments for development purposes - by 22.8%, and total investments of foreign capital - by $25 billion. Industry contributed 40% of GDP; service sector - 54%, agriculture - 6%. If in 1989 the private sector accounted for 18% of GDP, then in 1996 it accounted for 65%, including 52% of the value of all industrial products, more than 90% of retail products, agriculture, motor transport and construction. The number of private enterprises in Poland increased from 0.5 million in 1988 to 1.8 million in 1995, and enterprises with foreign capital - from 1.6 thousand in 1988 to 25 thousand in 1996.
Organization of production. In 1990, a privatization law was adopted, which provided for the transformation of state-owned enterprises into joint-stock companies and limited liability companies; The Ministry of Property Affairs was established. The process of privatization of large enterprises was slow and controversial due to the fact that its projects passed through the executive authorities of the voivodeship and had to receive the approval of directors and teams of enterprises. By the end of 1996, only 1,895 large enterprises had been privatized out of 8,841 that existed in 1989. Small privatization was more successful: by 1990, 35 thousand small enterprises were transferred to the private sector. In 1990 the government announced a "mass privatization" program for several hundred of the largest state-owned enterprises; however, the implementation of this program did not begin until 1996 due to numerous amendments and additions. This privatization was based on the distribution of vouchers to citizens, which represented shares in property in 15 national investment funds, among which shares of the privatized enterprises were distributed. By the end of November 1996, 90% of the population was covered by this program.
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At the end of the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles was signed, establishing new borders in Western Europe. Outside the Weimar Republic there remained significant areas with a compact German population: the Sudetenland, Klaipeda and the Free City of Danzig (Gdansk). One of the main stumbling blocks in German-Polish relations was the existence in the territory of Eastern Pomerania of the so-called “Polish Corridor” - a part of Polish territory with access to the Baltic Sea, separating the main part of Germany from East Prussia. In addition to purely political issues, Pomerania has absorbed a whole range of unresolved economic problems, in particular, with the transit of German goods from Germany to East Prussia and its payment. After the occupation of the Sudetenland in October 1938, issues of German-Polish relations came to the forefront of German foreign policy. On January 6, 1939, during the visit of Polish Foreign Minister Jozef Beck to Germany, Ribbentrop in Berchtesgaden in the most decisive form demanded Poland's consent to the annexation of Danzig to Germany and the construction of transport lines through Pomerania. Poland recognized these demands as completely unacceptable. Polish Foreign Minister Beck and Hitler. German demands confused the British government. In the winter of 1938/39, it suspected that Germany would do something in the west - against Holland, France, or perhaps even against England. 1939.03.31 - Great Britain and France give Poland firm guarantees of support in the event of an attack on its independence (April 6, a Mutual Assistance Treaty is concluded). This agreement served as a pretext for Hitler to break the German-Polish non-aggression pact of 1934 on April 28. The order, issued on the night of April 4, 1939, required that secret preparations be completed by the end of September under the Weiss plan, which provided for the invasion of Polish territory and the complete capture of the country. Neville Chamberlain. Prime Minister of Great Britain
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At the same time, the rapprochement between Germany and the USSR continued. On August 19, 1939, Hitler agreed to the territorial claims of the Soviet Union, including the entire eastern half of Poland up to the line of the Narew, Vistula and San rivers, as well as the territories of Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Romanian Bessarabia. On the same day, Stalin, with the approval of the Politburo, decided to conclude a German-Soviet non-aggression pact. To conclude the agreement, Joachim von Ribbentrop arrived in Moscow on a special plane via Königsberg. On the night of August 23-24, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed in the Kremlin. The secret protocols of this treaty described the division of spheres of interest in Eastern Europe. Even before the signing of the treaty, immediately after receiving Stalin’s consent on August 19, Hitler scheduled a meeting for the highest ranks of the Wehrmacht for August 22 in Berchtesgaden. On it, he announced the date of the attack on Poland in accordance with the Weiss plan - August 26, 1939. However, on August 25, the German Fuhrer received news of the conclusion of the Polish-British alliance and, at the same time, of Benito Mussolini’s refusal to participate in Italy in the war. After this, the previously made decision to attack Poland was canceled. However, Hitler returned to it again on August 30, setting a new date - September 1, 1939. The new date was finally set for 0:30 on August 31. At the signing of the Pact, Hitler with officers at the map. 1939
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In accordance with the Weiss plan, Germany concentrated five armies and a reserve, which included 14 infantry, 1 tank and two mountain divisions, for the invasion of Poland. Overall command of the invasion forces was exercised by Colonel General Walter von Brauchitsch. The troops entrusted to him attacked from three directions: Silesia-Slovakia, Western Pomerania and East Prussia. All three directions converged at Warsaw. Total: 56 divisions, 4 brigades, 10,000 guns, 2,700 tanks, 1,300 aircraft. The number of ground forces personnel is 1,800,000 people. Army Group North - Colonel General Fedor von Bock Army Group South - Colonel General Gerd von Rundstedt The military forces of the Republic of Poland included 7 armies and the Narew task force. All Polish armed forces were subordinate to the commander-in-chief, Marshal Edward Rydz-Smigly. The main headquarters of the VP was headed by Brigadier General Vaclav Stachewicz. Already during the war, additional formations were formed: the Army “Warsaw” and the separate operational group “Polesie”. In total, the Polish army consisted of 39 infantry, 11 cavalry, 3 mountain brigades and 2 motorized armored brigades. The total number of personnel is about 1 million people.
