Germany Invades Poland: World War II Begins
Germany invaded Poland at 4:45 a.m. on September 1, 1939, with 1.5 million troops, 2,500 tanks, and 2,000 aircraft striking from the north, south, and west simultaneously. The Luftwaffe destroyed much of the Polish Air Force on the ground within the first two days. Polish cavalry, contrary to popular myth, did not charge tanks with lances, but their forces were outmatched in every category. The Soviet Union invaded from the east on September 17, executing the secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Poland was partitioned between Germany and the Soviet Union by October 6. Britain and France declared war on September 3 but launched no military offensive to relieve the Poles, a betrayal that Poland has never entirely forgiven.
September 1, 1939
87 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on September 1
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