World War II in Europe

Fantastic! I felt that we would need this type of thread, and It's good that someone here is willing to provide some military history unlike I did with my Interbellum lecture (that will change with the Cold War, do not worry!).

Excellent said! But the Western Allies forced the Poles not to mobilize their whole army otherwise they would provoke the Germans.
Also, the Polish were spread out over the whole enormous border, making their defences very weak. Instead, they should have focused on a more concentrated area.
Their resistance was, as you said, already doomed when the Polish air force was defeated.

Just one more thing: "Weiss"means in German "White"and not blue.

Edited, I must be confusing Weiss with Blau , added the Poland mobilization problem too. Thank you for noticing.

Yes, out of topic but Weiss is white and Blau is blue.

Hope it is clear now

2. Soviet Invasion of Poland.

"It became apparent that all that was needed was an initial attack of the German Army and, after that, the attack of the Soviet [Army]; in order to leave nothing of [Poland,] this monstrous bastard of the Treaty of Versailles ..."- Vyacheslav Molotov

Soviet Union invades Poland in 17th September.  In the Secret Protocol of Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, Soviet should attack Poland soon after the attacks by Germany, but Soviet attacked 16 days later. This was because Stalin needed a truce with the Japanese, Soviet Union was in an undeclared war with the Japanese in Khalkin Gol (Nomonhan) before the World War II. When the cease fire was achieved in 16th September, Stalin ordered his forces to cross the Polish-Soviet border. The Soviet reason to invade Poland was because they needed to protect their own citizens in Eastern Poland, because the Polish Government had collapsed in the face of German invasion, and failed to provide security for their citizens.


Soviet forces on the move towards Grodno

At the beginning of hostilities by Soviet forces, some several Polish cities including Dubno, Łuck and Włodzimierz Wołyński let the Soviet army come peacefully. And Polish general Juliusz Rómmel issued an unauthorized order to treat the Soviets as an ally. They believed that Soviet would help them against the Nazi Germany, but soon they realized that Soviets invaded them. Soviet entered the Eastern Poland with 450.000 to 1.000.000 troops, far outnumbered the Polish defenders.

While Polish forces were decimated in the face of German attacks, the Polish Army is still a formidable force in 17 September 1939. Smigly commenced a general retreat towards the Polish-Romanian border and established a defence line in the Romanian Bridgehead. All this plan only works if Soviet Union remains neutral, and by 17 September, the entire plan were rendered useless. Smigly initially wants to resist and hold the Soviets, but dissuaded by Prime Minister Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski and President Ignacy Mościcki. Later Smigly ordered the Polish troops to fall back, only engaging the Soviets in self-defence. But the poor communication because of the Germans resulted many troops didn't recieve an orders, and some Polish and Soviet troops soon clashed all over the borders.

Soviet forces often met German troops in the battlefield and cooperated with each others. German and Soviet troops also interact with each other with friendliness. The most remarkable event of this, is at Brest-Litovsk on 22 September. The German 19th Panzer Corps occupied the city but later turned it to the Soviet 29th Tank Brigade. The withdrawing Germans and the coming Soviet troops saluted each other. And in 28 September, Soviet forces had reached the agreed line in the Secret Protocol.


Soviet and German tank crew man

The reaction from the Britain and France was muted, they don't want to be in a conflict with the Soviets.

Later, in 6 October 1939, the Polish Army were effectively crushed and gone. 
Poland were to be divided between German and Soviet Union according the Secret Protocol in Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The west becomes part of the Germany and the east becomes part of the Soviet Union. Also a small part becomes part of Hungary and Slovakia.
About 65,000 Polish troops were killed in the campaign, with 420,000 Polish troops captured by the Germans and 240,000 more by the Soviets (for a total of 660,000 prisoners). Up to 120,000 Polish troops escaped to neutral Romania, and another 20,000 to Latvia and Lithuania, with the majority eventually making their way to France or Britain.
The Occupation of Poland is disastrous for the Poles. Soviets occupation in 1939-1941 resulted in the death of 150,000 and deportation of 320,000 of Poles. The German occupied area also executed the infamous Generalplan Ost, this resulted in 5.5 million to 5.7 million of Poles killed.

Soviet Union later began its agenda in the Baltic states and Finland, while Germany turned its eyes to the West, simultaneously drawing plans for the North.

Unternehmen Weserubung, a German victory in the North but with great loss for the Kriegsmarine, will be discussed in the next episode.

Most people forget SU's involement in the Invasion of Poland and other events (Katyn as an example). Good job as always.

Of course did Russia hate Poland, they lost a war against them in the 1920s