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The territory of Poland is extremely unfavorable for conducting defensive military operations. Apart from the Polesie swamps in the east and the Carpathian uplands in the south, the country had virtually no natural barriers. The Polish-German border was practically open, since Poland did not have the necessary funds to build fortifications in such a huge area, and its military doctrine was based on the rapid redeployment of troops, counterattacks and counterstrikes. Poland was inferior to the enemy both in the number of troops and in the quality of weapons. For example, only 36 twin-engine medium bombers PZL P.37 “Los” designed by Jerzy Dąbrowski could compare with German aircraft
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3 arm 4 arm 8 arm 10 arm 14 arm Gr. armies South Gr. armies of the North Arm. Pomorie arm. Poznan Arm. Lodz arm. Krakow arm. Armenian Carpathians Modlin opera. gr. Narew main reserve arm. Pruss 3 Army Corps Location of German and Polish troops on 09/01/1939 German troops Polish troops Commander-in-Chief of the VP Marshal E. Rydz-Smigly Walter von Brauchitsch
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To begin implementing the Weiss plan, Germany had to find a formal reason for war. To this end, the Reich security services prepared a series of provocations at 39 border points along the entire length of the Polish-German border (the so-called Operation Himmler). The most famous pre-war provocations during Operation Himmler can be called the following: Attack on the radio station in Gleiwitz - the main part of Operation Himmler Attack on the forestry in Byczyna (Pitszyn) Attack on the customs point in Rybnik-Stodoly (Hochlinden) The head of the operation is the chief of the service Reich Security R. Heydrich
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3 arm 4 arm 8 arm 10 arm 14 arm Gr. armies South Gr. armies of the North Arm. Pomorie arm. Poznan Arm. Lodz arm. Krakow arm. Armenian Carpathians Modlin opera. gr. Narew main reserve arm. Prussians of the 3rd Army Corps The action on August 31, 1939 in Gleiwitz was carried out by Sturmbannführer Alfred Naujoks. At about 20:00, his group, dressed in civilian clothes (in other sources in Polish uniforms), attacked the radio station of the border town of Gleiwitz. With enormous technical difficulties, the Germans managed to convey only one phrase: “The Gleiwitz radio station is in Polish hands!” At the entrance to the building, the Germans threw the body of the Silesian Fratisek Honjok, who was previously shot by them, known for his pro-Polish activities (other sources indicate several bodies).
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At 4.45, the training battleship Schleswig-Holstein attacked a Polish transit warehouse in Gdansk (Danzig). The seven-day defense of Westerplatte began. At 4.40 the 1st Max Immelmann Depth Bomber Division (from the 76th Luftwaffe Regiment), under the command of Captain Walter Siegel, began bombarding Wieluń. The attack on Wieluń killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The city was destroyed by 75%. At 5 o'clock in the morning, German troops went on the offensive along the entire length of the Polish-German border, as well as from the territory of Moravia and Slovakia. The front line was about 1600 km. Ruins of Wielun "Schleswig-Holstein" shells Gdansk German soldiers invade Poland German soldiers on Westerplatte
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3 arm 4 arm 8 arm 10 arm 14 arm Gr. armies South Gr. armies of the North Arm. Pomorie arm. Poznan Arm. Lodz arm. Krakow arm. Armenian Carpathians Modlin opera. gr. Narew main reserve arm. Prussians The German offensive began in full accordance with the blitzkrieg doctrine. However, already in the first days it encountered fierce resistance from Polish troops inferior to the enemy in military strength. Nevertheless, concentrating a huge mass of armored and motorized formations in the main directions, the Germans dealt a powerful blow to all Polish combat units. The border battle took place on September 1 - 4 in Mazovia, Pomerania, Silesia, and also on the Warta.
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“Strange War”, “Sitting War” (French Drôle de guerre, English Phoney War, German Sitzkrieg) - the period of World War II from September 3, 1939 to May 10, 1940 on the Western Front. The name Phony War (Russian: fake, unreal war) was first used by American journalists in 1939. The authorship of the French version of Drôle de guerre (Russian strange war) belongs to the pen of the French journalist Roland Dorgeles. Thus, the nature of hostilities between the warring parties was emphasized - their almost complete absence, with the exception of combat operations at sea. The warring parties fought only local battles on the Franco-German border, mainly under the protection of the Maginot and Siegfried defensive lines. Nadolba's strange war on the Siegfried Line Fort on the Maginot Line In connection with the aggression against Poland, on September 3, 1939, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany. They also sent an ultimatum to the German leadership demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of all Wehrmacht troops from the territory of Poland and the Free City of Gdansk. Thus, both states, in accordance with their allied obligations, found themselves in a state of war with Germany. A day earlier, on September 2, the French government announced mobilization and began to concentrate its troops on the German border. After Britain declared war on Germany, Poles staged a joyful demonstration in front of the British Embassy in Warsaw
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“Siegfried Line” “Maginot Line” Gr.armies Central South-East. front NE. front German troops French troops Up to 110 divisions (45 divisions on the Maginot Line). About 4500 aircraft (including English ones). 33 divisions and 1,186 aircraft
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German troops occupied positions along the Dutch, Belgian and French borders. In doing so, they used the previously created Siegfried Line. On September 7, units of the 3rd and 4th French armies crossed the German border in the Saarland and entered the forefield of the Siegfried Line. No resistance was offered to them, and the German population of the Saarland was evacuated. On September 12, a meeting of the French-British Supreme Military Council was held in Abbeville with the participation of Neville Chamberlain, Edouard Daladier and the commander-in-chief of the French army, Maurice Gamelin. During the meeting, it was decided to “maximize the mobilization of funds before the start of major ground operations, as well as limiting the actions of the Air Force.” In practice, this decision meant the cessation of the French offensive and the rejection of allied obligations towards Poland, adopted on May 19, 1939. Until the very end of hostilities in Poland, the German command was not able to transfer a single formation to the Western Front (except for the aforementioned mountain rifle division) . However, the Allies did not take advantage of their chance, which had disastrous consequences for them in 1940. French soldiers at the Maginot Line fort. French soldiers and an English pilot on the Western Front. Strange War
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3 arm 4 arm 8 arm 10 arm 14 arm Gr. armies South Gr. armies of the North Arm. Pomorie arm. Poznan Arm. Lodz arm. Krakow arm. Armenian Carpathians Modlin opera. gr. Narew main reserve arm. Prussians Taking advantage of the inaction of England and France and despite the resistance of the VP, the Germans increased their attacks in Poland. On September 1, the country's president, I. Moscicki, left Warsaw, and on September 4, the evacuation of government offices began. On September 5, the government left Warsaw, and on the night of September 7, so did the commander-in-chief E. Rydz-Smigly. By September 5, German troops had broken through the Polish front, which, in the absence of mobilized reserves, doomed the Polish army to defeat. On September 6, Krakow was occupied. The first German unit reached Warsaw on September 8. However, the plan for rapid encirclement was thwarted in the heroic defense of Wizna (“Polish Thermopylae”). Also on September 9, the Battle of Bzura began, where the armies of Pomerania and Poznań launched a counterattack against the advancing German troops. Only on September 12 did German troops reach the middle reaches of the Vistula in a number of sectors; they crossed the Western Bug - Narew line, covering Warsaw from the east, and advanced to San, crossing its upper reaches.
