In the article we will talk about the Polish campaign of 1939. This event has many names - the German-Polish War, Operation Weiss, the invasion of Poland, and even the September Campaign. But no matter what historians call it, it was and remains an operation to invade Poland by Germany. It was this event that marked the beginning of the Second World War. According to the Weiss plan (if we turn to the translation, it means “white”), Wehrmacht troops invaded the territory of neighboring Poland and completely occupied it in less than a month.
Beginning of World War II
It was the invasion of Poland that served as the pretext for the outbreak of World War II. Yes, Adolf Hitler had previously carried out the Anschluss of Austria, and also annexed the territories that Germany lost in 1918. But only the Poles had security guarantors - France and Great Britain. But, as we will see later, these guarantors did not very willingly stand up for their ward.
The campaign was short-lived, German troops completely defeated the Polish ones and carried out a complete occupation of the territory of the state. But on the eastern side, at that moment, a piece of Poland was grabbed by the USSR. The fact is that the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact had a secret (for the time being) addition - Poland was to be divided between Germany, the USSR, Slovakia and Lithuania.
After the invasion, the geopolitical situation throughout Europe changed, and empires such as France and Great Britain were simply forced to declare war on Germany. What is noteworthy is that they did not declare war on the Soviet Union; apparently, they were expecting some turn of events. The Union also kept silent - I.V. Stalin waited, developed industry, since the country was not ready for a full-scale war. History cannot have a subjunctive mood, but if the Soviet Union had attacked Germany first, who knows if France and Great Britain had suddenly made the USSR the Evil Empire?
Background to the conflict with Poland
Adolf Hitler won the elections and began to build both domestic and foreign policies. So, on January 26, 1934, a pact was concluded between Hitler and Pilsudski. And already on September 30, 1938, in the form of an ultimatum, the Polish government demanded that Czechoslovakia transfer Zaolzie (Cieszyn region) to it. These are the areas that caused disputes between countries in the period 1918-1920. As a result, Polish troops occupied the disputed territory on October 2, 1938. In response, Poland showed its aggressive sentiments towards Czechoslovakia.
After the First World War, all policies in Europe (especially Western) were not in the interests of Germany. Even the Germans themselves called the Treaty of Versailles the “Versailles Diktat.” In fact, as a result of the revision of relations between the countries, all of East Prussia turned out to be an enclave that was completely separated from Germany. Of course, it was in the interests of the Wehrmacht to return this territory, since a large number of indigenous Germans lived on it.
After aggressive actions against Poland, empires such as France and Great Britain entered into a defensive alliance with the Poles and positioned themselves as guarantors of sovereignty.
What are the real reasons for the invasion?
The German government has repeatedly demanded a change in the status of the so-called “Polish Corridor”. The Polish government, of course, spoke out strongly against this. To understand the mood, it is enough to study the speech of Jozef Beck, which he delivered in response to A. Hitler’s speech on May 5, 1939. He mentioned that the whole world is precious and desirable at this moment. He said that the generation was completely bled dry in wars, so it is necessary to live in peace and harmony.
But peaceful coexistence, according to Beck, has a certain price, and it is very high (though moderately high). And he mentions that in Poland few people are familiar with the concept of “peace at any cost.” Honor is an invaluable quality that exists in the life of a person, a nation and a state.
We all know that after the Treaty of Versailles, Germany could not have heavy industry, weapons, in other words, it was limited in almost everything. But, despite the sanctions, the military industry developed. Hitler tested his guards - he did what was impossible, but in moderation. I did something “disgusting” - I saw that there was no reaction, and continued to do it further.
How to bypass sanctions - A. Hitler's method
But it’s true that all of Europe, including France and Britain, simply turned a blind eye to how Germany was violating all the articles of the Treaty of Versailles. Who knows, if this “brown plague” had been suppressed at the initial stage, there would not have been so many victims. But Europe did not want to see the danger point-blank; it stepped on the same rake a second time.
The complete occupation of the Rhineland, the annexation of Austria, as well as the seizure of Czechoslovakia - these events did not cause serious opposition from leading European states. Successful negotiations were held with the USSR, France, and Britain. They made it clear to Hitler that all countries were passive about the Polish issue. This was precisely what served as the first prerequisite for making claims to Poland. And then - the issuance of an ultimatum and the implementation of the Weiss plan.
German forces
Germany had an advantage - it had a better army and more modern technology. But this is, in fact, its first serious military intervention. Until this moment, the Wehrmacht forces had been “run-in” and tried themselves in action. Moreover, the first serious task was the transfer to Austria. To be honest, the army managed a C with a minus - only a third of the tanks and vehicles reached the final point. There were a large number of breakdowns along the road, there was always a shortage of fuel, which is why the transport simply stopped on the side of the road.
But at first, Germany, due to its low combat effectiveness, equipped the army with war horses. Oddly enough, they were purchased from Britain. She gave preference not to horses, but to technology, so in the 30s there was a total rearmament of the British army. As for the German troops, at the time of the invasion of Poland they put 98 divisions on the battlefield. But of these, a third were understaffed and not fully trained.
