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Summary Invasion of Poland
- Institution
- AQA
Detailed notes on the Invasion of Poland . Great for revision! Obtained an A* overall
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Invasion of Poland- 1939: Hitler drew up plans for the invasion of the Polish corridor
• Convinced Britain and France would not intervene
• Chamberlain no more negotiations with Hitler after the Czech crisis- Chamberlain
viewed the Czech crisis as a betrayal
• France offered assistance to Poland if they were attacked by Germany
- March 1939: Chamberlain announced Britain’s intention to defend Poland followed by a
full military alliance - he hoped it would deter Hitler and make the USSR aware that
Western democracies could take firmer action (later Greece and Romania would join the
pact because of Italy’s invasion of Albania)
• Germany demanded that Lithuania return Memel
• 23rd: Lithuania was forced to agree and Germany later annexed Memel
• Hitler claimed that Germans were being mistreated in Danzig and demand its return.
Wanted rail-and-road route through the corridor to East Prussia
- April 1939: Discussions to have an alliance with the Western democracies to encircle
Germany. However Britain procrastinated and the UK and France were reluctant to
stand up to the aggressor, Japan.
• Hitler orders plans to be drawn up to invade Poland
- May 1939: Pact of Steel signed
- August 1939: Conclusion of the Nazi-Soviet Pact (Ribbontrop/Moltevo Pact)- would not
go to war with each other for ten years
• Committed each power to non-aggression against each other
• In a secret clause they agreed to invade and divide Poland amongst each other
• Immediately weakened Britain and France’s guarantee to Poland, making military
support almost impossible
• Gave Hitler time to prepare for an invasion of the USSR
• 26th: Hitler orders the attack on Poland but then postpones it
- August 1939: Polish-British Common Defence Act
• Little use of Britain and France’s military defence as they would have to go through
Germany to get to Poland
• Britain and France wanted Poland to allow Germany to annex Danzig but they didn’t
agree to it
• Italy announces that they are not ready to go to war
• 31st: SS troops dressed as Polish soldiers attack a German border radio post leaving
behind dead concentration camp prisoners in Polish uniforms- this Polish provocation
is used to justify war
- September 1939: French sent troops into the Saarland but no further
• Outbreak of war on 1st September - Germany invades Poland
• 3rd: Britain and France declare war and give Germany an ultimatum to withdraw-
despite declaration were unable to give Poland full support
• 17th: Soviets invade Poland from the east and Poland is crushed. Hitler turns west to
crush France
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