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German soldiers on the outskirts of Warsaw. Warsaw street destroyed by bombing.
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3 arm 4 arm 8 arm 10 arm 14 arm Gr. armies South Gr. armies of the North Arm. Pomorie arm. Poznan Arm. Lodz arm. Krakow arm. Armenian Carpathians Modlin opera. gr. Narew main reserve arm. Prussians To the south, the advance of German troops proceeded at an even faster pace - on September 12, the 1st Mountain Division of the 18th Corps approached Lvov, and by September 14 it was completely surrounded. On September 15, units of the 14th German Army occupied Przemysl. The 22nd Corps captured Vladimirets and Grubeshov and moved further south in order to prevent the breakthrough of Polish troops into Romania. On September 7, the headquarters of the High Command of the Polish Forces was moved to Brest; on September 10, it left Brest and moved to Vladimir-Volynsky and further to Kolymia. Units of the German 21st Army Corps occupied Belsk on September 11, and Bialystok on September 15. In the afternoon of September 14, Brest was occupied. On September 15, von Bock ordered the commander of the 4th German Army to organize an offensive with the immediate task of reaching the Volkovysk-Grodno line (150 km from the Soviet border), the 19th Motorized Corps to advance to Wlodawa, Kovel. Other units transferred to the subordination of the 4th Army were given the task of reaching the Baranovichi - Slonim line (50 km from the Soviet border). The plans of the German command did not include stopping the advance of the troops. With the rate of advance of German mechanized troops at that time being 25-30 km per day, they could occupy all of Eastern Poland (Western Ukraine and Western Belarus) within 4-8 days, that is, by September 21-25, despite the fact that the Polish united front was no longer in front of them, just as the Polish command did not have sufficient reserves and time to form it
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Polish campaign of the Red Army In this situation, the Soviet government on September 17 delivered a note to the Polish Ambassador to the USSR with the following content: “The Polish state and its government have virtually ceased to exist. Thus, the agreements concluded between the USSR and Poland ceased to be valid. Left to its own devices and left without leadership, Poland turned into a convenient field for all sorts of accidents and surprises that could pose a threat to the USSR. Therefore, being hitherto neutral, the Soviet government cannot be more neutral about these facts, as well as about the defenseless situation of the Ukrainian and Belarusian population. In view of this situation, the Soviet government ordered the High Command of the Red Army to order the troops to cross the border and take under their protection the lives and property of the population of Western Belarus and Western Ukraine.”
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Line of maximum advance of German troops Belorussian Front Ukrainian Front Soviet troops Polish troops 10 battalions, 3 divisions and 1 cavalry squadron on the Belorussian Front: 200,802 personnel, 3,167 guns and 2,406 tanks. on the Ukrainian Front: 265,714 personnel, 1,792 guns and 2,330 tanks.
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Polish campaign of the Red Army On the morning of September 17, the movement of Red Army troops into Polish territory began (with the exception of Polesie and the southern section of the Ukrainian SSR border with Poland, where it began on September 18). It was met with little resistance from individual units of the Polish Border Guard Corps (KOP). With further advancement, the units of the regular Polish army encountered by the Red Army units mostly did not offer resistance and disarmed or surrendered, and some tried to retreat to Lithuania, Hungary or Romania. Organized resistance to units of the Red Army, which lasted more than a day, was provided only in a few cases: in the cities of Vilno, Grodno, Tarnopol, the village of Navuz, the village of Borovichi (near Kovel), in the Sarnensky fortified area. Resistance was provided mainly by the gendarmerie, KOP detachments and militia from the Poles. Polish troops on the defensive After the exchange of fire between German and Soviet troops in the Lvov area on September 19, at the Soviet-German negotiations held on September 20-21, a demarcation line was established between the German and Soviet armies, which ran along the river. Pisa before its confluence with the river. Narev, further along the river. Narev to its confluence with the Western Bug, then along the river. Bug before its confluence with the river. Vistula, further along the river. Vistula to the confluence of the San River and further along the river. San to its origins. On September 21, Soviet troops received orders to stop at the extreme western positions, reached by 20:00 on September 20, in order to begin moving to the established demarcation line on September 23 - as German troops withdrew. Red Army troops in Poland
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Line of maximum advance of German troops Belorussian Front Ukrainian Front On the Polish-German front, the fighting took on a focal character. On September 17 - 26, two battles took place near Tomaszow Lubelski. On September 23, the troops here received orders to break up into small groups and fight their way out of encirclement into Hungary. On September 22, Polish units surrounded near Kutno surrendered to the enemy and resistance in the Lviv region ceased. 09/20/39 09/22/39 09/23/39 09/22/39 Nevertheless, Warsaw, Modlin and the troops located at Cape Hel continued to resist. On September 23, one of the last mounted battles of World War II took place. The 25th regiment of the Wielkopolska Uhlan, Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Stakhlewski, attacked the German cavalry in Krasnobrud and captured the city.
