The Wehrmacht's invasion of Poland: the operation that marked the beginning of World War II
On September 1, 1939, the largest and bloodiest military confrontation in stories humanity. To this day, no conflict can be compared with the Second World War in terms of the number of casualties and destruction.
Moreover, it all began with Poland, or more precisely, with the Wehrmacht invasion of the territory of this country on September 1, 1939. The pretext for the aggressive actions of the Nazis was the staging of an attack on a radio station in the city of Gleiwitz (eastern Germany). The operation was carried out by SS men and prisoners who spoke Polish and dressed in Polish military uniforms.
The troops of the Third Reich struck from East Prussia. 62 German divisions with a total number of 1,6 million people took part in the attack. The Wehrmacht used 2800 weapons tanks, 6000 artillery pieces and 2000 aircraft. In addition, the German invasion was supported by 2 Slovak divisions.
At that time, the Nazi attack was opposed by a Polish army of approximately 1 million people. The defenders had 870 tanks and about 4300 artillery pieces. Poland lost its air force almost instantly. Combat aviation was destroyed on the ground as a result of a carefully planned Luftwaffe operation.
Its anti-Soviet policy also played a cruel joke on Poland. Almost all defensive structures were erected on the eastern border, while the western border was practically unprotected.
The Germans reached Warsaw on September 8th. In turn, on September 17, Polish troops surrendered Brest to the Nazis.
It was the attack of the Third Reich on Poland that became the official beginning of the Second World War. Already on the third of September, after Berlin ignored the ultimatum associated with mutual assistance agreements with Warsaw, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany. True, it is worth noting that many historians are inclined to consider the real beginning of WWII to be the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Germany and the Polish army after the Munich Agreement of 1938.
On September 5, the United States expressed its position. True, the Americans said that in the war between Poland and Germany they take a neutral position.
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