A map of the German invasion of Poland in 1939 which marked the beginning of the Second World War (1939–1945). The campaign demonstrated the devastating effectiveness of Blitzkrieg, a new form of fast, coordinated warfare combining armor, infantry, and air power. Launched under Operation Fall Weiss, German forces struck without a formal declaration of war on 1 September 1939, attacking from East Prussia and Pomerania in the north, Silesia and Slovakia in the south, and Brandenburg in the west. The Luftwaffe’s bombardments crippled Polish infrastructure, while rapid mechanized advances encircled key defensive positions. Despite courageous resistance, including counterattacks along the Bzura River (9–11 September), Polish forces were outnumbered, outmaneuvered, and overwhelmed by superior firepower and mobility.
The invasion’s turning point came on 17 September, when the Soviet Union invaded from the east, acting under the terms of the Nazi-Soviet Pact (August 1939). Facing attack from both sides, the Polish state collapsed within weeks; Warsaw surrendered on 27 September, and the last organized resistance ended on 6 October. The partition of Poland between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union erased its independence once again and exposed the geopolitical cynicism of Europe’s totalitarian powers. The campaign’s rapid conclusion shocked the world, revealing how outdated defensive strategies could not withstand modern mechanized warfare, an ominous prelude to the global conflict that would follow.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Netchev, S. (2025, November 17). Map of the German Invasion of Poland in 1939. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21316/map-of-the-german-invasion-of-poland-in-1939/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the German Invasion of Poland in 1939." World History Encyclopedia, November 17, 2025. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21316/map-of-the-german-invasion-of-poland-in-1939/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the German Invasion of Poland in 1939." World History Encyclopedia, 17 Nov 2025, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21316/map-of-the-german-invasion-of-poland-in-1939/.