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During the clearing of the rear of the Red Army from the remnants of Polish troops and armed detachments, clashes took place in a number of cases, the most significant of which was the battle on September 28 - October 1 of units of the 52nd Infantry Division in the Shatsk area with units of the Polish operational group "Polesie", formed from border units, gendarmerie, small garrisons and sailors of the Pinsk flotilla under the command of General Kleeberg, which was retreating to the west. On September 29, after the next Soviet-German political negotiations, Soviet troops, who had not reached the previously established demarcation line in all sections, were stopped again and received an order to begin withdrawing from October 5 back to the East. The deadline for the withdrawal of Red Army units to the new border between the territories of Soviet and German interests was set on October 12. Soviet soldiers escort Polish prisoners Handshake of German and Soviet officers Polish campaign of the Red Army Soviet tanks in Lvov
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Polish weapons captured by the Germans in Warsaw Polish envoys during the surrender of Modlin
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This ended the armed resistance of regular units of the Polish Army on Polish territory. To further fight Germany and its allies, armed formations made up of Polish citizens were created: Polish Armed Forces in the West Anders Army (2nd Polish Corps) Polish Armed Forces in the USSR (1943 - 1944) Resistance to the German occupation regime in the territory again The created General Government was carried out by the Polish Underground State. Prince George and Wladyslaw Sikorski inspect Polish units in the UK
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As a result of military actions by Germany and the USSR, the Polish state ceased to exist. On September 28, 1939, immediately after the surrender of Warsaw, the Treaty of Friendship and Border between the USSR and Germany was signed, which defined the Soviet-German border on the territory of Poland they occupied. The new border basically coincided with the “Curzon Line”, recommended in 1919 by the Paris Peace Conference as the eastern border of Poland, since it delimited areas of compact residence of Poles on the one hand, Ukrainians and Belarusians on the other. The territories east of the Western Bug and San rivers were annexed to the Ukrainian SSR and the Byelorussian SSR. This increased the territory of the USSR by 196 thousand km², and the population by 13 million people. Results of the war Germany expanded the borders of East Prussia, moving them close to Warsaw, and included the area up to the city of Lodz, renamed Litzmannstadt. By decree of Hitler on October 8, 1939, Poznan, Pomerania, Silesia, Lodz, part of the Kielce and Warsaw voivodeships, where about 9.5 million people lived, were proclaimed German lands and annexed to Germany. The small residual Polish state was declared the "General Government of the Occupied Polish Regions" under the control of the German authorities, which a year later became known as the "General Government of the German Empire". Krakow became its capital. The German satellite Slovakia returned territories seized by Poland in 1938 and annexed disputed areas ceded to Poland in 1920.
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Sources and illustrations Wikipedia http://ru.wikipedia.org/ Chronos http://www.hrono.info/ War album http://waralbum.ru/ Second World War http://www.weltkrieg.ru/ History of Russia Avanta+ v. 3 Second World War. Day after day. Russia and the USSR in the wars of the 20th century. Olma Press. 2001 The basis of the maps is the map of V.V. Nikolaev from the Chronos website
German aggression against Poland On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland without declaring war. Thus began the Second World War. Forces of the parties: German soldiers demolish a border pillar on the border with Poland. GermanyPoland Divisions6239 Tanks Airplanes –500 Guns and mortars
German aggression against Poland Military historians believe that the defeat of Poland was predetermined not so much by the number of German troops, but by their superiority in tanks and mechanization, which allowed deep breakthroughs in the vast open spaces of Poland. German troops in Poland. September 1939 W. Shirer: “This was the first experience of blitzkrieg - a sudden offensive... tank divisions, breaking through the defenses, covered 30-40 miles per day; Even the infantry developed incredible speeds - an entire army of one and a half million people rushed on wheels.”
On September 6, Krakow fell. On September 8, German tanks reached Warsaw. Most of the surviving Polish troops were surrounded near Warsaw. On September 9, the Germans began encircling the remnants of the Polish troops between Warsaw and the Bug. On September 17, they closed the second pincer south of Brest-Litovsk. German aggression against Poland
The Polish government left Warsaw on September 5 and arrived in Romania on September 17. All Polish troops who found themselves surrounded courageously resisted the Germans and were destroyed. On September 27–28, the garrisons of Warsaw and Modlin laid down their arms. Poland was defeated. A. Hitler receives a parade of German troops in Warsaw. October 4, 1939 Photographer Hugo Jaeger. German aggression against Poland
“Strange War” England and France, which provided Poland with guarantees in the spring of 1939, declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. British and French troops took up defensive positions along the Maginot Line and the Belgian border. The Anglo-French troops did not undertake an offensive that could provide real assistance to Poland. British historian J. Fuller: “The strongest army in the world sat behind fortifications of steel and concrete while its quixotically brave ally was destroyed.” Maginot Line
“Strange War” Losses on the Maginot Line for September-December 1939 (killed and wounded): Germans - 696 people, French - 1433 people, British - 3 people. General Jodl: “If we did not collapse back in 1939, it was only because during the Polish campaign 110 French and British divisions did nothing against the 23 German divisions stationed in the West.” French tanks "Hotchkiss" H-35 and Somua S-35
“Strange War” American historian Fleming: “It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that Poland was sacrificed as deliberately as Czechoslovakia. Poland meant for the Munichers another diversion of the German line of capture to the East, which was supposed to lead to a Soviet-German clash.” French soldiers on the Maginot Line play cards. ? Do you agree with Fleming? What, in your opinion, explained the passivity of the Anglo-French troops?
