The Invasion Of Poland
By Rajdip Chahal
- On September 1st, 1939 Germany Invaded Poland and triggered the start of the second world war
(Invasion of Poland, Fall 1939)

Picture Credit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Poland

Hitler exploited the false news and launch a "retaliatory" campaign against Poland. So when more people began hearing about it, they were even more furious with all that already happened to them with the terms in the Treaty of Versailles. So more began to push for Poland. (Operation Himmler - Battlefield)

The idea of Lebensraum had served as a critical component in the invasion of Poland. It was supported by the public due to the anger they felt after losing some colonies and land to countries after the terms of The Treaty of Versailles, so Germany began attacking Poland, which was given some of Germany's land and territories, starting the invasion on Poland. (The Invasion of Poland)

Short Term Causes

St1 Operation Himmler

- Operation Himmler was when the German military had staged a phony Polish attack on a German radio station falsely claiming that Poland had been planning with the allies Great Britain and France, to encircle and dismember Germany and were persecuting ethnic Germans.(Invasion of Poland, Fall 1939).

- They did this so when they invaded Poland, they had something to justify it. (Operation Himmler - Battlefield)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Himmler

St2 Lebensraum

- Hitler had developed the belief that Germany required "Lebensraum" in other words more living space in order to survive.(The Invasion of Poland)

https://www.yadvashem.org/education/educational-materials/key-concepts-in-holocaust-education.html

Long Term Causes

The Treaty of Versailles

- The Treaty of Versailles is the treaty that had formally ended the first war.
- The treaty declared that Germany was to surrender its territories to neighbouring countries and place other German territories under international supervision. [(Pruitt, S. (2018, June 29)]
- As well as be stripped of its oversea colonies, and have its military capabilities severely restricted to about 100.000 men and to be made to pay reparations for the whole war.(O'Neill, A. (2020, February 10)
- The effect this treaty had on germany and its economy was very bad, as to why germany reacted so negatively, which eventually lead to the invasion on Poland.
- Germany wanted to regain the land they lost on the terms of the Treaty
- Along with Germany's economy already suffering really badly, Britain and France decided to place the entire cost of the war on Germany. Obviously this was very unfair to Germany since they had no say in the creation of the treaty, and the treaty was solely based on the hated and revenge that Britain and France had towards them. (The Invasion of Poland)
-Led to a social unrest within Germany as many were upset with the terms in the treaty and wanted the blamed for the responsibility of the war to be lifted off their shoulders which they felt wasn't their fault. (The Invasion of Poland)

https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/the-treaty-of-versailles/

Hitler Becoming Chancellor

- When Hitler gained political power and became chancellor, he took advantage of the tough economic times in Europe and Germany and convinced people that extreme nationalism, racism and fascism were the only way to overcome the debt and repression that was holding Germany back. (The Invasion of Poland)
- He then proceeded to break and violate the terms of the Treaty of Versailles in order for Germany to regain power and land back, leading to the attack on Poland

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/today-in-history-adolf-hitler-became-chancellor-of-germany-in-1933/videoshow/67739164.cms

- Lebensraum connection to the Treaty of Versailles is that the idea had originally formed because one of the terms in the Treaty.
- The term stated that Germany had to handover its land to neighbouring countries. Germany felt that they had the right to that land because they thought of themselves as the "master land" therefore wanting all the land that was stolen from them because it originally belonged to them.
(The Invasion of Poland)

- Before Hitler become chancellor, he joined a political organization which he took over and renamed it to Nazi
- When He became chancellor he expanded and used his organization for his own aspirations. [(2009, November 9). Nazi Party]
- The same Nazi Propagandist that falsely claimed that Poland had been planning, with its allies Great Britain and France, to encircle and dismember Germany, worked under Hitler, and the German military that staged the phoney attack too.
- Where Hitler then proceeded to take advantage of and launched a “retaliatory” campaign against Poland using the fake news (Invasion of Poland, Fall 1939)

Britain had declared war because of the Invasion Of Poland

- By successfully invading Poland, Hitler had gained more power and influence, allowing him to commit great crimes such as the holocaust and more. (Introduction to the Holocaust)

Short Term Consequences

Britain Declaring War

The Holocaust

Long Term Consequences

Germany Losing The War & Hitler Killing Himself

Casualties of World War ll

- The holocaust took many lives and was allowed to happen due to Hitler and the successful occupation of Poland. During the final months of the war, when the allies started coming across these camps, were the Jewish people finally starting to become liberated. Hitler’s death brought a complete end to this and other anti-semitism laws. (Introduction to the Holocaust)

- The casualties of WW2 was a result of war which started because Britain had declared war.
- After Birtan had declared war more and more countries were roped into the war because all of the countries under the British Empire were required to fight, resulting in more casualties.[McLean, J. (n.d.)]

A&E Television Networks. (2009, November 24). Adolf Hitler Commits Suicide. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/adolf-hitler-commits-suicide.
A&E Television Networks. (2009, November 5). Britain and France declare war on Germany. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/britain-and-france-declare-war-on-germany.
History.com Editors. (2009, November 9). Nazi Party. History.com.https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/nazi-party.
Introduction to the Holocaust: What was the Holocaust (n.d).| Holocaust Encyclopedia
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/introduction-to-the-holocaust.
Invasion of Poland, Fall 1939 (n.d).| Holocaust Encyclopedia https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/invasion-of-poland-fall-1939#:~:text=On%20September%201%2C%201939%2C%20Germany,Poles%20were%20persecuting%20ethnic%20Germans.
McLean, J. (n.d.). History of Western Civilization II. Casualties of World War II | History of Western Civilization II. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldhistory2/chapter/casualties-of-world-war-ii/.
O'Neill, A. (2020, February 10). Treaty of Versailles: military structure restrictions. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1086662/treaty-versailles-military-restrictions/.
Operation Himmler - Battlefield. RouteYou. (n.d.). https://www.routeyou.com/en-pl/location/view/51561061/operation-himmler
Pruitt, S. (2018, June 29). How the Treaty of Versailles and German Guilt Led to World War II. History.com. https://www.history.com/news/treaty-of-versailles-world-war-ii-german-guilt-effects.
The Invasion of Poland - Causes and Consequences. (2017, February 5). http://workingproudly.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-invasion-of-poland-causes-and.html.