As a result, German troops were represented in the amount of 62 divisions. But in the immediate invasion there were only 40. Of these, tanks - 6, mechanized and light - 4 each. The composition of the army also included:
- 6,000 artillery pieces;
- 2800 tanks (more than 80% are light tanks and wedges);
- 2000 aircraft;
- 1.6 million people.
As for the training of the troops, it was unsatisfactory.
Details of German forces
Now let’s take a closer look at the history of the Polish campaign and study all the details. The command of the Wehrmacht troops was carried out by Field Marshal Walter von Brauchitsch, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Ground Forces was Colonel General Franz Halder. Above were the rounded values of the army size. And the exact ones are:
- 1 million 516 thousand people took part in the operation.
- Tanks PZ-1 - 1145 units, PZ-2 - 1223, PZ-3 - 98, PZ-4 - 221, as well as Czechoslovak PZ-35 in the amount of 218 units and PZ-38 - 58.
The invasion force had the following structure:
- Group “North”: included 21 divisions, the total number of personnel was 630 thousand people. The command was exercised by a Colonel General and the Chief of Staff was Major General Hans von Salmuth.
- Group “South”: included more than 36 divisions, and the number of personnel was 860 thousand people. The command was exercised by Colonel General Gerd von Rundstedt. The chief of staff of the troops was Erich von Manstein.
Polish side forces
As for the Polish side, it was able to present only 39 divisions and 16 brigades against the Wehrmacht forces. In total, 1 million people and 870 tanks (of which 650 wedges), 4,300 mortars and artillery pieces, as well as 407 aircraft (including 142 fighters and 44 bombers) were mobilized.
It is worth noting that with the threat of war with Germany, Poland counted on France and Britain to provide assistance, since a defensive alliance had previously been concluded. And if the Allies enter the war, then the Wehrmacht forces will have to be torn into two fronts. But that did not happen. And, as can be seen from history, during the Second World War the United States and Britain were in no hurry to open a second front. It should also be noted that the Red Army (USSR) took an active part in the Polish campaign of 1939 - the army moved from the eastern side and occupied part of the territory of Poland.
After all, Europeans are pragmatic people; they waited for a leader to emerge in the confrontation in order to take the side of the winner. Actually, the second front was opened after a radical turning point in the war had occurred and the forces of the USSR were already moving across Europe, liberating all countries and cities from the German army. Looking ahead, I would like to note that the dishonesty of Western “partners” can be seen in the modern world. Just recently they promised to dissolve NATO in exchange for the collapse of the USSR. As a result, the country was destroyed, and NATO only expanded to the east, closer to the modern borders of the Russian Federation.
Beginning of military operation
The Germans love to wake up early in the morning and take rash actions. So this time, at exactly 4:45, the offensive began along the entire border. First, the German Air Force began to carry out its tasks. It was aviation that destroyed most of Poland's airfields and aircraft, thereby creating conditions for the advance of ground forces. Wehrmacht aviation was also used to achieve other goals. It did not allow the mobilization of Poland's forces to be fully completed. Troop control was also disrupted, as a result of which communication between divisions was lost.
But some sources claim that after the first strike, Polish aviation remained operational. The fact is that the day before the invasion, all aircraft were quickly transferred to field airfields. But, despite the superiority of German forces, Polish troops managed to shoot down more than 130 aircraft. The defending troops put up serious resistance even after the Polish campaign of the Wehrmacht. Photos of partisans who fought for the independence of their homeland are unlikely to have been preserved in the archives, unlike portraits of German generals.
Wehrmacht troops crossed the border closer to 6 o'clock in the morning. An army group under the command of Bock was advancing from the north. Rundtedt's Army Group moved northeast and east across Silesia. At this point, Polish troops were evenly distributed along the entire front line, but they had virtually no defense against tanks. There were also not enough reserves to launch counterattacks against Wehrmacht troops that were able to break into the country.
There were no natural barriers on the flat terrain, the weather was dry and mild - the very beginning of autumn. Tanks covered long distances quite quickly. German tank formations passed through the positions of the Polish armies with virtually no resistance. At the same time, despite the agreements, no one attacked Germany from the Western side. Therefore, it was possible to carry out the Polish campaign quickly and without resistance. Not a single European politician felt the war that was approaching every day.
Literally two days later, the connection between the armies and the General Staff was completely destroyed. As a result, it is simply impossible to carry out further mobilization. According to intelligence reports, the Luftwaffe was able to determine the exact location of the General Staff. Of course, active bombing of the territory began and the command was relocated several times.
In the Bay of Danzig, German ships completely suppressed the Polish squadron. At that time it included: one destroyer, five submarines, one destroyer. In addition, three destroyers were transferred to the shores of Britain shortly before the start of the invasion.
It was also difficult for the civilian population - they were demoralized due to bombing and sabotage. Immediately, the “Fifth Column” began to protest against the government and ministers. But what could have been done? German troops were actively advancing towards Warsaw.
Battle of Warsaw and Kutno-Lodz
By September 5, the situation was far from being in Poland’s favor. From the north side, Bok and his army marched towards Brest-Litovsk. From the southern side, Rundstedt and his army bypass Krakow and rush further. In the center, Rundstedt's 10th Army reaches Warsaw and the Vistula. The surroundings eventually closed in. On September 8, the Polish army used chemical weapons - mustard gas. But this had almost no effect - German troops lost only 2 people killed and 12 wounded.