On September 17, when German troops approached Brest, Soviet troops crossed the border of Poland. The Belarusian and Ukrainian fronts (each consisting of 3 armies) numbered 600 thousand soldiers, 4 thousand tanks, 2 thousand aircraft, 5.5 thousand guns. "Liberation Campaign" of the Red Army
In 12 days, Soviet troops advanced 250–350 km and occupied 190 thousand km 2 of Polish territory, where 12 million people lived, incl. 6 million Ukrainians, 3 million Belarusians Soviet losses: 737 killed, 1862 wounded. There are over 230 thousand Polish soldiers in Soviet captivity.
“Liberation Campaign” of the Red Army The Polish command ordered its troops not to resist the Red Army. However, V.M. On October 31, 1939, Molotov, at a session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, spoke about the military advance of the Red Army and expressed satisfaction that Poland, “the ugly brainchild of the Treaty of Versailles,” ceased to exist as a result of the joint strike of the Wehrmacht and the Red Army. “Soviet knife in the back. September 17, 1939" Hood. F. Adamik.
Division of Poland By the time the Red Army entered Poland, German troops had gone far beyond the demarcation line established by the pact of August 23, 1939. After the entry of the Red Army, the Germans withdrew their troops to the West. On the eve of their departure, joint parades of the Wehrmacht and the Red Army were held in Brest, Pinsk and other cities. Joint parade of German and Soviet troops in Brest. September 1939
Partition of Poland On September 25–27, negotiations between Stalin and Ribbentrop took place in Moscow. On September 28, the Soviet-German Treaty “On Friendship and Border” was signed. According to the secret protocol to this treaty, Lithuania was transferred to the Soviet sphere of influence, and the territory of Poland between the Vistula and the Western Bug was transferred to the German sphere. The Vilna region of Poland, as was decided on August 23, passed to Lithuania. Map of the division of Eastern Europe according to the secret protocol to the Soviet-German Pact from
Partition of Poland What is the meaning of the caricature by the English artist? Exchange gifts for Christmas. Cartoon of the Soviet-German Treaty “On Friendship and Borders” ?
Division of Poland The Soviet-German border in Poland ran approximately along the “Caezon Line”. The agreement meant that Germany and the USSR officially became allies. In fact, the USSR entered World War II on September 17, 1939.
Partition of Poland V.M. Molotov at the session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on October 31, 1939: “Germany is in the position of a state striving for a speedy end to the war and peace, and England and France, which only yesterday stood up against aggression, stand for the continuation of the war and against the conclusion of peace.” English cartoon on Stalin and Hitler Hitler: The scum of humanity, if I'm not mistaken? Stalin: Bloody killer of workers, I presume? ? Analyze Molotov's words
Sources of illustrations Slide 2. _Border_% %29.jpg _Border_% %29.jpg Slide 3. Slide 4. Slide 5. Slide ru/publ/interesnoe/istorija/nepristupnye_linii_oborony_xx_veka_linija_mazhino/ http:// ru/publ/interesnoe/istorija/neprist upnye_linii_oborony_xx_veka_linija_mazhino / Slide Slide 8. Slide Slide 10. Jordan D., Wiest E. Atlas of World War II operations. M., EKSMO, Slide 11.
Sources of illustrations Slide Slides 13–14; Slide go.htmlhttp://diary-news.com/intresting/17453-druzhba-froyndshaft-obraztsa go.html Slad ECTION_ID= ECTION_ID=6782 Slide 18.
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The presentation on the topic “World War II - The Capture of Poland” can be downloaded absolutely free on our website. Subject of the project: History. Colorful slides and illustrations will help you engage your classmates or audience. To view the content, use the player, or if you want to download the report, click on the corresponding text under the player. The presentation contains 30 slide(s).
Presentation slides
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At the end of the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles was signed, establishing new borders in Western Europe. Outside the Weimar Republic there remained significant areas with a compact German population: the Sudetenland, Klaipeda and the Free City of Danzig (Gdansk). One of the main stumbling blocks in German-Polish relations was the existence in the territory of Eastern Pomerania of the so-called “Polish Corridor” - a part of Polish territory with access to the Baltic Sea, separating the main part of Germany from East Prussia. In addition to purely political issues, Pomerania has absorbed a whole range of unresolved economic problems, in particular, with the transit of German goods from Germany to East Prussia and its payment.
After the occupation of the Sudetenland in October 1938, issues of German-Polish relations came to the forefront of German foreign policy. On January 6, 1939, during the visit of Polish Foreign Minister Jozef Beck to Germany, Ribbentrop in Berchtesgaden in the most decisive form demanded Poland's consent to the annexation of Danzig to Germany and the construction of transport lines through Pomerania. Poland recognized these demands as completely unacceptable.
Polish Foreign Minister Beck and Hitler.
German demands confused the British government. In the winter of 1938/39, it suspected that Germany would do something in the west - against Holland, France, or perhaps even against England. 1939.03.31 - Great Britain and France give Poland firm guarantees of support in the event of an attack on its independence (April 6, a Mutual Assistance Treaty is concluded). This agreement served as a pretext for Hitler to break the German-Polish non-aggression pact of 1934 on April 28. The order, issued on the night of April 4, 1939, required that secret preparations be completed by the end of September under the Weiss plan, which provided for the invasion of Polish territory and the complete capture of the country.
