Question- Explain the Outbreak of World War-II 1939.

Answer -

Outbreak of World War II 1939

The Nazi and Soviet Campaigns in Northeast Europe

• The Conquest of Poland
• The Germans tested Blitzkrieg (“lightning war”) tactics for the first time against Poland.

From Northern Germany to the forests on the Russian border, there was scarcely a natural obstacle to stop an invading army.

1. On 1 September 1939, Germany attacked Poland, beginning the warfare that lasted six years and spread around the globe.

2. Twelve hours after Hitler had attacked Poland, he replied to Roosevelt, stating that he had "left nothing untried for the purpose of settling the dispute in a friendly manner."

3. Poland fought alone, as Czechoslovakia was dismembered, and Russia had a non-aggression pact with Germany.

4. The German invasion of Poland led to British and French declarations of war on Germany within two days.

   • Italy did not enter the war at this time.

5. Within less than two weeks, Germany had subdued most of Poland.

6. Alarmed by Germany's formidable military display, the Soviets launched their assault on Eastern Poland in mid-September.

7. On 17 September, Stalin ordered the invasion of Poland by the Red Army.

   • After a week, Polish resistance ended with the capture of Warsaw.
   • The Polish government surrendered.

8. The Soviet Union and Germany divided Poland, each taking about half of the conquered territory.

9. Hitler annexed the former Free City of Danzig, the Corridor, and other districts in the West.

10. Stalin annexed Eastern Poland up to the frontier originally proposed by Lord Curzon in 1919.

11. Soon after securing their holdings in Poland, the Soviets forcibly annexed the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) to provide an expanded security zone in the northwest.

...Prev | Next...