We can say that the Polish campaign of 1939 was the first serious invasion of the Wehrmacht forces into the territory of another state. By the way, it was here that German forces first encountered more or less serious resistance. They won't see this even in France.
As you know, long before this, a ban on the use of chemical weapons was adopted (in the First World War they were used so often that people were killed in the thousands). Therefore, Germany took serious countermeasures. The Polish side tried to fight back, and sometimes it was successful, but it did not bring results. The cavalry rushed at the tanks with melee weapons. But it was not entirely simple. The cavalry made up a small part; units of this type had tanks, mortars, armored vehicles, and anti-aircraft guns.
But the Polish army was cut into several parts, and all of them were surrounded. There was no combat mission for the military. On September 8, an attempt was made to enter Warsaw, but the defenders fought so fiercely that the Germans were unable to enter. However, resistance continued near Warsaw-Modlin and then moved closer to Lodz and Kutno.
An attempt was made near Lodz to break out of the encirclement, but the German ground and air attacks were so strong that the Polish troops surrendered on September 17. At that moment the encirclement completely closed in at Brest-Litovsk. What do Polish historians say? A lot is known about the Polish campaign of 1939; it can be described literally hour by hour, but the data varies depending on the sources.
How is the USSR behaving?
Everyone knows that at the same time as Germany, Soviet troops invaded Poland. After the Polish forces were practically defeated, the Red Army entered from the eastern side. The USSR government announced such a step due to the insolvency of the Polish government, as well as the destruction of the state. The goal of the Red Army is to ensure the safety of Belarusians, Ukrainians and Jews living in these areas. Let us recall that those areas of Poland that were occupied by the USSR in 1939 were brazenly occupied by Polish troops a couple of decades earlier.
The Soviet Union entered into hostilities by agreement with the German government, and more specifically, in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The Soviet army significantly weakened the defense of Poland, whose troops could not resist the Wehrmacht forces. The entire Polish government and senior military leadership were evacuated to Romania. We must not forget that on November 30, the Finnish campaign of 1939 began, in which USSR troops tried to take away part of the territories in order to distance Leningrad from the border. After all, the danger of a Nazi invasion was obvious, and diplomatic methods did not bring any results.
Collapse of the Polish Army
From September 17 to October 5, 1939, complete destruction occurs. The fall of the capital Warsaw occurs on September 27, and a day later Modlin surrendered. The naval base of Hel was occupied by the Wehrmacht on October 1. And until the last, resistance continued in Kock (near Lublin). On October 5, about 17 thousand Poles surrendered.
It is worth mentioning one interesting fact - Poland did not capitulate to Germany, even though it was completely defeated and subjugated by its troops. Until the last, the partisans fought against the fascist forces; even Polish formations remained in the Allied armies. Shortly before the defeat, an underground was organized.
Results of the invasion
According to historians, German losses in the Polish campaign of 1939 ranged from 10 to 17 thousand killed. These data vary significantly depending on the sources. There were 27-31 thousand people wounded, and about 3,500 were missing. On the Polish side, 66 thousand were killed, 120-200 thousand were wounded. 694 thousand people surrendered. The short Polish campaign of 1939 destroyed not only the state, but also many human lives.
All lands of the once great and independent Poland were divided between the USSR and the Third Reich. The border agreement was concluded in Moscow on September 28, 1939. To the east of the San and Bug rivers, the lands belonged to the USSR and became part of Belarus and Ukraine. In fact, the border almost exactly followed the contours of the “Curzon Line”, which was recommended by the peace conference in Paris in 1919 as the eastern border of Poland. This is how it was possible to delimit the areas in which Ukrainians, Belarusians and Poles lived.
As a result of the Polish campaign of 1939, the territory of the Union increased by 196 thousand km². About 13 million people lived in this territory. Germany also acquired a lot of land - the borders of East Prussia expanded, and significantly, they were closely moved towards Warsaw. Lodz was immediately renamed, now it was called Litzmannstadt. On October 8, 1939, A. Hitler issues a decree stating that the Kielecke, Warsaw, Poznan, Silesian and Pomeranian voivodeships with a population of approximately 9 million 500 thousand people belong to Germany.
Poland got a small piece; it was declared the “Governor General of the occupied Polish regions.” This new formation was controlled, of course, by representatives of the Aryan race. The capital was in Krakow, all politics was completely subordinated to the authorities of Germany and the USSR. As a result of the Polish campaign of the Wehrmacht in 1939, a large area of territory was divided between the two strongest powers, only their goals were different.
It is worth noting the fact that Poland included such regions as Slovakia and Lithuania. And if it were not for the division of Polish territories in 1939, these states would not be on the map of Europe today - the lands would remain part of Poland. Slovakia and Lithuania came under the protection of the Union. A year later, the Lithuanian SSR was formed. This is a republic that until recently was the “face” of communism in Europe. This is how the Polish Wehrmacht campaign of 1939 ended. And the Second World War, with all its horrors, was just beginning.
66 thousand killed
120–200 thousand wounded
694 thousand prisoners
| Invasion of Poland 1939 German-Slovak invasion Soviet invasion war crimes |
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Polish Wehrmacht Campaign (1939), also known as Invasion of Poland And Operation Vice(in Polish historiography the name is accepted "September Campaign") - a military operation of the armed forces of Germany and Slovakia, as a result of which the territory of Poland was completely occupied, and its parts were annexed by neighboring states.