Neville Chamberlain. Prime Minister of Great Britain
Slide 3
At the same time, the rapprochement between Germany and the USSR continued. On August 19, 1939, Hitler agreed to the territorial claims of the Soviet Union, including the entire eastern half of Poland up to the line of the Narew, Vistula and San rivers, as well as the territories of Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Romanian Bessarabia. On the same day, Stalin, with the approval of the Politburo, decided to conclude a German-Soviet non-aggression pact. To conclude the agreement, Joachim von Ribbentrop arrived in Moscow on a special plane via Königsberg. On the night of August 23-24, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed in the Kremlin. The secret protocols of this treaty described the division of spheres of interest in Eastern Europe.
Even before the signing of the treaty, immediately after receiving Stalin’s consent on August 19, Hitler scheduled a meeting for the highest ranks of the Wehrmacht for August 22 in Berchtesgaden. On it, he announced the date of the attack on Poland in accordance with the Weiss plan - August 26, 1939. However, on August 25, the German Fuhrer received news of the conclusion of the Polish-British alliance and, at the same time, of Benito Mussolini’s refusal to participate in Italy in the war. After this, the previously made decision to attack Poland was canceled. However, Hitler returned to it again on August 30, setting a new date - September 1, 1939. The new date was finally set for 0:30 on August 31.
At the signing of the Pact
Hitler with officers at the map. 1939
Slide 4
Strengths of the parties at the beginning of the war
Germany and Slovakia
Slide 5
In accordance with the Weiss plan, Germany concentrated five armies and a reserve, which included 14 infantry, 1 tank and two mountain divisions, for the invasion of Poland. Overall command of the invasion forces was exercised by Colonel General Walter von Brauchitsch. The troops entrusted to him attacked from three directions: Silesia-Slovakia, Western Pomerania and East Prussia. All three directions converged at Warsaw. Total: 56 divisions, 4 brigades, 10,000 guns, 2,700 tanks, 1,300 aircraft. The number of ground forces personnel is 1,800,000 people. Army Group North - Colonel General Fedor von Bock Army Group South - Colonel General Gerd von Rundstedt
The military forces of the Republic of Poland included 7 armies and the Narew task force. All Polish armed forces were subordinate to the commander-in-chief, Marshal Edward Rydz-Smigly. The main headquarters of the VP was headed by Brigadier General Vaclav Stachewicz. Already during the war, additional formations were formed: the Army “Warsaw” and the separate operational group “Polesie”. In total, the Polish army consisted of 39 infantry, 11 cavalry, 3 mountain brigades and 2 motorized armored brigades. The total number of personnel is about 1 million people.
Slide 6
The territory of Poland is extremely unfavorable for conducting defensive military operations. Apart from the Polesie swamps in the east and the Carpathian uplands in the south, the country had virtually no natural barriers. The Polish-German border was practically open, since Poland did not have the necessary funds to build fortifications in such a huge area, and its military doctrine was based on the rapid redeployment of troops, counterattacks and counterstrikes.
Poland was inferior to the enemy both in the number of troops and in the quality of weapons. For example, only 36 twin-engine medium bombers PZL P.37 “Los” designed by Jerzy Dąbrowski could compare with German aircraft
Slide 7
3 arm 4 arm 8 arm 10 arm 14 arm Gr. armies South Gr. armies of the North Arm. Pomorie arm. Poznan Arm. Lodz arm. Krakow arm. Armenian Carpathians Modlin opera. gr. Narev
main reserve arm. Prussians
3 army corps
Location of German and Polish troops on 09/01/1939
German troops Polish troops
Commander-in-Chief of the VP Marshal E. Rydz-Smigly
Walter von Brauchitsch
Slide 8
To begin implementing the Weiss plan, Germany had to find a formal reason for war. To this end, the Reich security services prepared a series of provocations at 39 border points along the entire length of the Polish-German border (the so-called Operation Himmler).
The most famous pre-war provocations during Operation Himmler are the following: Attack on the radio station in Gleiwitz - the main part of Operation Himmler Attack on the forestry in Byczyna (Pitszyn) Attack on the customs point in Rybnik-Stodoly (Hochlinden)
The head of the operation is the chief of the Reich security service, R. Heydrich.
Slide 9
The action on August 31, 1939 in Gleiwitz was carried out by Sturmbannführer Alfred Naujoks. At about 20:00, his group, dressed in civilian clothes (in other sources in Polish uniforms), attacked the radio station of the border town of Gleiwitz. With enormous technical difficulties, the Germans managed to convey only one phrase: “The Gleiwitz radio station is in Polish hands!” At the entrance to the building, the Germans threw the body of the Silesian Fratisek Honjok, who was previously shot by them, known for his pro-Polish activities (other sources indicate several bodies).
Slide 11
At 4.45, the training battleship Schleswig-Holstein attacked a Polish transit warehouse in Gdansk (Danzig). The seven-day defense of Westerplatte began.
At 4.40 the 1st Max Immelmann Depth Bomber Division (from the 76th Luftwaffe Regiment), under the command of Captain Walter Siegel, began bombarding Wieluń. The attack on Wieluń killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The city was destroyed by 75%.
At 5 o'clock in the morning, German troops went on the offensive along the entire length of the Polish-German border, as well as from the territory of Moravia and Slovakia. The front line was about 1600 km.
Ruins of Wieluń
"Schleswig-Holstein" shells Gdansk
German soldiers invade Poland
German soldiers on Westerplatte
Slide 12
The German offensive began in full accordance with the blitzkrieg doctrine. However, already in the first days it encountered fierce resistance from Polish troops inferior to the enemy in military strength. Nevertheless, concentrating a huge mass of armored and motorized formations in the main directions, the Germans dealt a powerful blow to all Polish combat units. The border battle took place on September 1 - 4 in Mazovia, Pomerania, Silesia, and also on the Warta.
