The Invasion of Poland


The invasion of Poland began without warning on 1st September 1939. The world’s most devastating, brutal, and costly conflict was an inevitable result.


Britain and France declared war on the Nazis two days later, with Australia, New Zealand, India and Canada standing shoulder-to-shoulder in alliance. The USA and Eire remained neutral.


The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, signed in August 1939, guaranteed that Hitler wouldn’t suffer any Russian interference. In fact, Russia, following the Nazi example, invaded Poland from the east later that month. Poland was carved up between them.


The Nazis initial aim was to seize the former German provinces, which the Treaty of Versailles had awarded to Poland after World War I. Their ultimate objectives proved far more sinister, however, once the extent of Nazi brutality became apparent.


After the collapse of Poland, Germany marched into Denmark and Norway; Russia’s Red Army rounded on Finland. Western Europe actually saw little in the way of hostilities.


This period is now known as the Phoney War – where the Allies did little to deter the invading Axis forces - the only military exchanges took place at sea. In reality, Britain and France still needed time to make preparations for a full-scale war.


Sure enough, the calm was shattered when Germany invaded Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg on May 10th 1940.