Background to the conflict
Germany
Germany could field 98 divisions on the battlefield, of which 36 were virtually untrained and understaffed.
In the Polish theater of operations, Germany deployed 62 divisions (more than 40 personnel divisions took part directly in the invasion, of which 6 tank, 4 light and 4 mechanized), 1.6 million people, 6,000 artillery pieces, 2,000 aircraft and 2,800 tanks, over 80% of which were light tanks. The combat effectiveness of the infantry at that time was assessed as unsatisfactory.
Poland
Polish infantry
Poland managed to mobilize 39 divisions and 16 separate brigades, 1 million people, 870 tanks (220 tanks and 650 tankettes), 4,300 artillery pieces and mortars, 407 aircraft (of which 44 bombers and 142 fighters). . In the event of a war with Germany, Poland could count on the support of Great Britain and France, since it was connected with them by defensive military alliances. Given the rapid entry into the war of the Western allies and the active nature of the military operations organized by the latter, the resistance of the Polish army obliged Germany to wage a war on two fronts.
Plans of the parties
Germany
In the field of grand strategy, the German government intended to conduct a rapid offensive against Poland with maximum forces by weakening the troops covering the borders with France and the Benelux countries. A reckless offensive in the East and decisive successes in this direction should have appeared before the Allies overcame the fortifications along the French border on the so-called. "Siegfried Line" and will go to the Rhine.
Fettering possible unwanted actions of the Polish guarantor troops, estimated at 80-90 divisions, was to be carried out by 36 poorly trained and understaffed divisions, almost not provided with tanks and aircraft.
Poland
The Polish command professed the principle of tough defense. It was intended to defend the entire territory, including the “Danzig Corridor” (also known as the Polish Corridor), and, under favorable circumstances, to attack East Prussia. Poland was strongly influenced by the French military school, which was based on the fundamental inadmissibility of breaks in the front line. The Poles covered their flanks with the sea and the Carpathians and believed that they could hold this position for quite a long time: the Germans would need at least two weeks to concentrate artillery and carry out a local tactical breakthrough. The Allies would need the same amount of time to go on the offensive with larger forces on the Western Front, so Rydz-Smigly considered the overall operational balance positive for himself.
Operation Himmler
On August 31, Hitler signed secret directive No. 1 “On the Conduct of War,” which stated: “In the West, it is important that responsibility for the outbreak of hostilities falls entirely on France and England...”
In an effort to justify the attack on Poland before the world community and the German people, fascist military intelligence and counterintelligence, headed by Admiral Canaris, together with the Gestapo, committed a provocation. In the strictest secrecy, Operation Himmler was developed, according to which a staged attack was prepared by SS men and criminals (code name “Canned Food”), specially selected in German prisons and dressed in the uniform of Polish soldiers and officers, on the radio station of the German border town of Gleiwitz ( Gliwice) in Silesia. This provocation was necessary in order to hold Poland, the victim of aggression, responsible for starting the war.
The practical implementation of the provocation was entrusted to the head of the department of sabotage and sabotage of military intelligence, General Erich Lahousen, and a member of the fascist SD security service, Sturmbannführer Alfred Naujoks.
Beginning of hostilities (September 1-5, 1939)
Polish infantry on the defensive
Polish infantry
The secret mobilization of the Wehrmacht began on August 26, 1939. The troops were fully mobilized by September 3. The invasion began on September 1, with army units supporting the Poles who had penetrated the rear to capture the bridges with commandos from the Bau-Lehr Bataillon zbV 800 and army intelligence units.
German troops crossed the Polish border at about 6 o'clock in the morning. In the north, the invasion was carried out by the Boca Army Group, which had two armies. The 3rd Army, under Küchler, struck south from East Prussia, and the 4th Army, under Kluge, struck east through the Polish Corridor to link up with the 3rd Army and complete the envelopment of the Polish right flank. Consisting of three armies, Rundstedt's group moved east and northeast through Silesia. Polish troops were evenly distributed over a wide front, did not have stable anti-tank defense on the main lines and did not have sufficient reserves for counterattacks on the enemy troops that had broken through.
Flat Poland, which did not have any serious natural barriers, and with mild and dry autumn weather, was a good springboard for the use of tanks. The vanguards of the German tank formations easily passed through the Polish positions. On the Western Front, the Allies accepted absolutely no offensive attempts (see The Strange War).
On the third day, the Polish Air Force ceased to exist. The connection between the General Staff and the active army was interrupted, and further mobilization, which began on August 30, became impossible. From spy reports, the Luftwaffe managed to find out the location of the Polish General Staff, and it was continuously bombed, despite frequent redeployments. In the Bay of Danzig, German ships suppressed a small Polish squadron, consisting of one destroyer, a destroyer and five submarines. In addition, three destroyers managed to leave for Great Britain even before the outbreak of hostilities (Plan “Beijing”). Together with two submarines that managed to break out of the Baltic, they took part in hostilities on the side of the Allies after the occupation of Poland.
The civilian population was completely demoralized by the bombing of cities, acts of sabotage, performances of the well-organized “Fifth Column”, the failures of the Polish armed forces and anti-government propaganda that began on the very first day of the war.