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“Strange War”, “Sitting War” (French Drôle de guerre, English Phoney War, German Sitzkrieg) - the period of World War II from September 3, 1939 to May 10, 1940 on the Western Front. The name Phony War (Russian: fake, unreal war) was first used by American journalists in 1939. The authorship of the French version of Drôle de guerre (Russian strange war) belongs to the pen of the French journalist Roland Dorgeles. Thus, the nature of hostilities between the warring parties was emphasized - their almost complete absence, with the exception of combat operations at sea. The warring parties fought only local battles on the Franco-German border, mainly under the protection of the Maginot and Siegfried defensive lines.
Strange War
Gouges on the Siegfried Line
Fort on the Maginot Line
In connection with the aggression against Poland, on September 3, 1939, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany. They also sent an ultimatum to the German leadership demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of all Wehrmacht troops from the territory of Poland and the Free City of Gdansk. Thus, both states, in accordance with their allied obligations, found themselves in a state of war with Germany. A day earlier, on September 2, the French government announced mobilization and began to concentrate its troops on the German border.
After Britain declared war on Germany, Poles staged a joyful demonstration in front of the British Embassy in Warsaw
Slide 14
“Siegfried Line” “Maginot Line” Gr.armies Central South-East. front NE. front
French troops
Up to 110 divisions (45 divisions on the Maginot Line). About 4500 aircraft (including English ones).
33 divisions and 1,186 aircraft
Slide 15
German troops occupied positions along the Dutch, Belgian and French borders. In doing so, they used the previously created Siegfried Line. On September 7, units of the 3rd and 4th French armies crossed the German border in the Saarland and entered the forefield of the Siegfried Line. No resistance was offered to them, and the German population of the Saarland was evacuated. On September 12, a meeting of the French-British Supreme Military Council was held in Abbeville with the participation of Neville Chamberlain, Edouard Daladier and the commander-in-chief of the French army, Maurice Gamelin. During the meeting, it was decided to “maximize the mobilization of funds before the start of major ground operations, as well as limiting the actions of the Air Force.”
In practice, this decision meant the cessation of the French offensive and the rejection of allied obligations towards Poland, adopted on May 19, 1939. Until the very end of hostilities in Poland, the German command was not able to transfer a single formation to the Western Front (except for the aforementioned mountain rifle division) . However, the Allies did not take advantage of their chance, which had disastrous consequences for them in 1940
French soldiers at the Maginot Line fort
French soldiers and an English pilot on the Western Front.
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Taking advantage of the inaction of England and France and despite the resistance of the VP, the Germans increased their attacks in Poland. On September 1, the country's president, I. Moscicki, left Warsaw, and on September 4, the evacuation of government offices began. On September 5, the government left Warsaw, and on the night of September 7, so did the commander-in-chief E. Rydz-Smigly. By September 5, German troops had broken through the Polish front, which, in the absence of mobilized reserves, doomed the Polish army to defeat. On September 6, Krakow was occupied.
The first German unit reached Warsaw on September 8. However, the plan for rapid encirclement was thwarted in the heroic defense of Wizna (“Polish Thermopylae”). Also on September 9, the Battle of Bzura began, where the armies of Pomerania and Poznań launched a counterattack against the advancing German troops. Only on September 12 did German troops reach the middle reaches of the Vistula in a number of sectors; they crossed the Western Bug - Narew line, covering Warsaw from the east, and advanced to San, crossing its upper reaches.
Slide 17
German soldiers on the outskirts of Warsaw
Warsaw street destroyed by bombing
Slide 18
To the south, the advance of German troops proceeded at an even faster pace - on September 12, the 1st Mountain Division of the 18th Corps approached Lvov, and by September 14 it was completely surrounded. On September 15, units of the 14th German Army occupied Przemysl. The 22nd Corps captured Vladimirets and Grubeshov and moved further south in order to prevent the breakthrough of Polish troops into Romania. On September 7, the headquarters of the High Command of the Polish Forces was moved to Brest; on September 10, it left Brest and moved to Vladimir-Volynsky and further to Kolymia.
Units of the German 21st Army Corps occupied Belsk on September 11, and Bialystok on September 15. In the afternoon of September 14, Brest was occupied. On September 15, von Bock ordered the commander of the 4th German Army to organize an offensive with the immediate task of reaching the Volkovysk-Grodno line (150 km from the Soviet border), the 19th Motorized Corps to advance to Wlodawa, Kovel. Other units transferred to the subordination of the 4th Army were given the task of reaching the Baranovichi - Slonim line (50 km from the Soviet border),
The plans of the German command did not include stopping the advance of troops. With the rate of advance of German mechanized troops at that time being 25-30 km per day, they could occupy all of Eastern Poland (Western Ukraine and Western Belarus) within 4-8 days, that is, by September 21-25, despite the fact that the Polish united front was no longer in front of them, just as the Polish command did not have sufficient reserves and time to form it
Slide 19
Polish campaign of the Red Army
In this situation, on September 17, the Soviet government delivered a note to the Polish Ambassador to the USSR with the following content: “The Polish state and its government have virtually ceased to exist. Thus, the agreements concluded between the USSR and Poland ceased to be valid. Left to its own devices and left without leadership, Poland turned into a convenient field for all sorts of accidents and surprises that could pose a threat to the USSR.
Therefore, being hitherto neutral, the Soviet government cannot be more neutral about these facts, as well as about the defenseless situation of the Ukrainian and Belarusian population. In view of this situation, the Soviet government ordered the High Command of the Red Army to order the troops to cross the border and take under their protection the lives and property of the population of Western Belarus and Western Ukraine.”
