German Invasion of Poland

• Hitler desired more space for Germans and viewed Poland as ideal due to its location and perceived racial superiority.
• Many Nazi supporters were already prepared for conflict with Poland because they fought against Polish incursions after World War I.

German Invasion of Poland

• On September 1, 1939, German troops invaded Poland, initiating a war Germany had been planning.
• Germany and the USSR secretly agreed in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact to divide Poland and maintain peace between themselves.
• Fifty-five German divisions, primarily tanks and motorized infantry, quickly advanced into Poland, supported by the Luftwaffe.
• The Polish forces were significantly outnumbered, with only 17 divisions at the front and 22 preparing, facing 4,700 modern German planes vs. the Polish air force's 842 outdated aircraft.
• Some German troops were veterans with fighting experience from the Spanish conflict.
• Blitzkrieg, or "lightning war," was showcased in Poland, utilizing fast-paced, hard-hitting tactics, ideally suited to the open plains.
• The Germans advanced 140 miles in the first week, reaching Warsaw, which became the site of intense fighting.
• On September 17, the Russians invaded Poland from the east, when most Polish forces had been defeated by the Germans previously.
• The Polish high command fled into exile on the following day, with 80,000 soldiers fleeing to France and Britain.
• The Warsaw garrison surrendered on September 28, and the last substantial Polish forces surrendered on October 5.
• Poland allied with France since 1921 and with Britain since 1939.
• On September 3, Britain and France declared war on Germany, followed by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa.
• These countries couldn't provide immediate assistance to Poland.
• The "phony war" period followed, marked by a lack of direct conflict between major powers, but with significant activity across Europe.

Events After the Invasion of Poland

• The French made a brief attempt to invade the German Saarland but faced the Siegfried Line's defenses.
• The USSR began occupying territories, including a grueling invasion of Finland, known as the Winter War.
• The Winter War saw poorly prepared Soviet troops struggling in bitter cold, resulting in logistical problems and casualties.
• The Russians gained territory but suffered a Pyrrhic victory.
• The Allies initiated a naval blockade of Germany, taking advantage of the British Royal Navy's dominance.
• Germany countered with U-boats, attacking convoys supplying Britain and France in the Atlantic.
• The US profited by supplying equipment to friendly nations without directly engaging in the war.
• Polish troops arrived in Britain and France with cryptographers who began working on breaking the Enigma code.
• This work boosted British military intelligence, transforming it into a leading organization for covert information gathering.
• In April 1940, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway to secure shipping routes for Swedish iron ore.
• British, French, and Polish troops supported the Norwegians but were overwhelmed by the Germans once again.
• Winston Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlain as prime minister on May 10, 1940, forming a coalition government in Britain.
• Shortly after this, Germany prepared for the invasion of France.

Invasion of France

• The German army adopted Field Marshal Erich von Manstein's revised plan, shifting the offensive's focus south through the Ardennes forest, an area supposedly impassable to modern armies.
• 136 German army divisions faced 94 French, 22 Belgian, and 10 British divisions.
• Though the Germans had fewer tanks, the quality of their tanks and commanders like Guderian and Rommel gave them an advantage in armored warfare.
• On May 10, 1940, the Germans launched their attack.
• In the Netherlands, the Dutch army quickly surrendered after just four days of fighting.
• In Belgium, German paratroopers attacked the fort at Eben Emael, destroying gun turrets and defeating a much larger garrison.
• The Belgian defensive line weakened, its armies outnumbered, and air force destroyed quickly, leading to a German occupation.
• At the southern end of the advance, German Panzer divisions moved through the Ardennes into France, hitting the point where two weak French armies joined.
• The Germans broke through, crossed the River Meuse, and reached the English Channel on May 20, splitting Allied forces in half.
• British, French, and other Allied troops were surrounded.
• On May 26, the British began evacuating troops through Dunkirk, while a French rearguard defended against the Germans; 338,000 men including 120,000 French, were evacuated.
• The evacuation bolstered Allied war efforts and morale in Britain, while some in France saw it as a betrayal.
• The Germans swept south, surrounding the remaining French troops as the Channel coast became clear.
• The French troops stationed on the Maginot Line were outmaneuvered with the Ardennes offensive.

The Fall of France

• France surrendered on June 22 and was divided.
• The north and west were occupied by the Germans.
• The southeast became a puppet state under the Vichy regime.
• Mussolini sent troops into southeastern France on June 10 in a token effort to gain territory before Hitler.
• This token effort brought Italy into the war.

In 1939, Hitler invaded Poland, seeking more space for Germans, sparking a war Germany had planned. They utilized Blitzkrieg tactics with overwhelming force against the outnumbered Polish forces leading to a swift advance.