Battle of Warsaw and the Kutno-Lodz region (5–17 September 1939)
Results of the bombing of the city of Wieluń by Luftwaffe aircraft
During the German offensive on September 5, 1939, the following operational situation developed. In the north, Bock's left-flank army was moving towards Brest-Litovsk, in the south, Rundstedt's right-flank army rushed in a north-easterly direction, bypassing Krakow. In the center, the 10th Army from the Rundstedt group (under the command of Colonel General Reichenau) with most of the armored divisions reached the Vistula below Warsaw. The inner ring of the double encirclement closed on the Vistula, the outer on the Bug. On September 8, 1939, the Polish army used chemical weapons - mustard gas. As a result, two German soldiers were killed and twelve were wounded. On this basis, German troops took retaliatory measures. The Polish armies made desperate attempts to give a decisive rebuff. In some cases, Polish cavalry attacked and successfully held off German motorized infantry units.
“I received your message that German troops have entered Warsaw. Please convey my congratulations and greetings to the Government of the German Empire. Molotov"
The 10th Cavalry Rifle Regiment and the 24th Uhlan Regiment of the Polish Army that took part in these battles did not rush at all with their sabers drawn at the German tanks. In these Polish units, by name and mostly cavalry, there were units of tanks, armored vehicles, anti-tank and anti-aircraft artillery, engineer battalions and a fire support squadron of attack aircraft. Famous footage of horsemen attacking tanks - German re-enactment). However, the Polish forces were cut into several parts, each of which was completely surrounded and had no common combat mission. Tanks from Reichenau's 10th Army attempted to enter Warsaw (September 8), but were forced to retreat under fierce attacks from the city's defenders. Basically, Polish resistance from this time continued only in the Warsaw-Modlin area and a little further west around Kutno and Lodz. Polish forces in the Lodz area made an unsuccessful attempt to break out of the encirclement, but after continuous air and ground attacks and after running out of food and ammunition, they surrendered on 17 September. Meanwhile, the ring of external encirclement closed: the 3rd and 14th German armies united south of Brest-Litovsk.
Soviet invasion of Poland (September 17, 1939)
When the fate of the Polish army was already sealed, Soviet troops invaded Poland from the east in the area north and south of the Pripyat marshes in Western Ukraine and Western Belarus. The Soviet government explained this step, in particular, by the failure of the Polish government, the collapse of the de facto Polish state and the need to ensure the safety of Ukrainians, Belarusians and Jews living in the eastern regions of Poland. It is widely believed, mainly in Western historiography, that the USSR's entry into the war was agreed upon in advance with the German government and took place in accordance with the secret additional protocol to the Non-Aggression Treaty between Germany and the Soviet Union. The offensive of the Soviet troops deprived the Poles of their last hope of holding the defense against the Wehrmacht in the southeast of the country. The Polish government and senior military leaders were evacuated to Romania.
There is also information about direct assistance from the USSR to Germany during the Polish campaign. For example, signals from the Minsk radio station were used by the Germans to guide bombers when bombing Polish cities.
The final defeat of the Polish troops (September 17 - October 5, 1939)
The pockets of Polish resistance were suppressed one after another. On September 27, Warsaw fell. The next day - Modlin. On October 1, the Baltic naval base of Hel capitulated. The last center of organized Polish resistance was suppressed in Kock (north of Lublin), where 17 thousand Poles surrendered (October 5).
Despite the defeat of the army and the actual occupation of 100% of the state's territory, Poland did not officially capitulate to Germany and the Axis countries. In addition to the partisan movement within the country, the war was continued by numerous Polish military units within the Allied armies.
Even before the final defeat of the Polish army, its command began organizing the underground (Służba Zwycięstwu Polski).
One of the first partisan detachments on Polish territory was created by a career officer, Henryk Dobrzanski, along with 180 soldiers from his military unit. This unit fought the Germans for several months after the defeat of the Polish army.
Results
Territorial changes
The demarcation line between the German and Soviet armies, established by the governments of Germany and the USSR in accordance with the Non-Aggression Treaty.
The fourth partition of Poland.
Polish lands were divided mainly between Germany and the Soviet Union. The position of the new border was secured by the Soviet-German border agreement, concluded on September 28, 1939 in Moscow. 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, and Ukrainians and Belarusians, on the other.
The territories east of the Western Bug and San rivers were annexed into 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.
Germany expanded the borders of East Prussia, moving them close to Warsaw, and included the area up to the city of Łódź, renamed Litzmannstadt, into the Wart region, which occupied the territories of the old Poznań region. 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 "Governor General of the Occupied Polish Regions" under the administration of German authorities, which a year later became known as the "Governor General of the German Empire". Its capital became Krakow. Any independent policy of Poland ceased.
Lithuania, which entered the sphere of interests of the USSR, and a year later annexed to it as the Lithuanian SSR, received the Vilnius region, disputed from Poland.
Losses of the parties
Graves of Polish soldiers at the Powązki cemetery in Warsaw
During the campaign, the Germans, according to various sources, lost 10-17 thousand killed, 27-31 thousand wounded, 300-3500 people missing.