Slide 20
Line of maximum advance of German troops
Belorussian Front
Ukrainian front Soviet troops
10 battalions, 3 divisions and 1 cavalry squadron
on the Belorussian Front: 200,802 personnel, 3,167 guns and 2,406 tanks.
on the Ukrainian Front: 265,714 personnel, 1,792 guns and 2,330 tanks.
Slide 21
On the morning of September 17, the movement of Red Army troops into Polish territory began (with the exception of Polesie and the southern section of the Ukrainian SSR border with Poland, where it began on September 18). It was met with little resistance from individual units of the Polish Border Guard Corps (KOP). With further advancement, the units of the regular Polish army encountered by the Red Army units mostly did not offer resistance and disarmed or surrendered, and some tried to retreat to Lithuania, Hungary or Romania. Organized resistance to units of the Red Army, which lasted more than a day, was provided only in a few cases: in the cities of Vilno, Grodno, Tarnopol, the village of Navuz, the village of Borovichi (near Kovel), in the Sarnensky fortified area. Resistance was provided mainly by the gendarmerie, KOP detachments and militia from the Poles.
Polish troops on the defensive
After the exchange of fire between German and Soviet troops in the Lvov area on September 19, at the Soviet-German negotiations held on September 20-21, a demarcation line was established between the German and Soviet armies, which ran along the river. Pisa before its confluence with the river. Narev, further along the river. Narev to its confluence with the Western Bug, then along the river. Bug before its confluence with the river. Vistula, further along the river. Vistula to the confluence of the San River and further along the river. San to its origins. On September 21, Soviet troops received orders to stop at the extreme western positions, reached by 20:00 on September 20, in order to begin moving to the established demarcation line on September 23 - as German troops withdrew.
Red Army troops in Poland
Slide 22
On the Polish-German front, the fighting took on a focal character. On September 17 - 26, two battles took place near Tomaszow Lubelski. On September 23, the troops here received orders to break up into small groups and fight their way out of encirclement into Hungary. On September 22, Polish units surrounded near Kutno surrendered to the enemy and resistance in the Lviv region ceased.
20.09.39 22.09.39 23.09.39
Nevertheless, Warsaw, Modlin and the troops located at Cape Hel continued to resist. On September 23, one of the last mounted battles of World War II took place. The 25th regiment of the Wielkopolska Uhlan, Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Stakhlewski, attacked the German cavalry in Krasnobrud and captured the city.
Slide 23
During the clearing of the rear of the Red Army from the remnants of Polish troops and armed detachments, clashes took place in a number of cases, the most significant of which was the battle on September 28 - October 1 of units of the 52nd Infantry Division in the Shatsk area with units of the Polish operational group "Polesie", formed from border units, gendarmerie, small garrisons and sailors of the Pinsk flotilla under the command of General Kleeberg, which was retreating to the west.
On September 29, after the next Soviet-German political negotiations, Soviet troops, who had not reached the previously established demarcation line in all sections, were stopped again and received an order to begin withdrawing from October 5 back to the East. The deadline for the withdrawal of Red Army units to the new border between the territories of Soviet and German interests was set on October 12.
Soviet soldiers escort Polish prisoners
Handshake of German and Soviet officers
Soviet tanks in Lviv
Slide 24
Line of maximum German advance
28.09.39 29.09.39 02.10.39
The end of September and the beginning of October put an end to the existence of an independent Polish state. Warsaw defended until September 28, Modlin defended until September 29. On October 2, the defense of Hel ended. The last to lay down their arms were the defenders of Kotsk - October 6, 1939
Slide 26
This ended the armed resistance of regular units of the Polish Army on Polish territory. To further fight Germany and its allies, armed formations made up of Polish citizens were created: Polish Armed Forces in the West Anders Army (2nd Polish Corps) Polish Armed Forces in the USSR (1943 - 1944) Resistance to the German occupation regime in the territory again The created General Government was carried out by the Polish Underground State.
Prince George and Wladyslaw Sikorski inspect Polish units in the UK
Slide 27
As a result of military actions by Germany and the USSR, the Polish state ceased to exist. On September 28, 1939, immediately after the surrender of Warsaw, the Treaty of Friendship and Border between the USSR and Germany was signed, which defined the Soviet-German border on the territory of Poland they occupied. The new border basically coincided with the “Curzon Line”, recommended in 1919 by the Paris Peace Conference as the eastern border of Poland, since it delimited areas of compact residence of Poles on the one hand, Ukrainians and Belarusians on the other. The territories east of the Western Bug and San rivers were annexed to the Ukrainian SSR and the Byelorussian SSR. This increased the territory of the USSR by 196 thousand km², and the population by 13 million people.
Results of the war
Germany expanded the borders of East Prussia, moving them close to Warsaw, and included the area up to the city of Lodz, renamed Litzmannstadt. By decree of Hitler on October 8, 1939, Poznan, Pomerania, Silesia, Lodz, part of the Kielce and Warsaw voivodeships, where about 9.5 million people lived, were proclaimed German lands and annexed to Germany. The small residual Polish state was declared the "General Government of the Occupied Polish Regions" under the control of the German authorities, which a year later became known as the "General Government of the German Empire". Krakow became its capital. The German satellite Slovakia returned territories seized by Poland in 1938 and annexed disputed areas ceded to Poland in 1920.
Of those who fought: blue - against Germany, red - against the USSR, green - against Slovakia
Military losses
The Polish Navy was destroyed during the defense of the Coast (except for 3 destroyers (stationed in England until 1.09) and several submarines (3 interned in Sweden).
Slide 30
Sources and illustrations
