The Instigation of War & Attack on Poland
The targeting of Poland in the beginning of WWII was strategic in establishing the perception of a strong and effective German military as well as pursuing Hitler’s main intention of creating Lebensraum “or “living space,” for the German people” (History.com, 2010). His overall goal of dominating Europe had to start somewhere and Hitler chose Poland for several reasons.
Smallest Population: Of the possible military targets, available, Poland had both the smallest population and the smallest army. While Poland was “was capable of fielding an army of over 2 million men… when the invasion began… only 600,000 men were available” (Lyons, 2010 p. 63). This made it an easier target for Germany.
Outdated Weaponry: Most of Poland’s force was made up of infantry and cavalry, and while Polish military leaders were proud of this, these forces were no match for the German armor. The Polish army was lacking in mechanized force as they only possessed “310 tanks, most of them obsolete” (Lyons, 2010 p. 63). While Germany had a large advantage in air power with “850 bombers and 400 fighters” (Lyons, 2010 p. 63), Poland was left at a major disadvantage with “a total of only 400 first-line planes, just 36 of which were modern” (Lyons, 2010 p. 63).
Smallest Population: Of the possible military targets, available, Poland had both the smallest population and the smallest army. While Poland was “was capable of fielding an army of over 2 million men… when the invasion began… only 600,000 men were available” (Lyons, 2010 p. 63). This made it an easier target for Germany.
Outdated Weaponry: Most of Poland’s force was made up of infantry and cavalry, and while Polish military leaders were proud of this, these forces were no match for the German armor. The Polish army was lacking in mechanized force as they only possessed “310 tanks, most of them obsolete” (Lyons, 2010 p. 63). While Germany had a large advantage in air power with “850 bombers and 400 fighters” (Lyons, 2010 p. 63), Poland was left at a major disadvantage with “a total of only 400 first-line planes, just 36 of which were modern” (Lyons, 2010 p. 63).
German Army
Polish Army
Strategic Position: With the dismantling of Czechoslovakia and the annexation of Austria “German troops flanked Poland on three sides. This placed the Poles in a highly vulnerable position” (Lyons, 2010. p. 63). This, along with the nonaggression pact Hitler signed with Russia, essentially cut Poland off from any kind of aid that could have been sent, forcing them to spread their dilapidated army too thin.
Acquisition of Strategic Supplies: Hitler knew that to win a massive campaign across Europe, he would need to make Germany as self-sustaining as possible. To do this he signed an agreement with Russia for continued trade while also taking over specific areas of interest in other countries, including Poland. Russia claimed over half the country of Poland after the battle while “Germany, though receiving a smaller amount of territory, acquired roughly two-thirds of the people, the major industrial centers, the mining regions, and the best farmland” (Lyons, 2010. p. 66). This acquisition was paramount to winning the war as one of Germany’s biggest import at the time was food and Hitler required more man power for the army.
Ease of Justification: Like he did with Czechoslovakia, Hitler attempted to justify his attack on Poland with the Western Powers and with the German people through “propaganda and misinformation, alleging persecution of German-speakers in eastern Poland” (History.com, 2010). This was enabled due to the large portion of German people living in Poland through the division of territory after WWI. Hitler had hoped to forestall British intervention and even went as far as to stage a phony invasion of Germany by the Polish. On August 3, “Nazi S.S. troops wearing Polish uniforms staged a phony invasion of Germany, damaging several minor installations on the German side of the border” (History.com, 2010). To serve as more evidence of this Polish invasion the Nazi S.S. troops also left behind a “handful of dead concentration camp prisoners in Polish uniforms…which Nazi propagandists publicized as an unforgivable act of aggression” (History.com, 2010). This deceit only won over the German populace however and led to Britain merely delaying their intervention by a few days.
The advantages afforded to Germany against Poland allowed for an effective Blitzkrieg encouraging Hitler to continue his offensive strategy. The Polish didn’t stand much of chance in the face of the overwhelming German army and the western and eastern powers met the reality with differing perspectives. While the leader of the USSR, Stalin, was disturbed by Germany’s display of military power and “quickly set out to create as much of a buffer zone between the Soviet Union and Germany as possible” (Lyons, 2010. p. 66), Britain and France blamed Germany’s quick win on “Poland’s inadequate military forces and faulty defensive plan for the disaster and assumed that it would be different when the Germans attacked in the west” (Lyons, 2010. p. 65). The attack on Poland was the logical first step in Hitler’s attempt to create Lebensraum and succeeded in gaining Germany a large portion of people and land that could be used to fuel the Nazi war machine.
Ease of Justification: Like he did with Czechoslovakia, Hitler attempted to justify his attack on Poland with the Western Powers and with the German people through “propaganda and misinformation, alleging persecution of German-speakers in eastern Poland” (History.com, 2010). This was enabled due to the large portion of German people living in Poland through the division of territory after WWI. Hitler had hoped to forestall British intervention and even went as far as to stage a phony invasion of Germany by the Polish. On August 3, “Nazi S.S. troops wearing Polish uniforms staged a phony invasion of Germany, damaging several minor installations on the German side of the border” (History.com, 2010). To serve as more evidence of this Polish invasion the Nazi S.S. troops also left behind a “handful of dead concentration camp prisoners in Polish uniforms…which Nazi propagandists publicized as an unforgivable act of aggression” (History.com, 2010). This deceit only won over the German populace however and led to Britain merely delaying their intervention by a few days.
The advantages afforded to Germany against Poland allowed for an effective Blitzkrieg encouraging Hitler to continue his offensive strategy. The Polish didn’t stand much of chance in the face of the overwhelming German army and the western and eastern powers met the reality with differing perspectives. While the leader of the USSR, Stalin, was disturbed by Germany’s display of military power and “quickly set out to create as much of a buffer zone between the Soviet Union and Germany as possible” (Lyons, 2010. p. 66), Britain and France blamed Germany’s quick win on “Poland’s inadequate military forces and faulty defensive plan for the disaster and assumed that it would be different when the Germans attacked in the west” (Lyons, 2010. p. 65). The attack on Poland was the logical first step in Hitler’s attempt to create Lebensraum and succeeded in gaining Germany a large portion of people and land that could be used to fuel the Nazi war machine.
References
- History.com Staff, . (2010). Germans invade Poland. History.com. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-invade-poland
- Lyons, M. (2010). World War II: A short history (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, (63-66)
- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/7TP-2.jpg/170px-7TP-2.jpg
- http://www.avalanchepress.com/PolishCavalry_files/kaw-2.jpg
- https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/48/3f/24/483f240ad2d662eb64527f9c9438022e.jpg
- http://www.polishgreatness.com/sitebuilder/images/PolishCollapse-760x862.jpg
Credit: Amanda