During the hostilities, the Poles lost 66 thousand killed, 120-200 thousand wounded, 694 thousand prisoners.
The Slovak army fought only battles of regional significance, during which it did not encounter serious resistance. Its losses were small - 18 people were killed, 46 wounded, 11 people were missing.
The situation in the occupied territories
In the Polish lands annexed to Germany, “racial policies” and resettlement were carried out, the population was classified into categories with different rights in accordance with their nationality and origin. Jews and Gypsies, according to this policy, were subject to complete destruction. After the Jews, the most powerless category were the Poles. National minorities had a better position. Persons of German nationality were considered a privileged social group.
In the General Government with its capital in Krakow, an even more aggressive “racial policy” was pursued. The oppression of everything Polish and the persecution of Jews soon caused strong contradictions between the military service authorities and the political and police executive bodies. Colonel General Johann Blaskowitz, who was left in Poland as commander of the troops, expressed a sharp protest against these actions in a memo. At Hitler's request, he was removed from his post.
A partisan movement was organized on the territory of Poland, resisting the German occupation forces and executive authorities.
For information on the situation in Western Belarus and Western Ukraine, which became part of the USSR, see the article Polish Campaign of the Red Army (1939).
Myths of war
- The Poles attacked tanks with cavalry: The Polish cavalry was the elite of the army and one of the best in Europe. In fact, the cavalry of that time was ordinary infantry; the use of horses greatly increased the mobility of units; cavalry was also used for reconnaissance purposes. German and Soviet troops had the same cavalry units until the end of World War II.
However, such facts were recorded during the Polish campaign of the Red Army, when Polish cavalrymen actually attacked Soviet tank columns on horseback. After being captured, the Poles explained that the officers convinced them that “the Bolsheviks had tanks made of plywood.”
- The Polish forces surrendered very quickly: in fact, unlike Paris, Warsaw did not surrender without a fight, but resisted for 3 weeks, although the better armed France resisted only twice as long.
Legal aspects of war
According to the decision of the Nuremberg Tribunal, the war against Poland, unleashed by Germany on September 1, 1939, was aggressive, illegal, and had no reason to start. In addition, during this war, the German military and political leadership grossly violated the rules of war established by international law, which led to dire consequences, unreasonably high losses and casualties among civilians. The actions of the German military authorities and political leadership in the occupied territories were often not caused by military necessity and contained elements of crimes against humanity.
One of the main accusations against German statesmen and senior military leaders was the initiation of an aggressive war, which is classified as a crime under international military law. During the Nuremberg trials, in response to the defense's arguments about the provocation of war by Poland and Germany's desire to resolve the conflict peacefully until the last moment, the prosecution provided evidence that already on August 30, when Germany was still assuring the world community of its peace-loving goals, troops stationed on the German border and East Prussia and Poland had already received orders to launch an offensive.
A pre-planned military campaign against Poland is also indicated by the fact that on August 31, 1939, Hitler issued “Decree No. 1 on the conduct of war.” It said: “The attack on Poland must be carried out in accordance with the preparations made under the White Plan, taking into account the changes that have occurred as a result of the almost completed strategic deployment of ground forces.”
(REVIEW OF MILITARY ACTIONS)
The outbreak of hostilities between Germany and Poland was preceded by a series of border conflicts and clashes on their borders and in the city of Danzig. At the same time, feverish preparations for war were made on both sides. Troops were put on combat readiness and hastily deployed to the borders. General mobilizations were announced, the population from the most threatened centers was evacuated, shelters were built and air defense systems were strengthened.
September 1 at 5 o'clock 45 min. hostilities began between Germany and Poland. The main attacks of the German troops were aimed at destroying the corridor separating Danzig from Germany and capturing industrial areas in Upper Silesia. In addition, attacks by German troops were aimed at areas north of Czestochowa, towards Lodz and from East Prussia towards Mlawa and Prasnysz.
The last two directions, in the event of successful actions by German troops, threatened the encirclement of Polish troops located west of Warsaw, in the area of Poznan and Torun, and also created a threat to Warsaw.
On September 1, German troops achieved the greatest results in the area of the corridor, penetrating into it both from East Prussia in the direction of Graudenz and from Pomerania. German troops captured Chojnica and Tuchel; Polish troops located in the Gdynia region and south of it were forced to hastily retreat. The German navy subjected the port of Gdynia to artillery fire. On the same day, German troops began clearing the Danzig area of Polish troops.
Polish troops offered the most stubborn resistance to the advancing German units in the area of Czestochowa and Katowice. The fighting became stubborn, and only by the evening of September 2, German troops, using superior equipment, in particular tank units, managed to break the resistance of the Poles and capture Czestochowa. At the same time, German troops operating in the corridor reached the Vistula River southwest of Graudenz and united with troops advancing from East Prussia.
In Eastern Silesia, military operations developed successfully for German troops, who captured the entire region of Cieszyn Silesia, which at one time was seized by the Poles from Czechoslovakia. Pless and Bielsk-Biala were also occupied.
German aviation, taking advantage of its air superiority, continued to bomb Polish cities, railways and bridges. There was some activity by Polish troops in the area south of Graudenz; These troops tried to launch counterattacks to the German troops advancing from East Prussia. Polish aviation was also active in the Czestochowa area, carrying out raids on advancing German motorized columns. Polish anti-aircraft artillery managed to shoot down several dozen German aircraft. It is not possible to establish the exact number due to conflicting data transmitted by the press of both warring parties. Also, a more or less exact number of losses and trophies on both sides over the past days of hostilities has not yet been established.
On September 3 and 4, the offensive of the German troops continued to develop successfully in all main operational directions. German troops occupied Wadowice, 36 kilometers from Krakow; this led to the withdrawal of Polish troops located west of Krakow. The breakthrough in the Czestochowa area was developed in the direction of Petrokov, while Koniecpol, Radomsk and Kamenisko were occupied. German troops operating in the corridor directed their attack south towards Toruń and, after stubborn fighting, occupied Bydgoszcz. German troops advancing from East Prussia occupied Mlawa and Prasnysz and developed an offensive against Tsiekhanow, located on the outskirts of Warsaw.
On September 5 and 6, the efforts of German troops were directed in the south to capture Krakow, which they managed to do by the evening of September 6. Krakow was surrendered by the Poles without a fight, bridges across the river. The Vistula was not blown up; this indicates a hasty withdrawal of Polish troops.
North of Krakow, German troops, pursuing the Poles, reached the Petrokow-Kelce line, thereby creating a direct threat to the important industrial region of Poland - Radom, Kielce and Sandomierz.
In the Sieradz area, German troops broke through a fortified zone, after which they managed to advance in the direction of Lodz. At the same time, German troops actively pinned down the Polish units defending the area of Poznan and Torun, not giving the Poles the opportunity to transfer troops to eliminate breakthroughs in the south and north of Warsaw.
As a result of fierce battles on the Vistula and on the approaches to the Torun fortress, German troops defeated the 9th and 27th Polish infantry divisions and a cavalry brigade. The Poles suffered heavy losses. According to German data, about 15,000 prisoners, more than 100 guns and a large number of different weapons were captured.
In the Czestochowa area, the 7th Polish Infantry Division was also defeated, and its headquarters, led by the division commander, was captured.
German troops advancing from East Prussia towards Warsaw, by the evening of September 6, reached the line Plonsk, Ciechanow, Rozhan (50 km north of Warsaw), where they were temporarily detained by defending Polish units.
The Polish government left Warsaw for Lublin. German aviation continued to carry out raids and bombed railway junctions, thereby disrupting all the work of the rear of the Polish army.
At the same time, German aircraft bombed and machine-gunned the retreating Polish units and suitable reserves. On September 7, German mechanized units broke through in the Petrokov area and quickly developed an attack on Warsaw. By the evening of the same day, they were occupied by Rawa Mazowiecka, located 70 km away. from Warsaw.
On September 7, the German troops continued their offensive from the north towards Warsaw and reached the Narew River in the area of Pultusk (50 km north of Warsaw).
The noose around Warsaw was getting tighter and tighter.
In the south, German troops directed their main attack along the Krakow-Tarnow railway, with the goal of capturing Jaslo, a rich oil region.
On September 8, by 17:00, the advanced motorized units of the German troops managed to reach the outskirts of the city of Warsaw, as well as reach the river. Vistula near Gura Kalwaria (south of Warsaw).
German troops advancing from the Kielce region reached the Vistula River at Sandomierz. Tarnow was occupied, the offensive continued to develop towards Rzeszow (a major center of military industry).
North of Warsaw, German units, having crossed the Narew River, occupied Mazowiecki Island, bypassing Warsaw from the east.
In southern Poland, as a result of the battle on the Wisłoka River, German motorized units occupied the city of Rzeszow.
With the entry of German troops to the Vistula River at Gura Kalwaria and Sandomierz and the occupation of Radom and Zvolyan, the withdrawal routes of Polish troops were cut off.
With the occupation of the Radom, Kielce, Sandomierz, and Rzeszow regions by German troops, Poland lost its main military-industrial region.
Northeast of Warsaw, Polish troops were thrown back to the eastern bank of the river. Bug. Wyszków was occupied by German troops.
At the same time, the occupation of the Poznan Voivodeship continued. It can be assumed that the Polish units located there, due to their almost complete encirclement and lack of ammunition, will be forced to surrender.
The Polish government was forced to evacuate again. It is expected that it will go from Lublin to Lviv.
It can be assumed that the formation of German troops attacking Warsaw from the south and north will take place in the area of Hungry, Siedlce (east of Warsaw) bypassing the Modlin fortress (formerly Novogeorgievsk).
A review of military operations between Germany and Poland over the first 9 days reveals an extremely rapid advance of German troops. In this regard, it is impossible not to touch upon the reasons that led Poland to the loss of almost all of its political and economic centers.
The main reasons are as follows:
1. The absence of sufficiently powerful fortified areas on the western borders of Poland.
2. The superiority of the German air forces, which in the very first days of hostilities managed to inflict heavy blows on Polish aviation at its bases (airfields) and through continuous bombing to disorganize the Polish rear (this deprived the Polish command of the opportunity to quickly regroup and concentrate forces).
3. Superiority in ground military equipment, mainly in heavy artillery.
4. Lack of effective assistance from England and France to Poland.
Speaking about the future prospects of the war for Poland, it can be stated that, despite the preservation of significant Polish military units that were managed to be withdrawn across the Vistula River, the Polish command is unlikely to be able to provide serious resistance, since they have lost almost the entire military-economic base.
E. SOSNIN.
September 1, 1939. This is the day of the beginning of the greatest catastrophe, which claimed tens of millions of human lives, destroyed thousands of cities and villages and ultimately led to a new redistribution of the world. It was on this day that the troops of Nazi Germany crossed the western border of Poland. The Second World War began.
And on September 17, 1939, from the east, Soviet troops struck the back of defending Poland. Thus began the final partition of Poland, which was the result of a criminal conspiracy between the two greatest totalitarian regimes of the 20th century - Nazi and communist. The joint parade of Soviet and Nazi troops on the streets of occupied Polish Brest in 1939 became a shameful symbol of this conspiracy.
Before the storm
The end of the First World War and the Treaty of Versailles created even more contradictions and points of tension in Europe than before. And if we add to this the rapid strengthening of the communist Soviet Union, which, in fact, was turned into a giant weapons factory, then it becomes clear that a new war on the European continent was almost inevitable.
After World War I, Germany was crushed and humiliated: it was prohibited from having a normal army and navy, it lost significant territories, huge reparations caused economic collapse and poverty. This policy of the victorious states was extremely short-sighted: it was clear that the Germans, a talented, hardworking and energetic nation, would not tolerate such humiliation and would strive for revenge. And so it happened: in 1933, Hitler came to power in Germany.
Poland and Germany
After the end of the Great War, Poland regained its statehood. In addition, the Polish state has still seriously “grown” with new lands. Part of Poznan and the Pomeranian lands, which were previously part of Prussia, went to Poland. Danzig received the status of a "free city". Part of Silesia became part of Poland, and the Poles forcibly captured part of Lithuania along with Vilnius.
Poland, together with Germany, took part in the annexation of Czechoslovakia, which in no way can be considered an action worth being proud of. In 1938, the Cieszyn region was annexed under the pretext of protecting the Polish population.
In 1934, a ten-year Non-Aggression Pact was signed between the countries, and a year later - an agreement on economic cooperation. In general, it should be noted that with Hitler’s rise to power, German-Polish relations improved significantly. But it didn't last long.
In March 1939, Germany demanded that Poland return Danzig to it, join the Anti-Comintern Pact and provide a land corridor for Germany to the Baltic coast. Poland did not accept this ultimatum and early in the morning of September 1, German troops crossed the Polish border and Operation Weiss began.
Poland and the USSR
Relations between Russia and Poland have traditionally been difficult. After the end of the First World War, Poland gained independence and the Soviet-Polish War began almost immediately. Fortune was changeable: first the Poles reached Kyiv and Minsk, and then the Soviet troops reached Warsaw. But then there was the “miracle on the Vistula” and the complete defeat of the Red Army.
According to the Treaty of Riga, the western parts of Belarus and Ukraine were part of the Polish state. The country's new eastern border ran along the so-called Curzon Line. In the early 30s, a treaty of friendship and cooperation and a non-aggression agreement were signed. But, despite this, Soviet propaganda portrayed Poland as one of the main enemies of the USSR.
Germany and USSR
Relations between the USSR and Germany during the period between the two world wars were contradictory. Already in 1922, an agreement on cooperation between the Red Army and the Reichswehr was signed. Germany had serious restrictions under the Treaty of Versailles. Therefore, part of the development of new weapons systems and training of personnel was carried out by the Germans on the territory of the USSR. A flight school and a tank school were opened, among whose graduates were the best German tank crews and pilots of the Second World War.
After Hitler came to power, relations between the two countries deteriorated, and military-technical cooperation was curtailed. Germany again began to be portrayed by official Soviet propaganda as an enemy of the USSR.
On August 23, 1939, a Non-Aggression Pact was signed between Germany and the USSR in Moscow. In essence, in this document, two dictators Hitler and Stalin divided Eastern Europe between themselves. According to the secret protocol of this document, the territories of the Baltic countries, as well as Finland, and parts of Romania were included in the sphere of interests of the USSR. Eastern Poland belonged to the Soviet sphere of influence, and its western part was supposed to go to Germany.
Attack
On September 1, 1939, German aircraft began bombing Polish cities, and ground forces crossed the border. The invasion was preceded by several provocations on the border. The invasion force consisted of five army groups and a reserve. Already on September 9, the Germans reached Warsaw, and the battle for the Polish capital began, which lasted until September 20.
On September 17, meeting practically no resistance, Soviet troops entered Poland from the east. This immediately made the position of the Polish troops almost hopeless. On September 18, the Polish high command crossed the Romanian border. Individual pockets of Polish resistance remained until the beginning of October, but this was already agony.
Part of the Polish territories, which were previously part of Prussia, went to Germany, and the rest was divided into general governorships. Polish territories captured by the USSR became part of Ukraine and Belarus.
Poland suffered huge losses during World War II. The invaders banned the Polish language, all national educational and cultural institutions, and newspapers were closed. Representatives of the Polish intelligentsia and Jews were massacred. In the territories occupied by the USSR, Soviet punitive agencies worked tirelessly. Tens of thousands of captured Polish officers were killed in Katyn and other similar places. Poland lost about 6 million people during the war.
