Okla-homey
8/31/2006, 06:25 AM
August 31, 1939: Germany poised for invasion of Poland
http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/3068/wwwpolandmapmv0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
67 years ago today at noon, despite threats of British and French intervention, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler signs the order to attack Poland, and German forces finalize their pre-lauch positions on the Reich's Polish border.
That evening, Waffen SS troops wearing Polish uniforms staged a phony invasion of Germany, damaging several minor installations on the German side of the border. They also left behind a handful of murdered German political prisoners dressed in Polish uniforms to serve as further evidence of the alleged Polish attack, which Nazi propagandists publicized as an "unforgivable act of aggression."
At dawn the next morning, September 1, 1939 58 German divisions invaded Poland all across the 1,750-mile frontier.
http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/7626/wwwbigpl01gz3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Dawn, September 1, 1939.
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/4056/wwwwwiipolandinvasion19390901ul9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Wehrmacht troops dismantling Polish border crossing station
http://img342.imageshack.us/img342/2410/wwwpanzertanksdm2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
German armor rolling onto Polish territory on September 1. The kraut flag over the engine compartment was a form of IFF to help prevent fratricide from Luftwaffe close air support aircraft aiding in the blitzkrieg.
Hitler expected continued appeasement from Britain and France--the same nations that had "sold-out" Czechoslovakia to Hitlerian conquest in 1938 with their signing of the Munich Pact.
See, in the Munich Pact, France and Britian had officially acquiesced to the Nazi conquest of Czechoslovakia buying the Nazi line that all the Nazis wanted to do was return to the pre-WWI status quo and "rescue" historically Germanic folks who were living under Czech tyranny in Czech territory and who desperately wanted and even deserved to live under Nazi rule.
France and Britain were suckered into buying into the notion Hitler wouldn't take any more European land or violate any other borders if the Nazis were allowed a "pass" on this one. (You know, if you'll indulge the historic analogy, kinda like the modern Arab contention that if Israel was subjugated by Arabs, all the jihaadism would cease :rolleyes: )
However, France and Britian finally sacked-up and neither country would allow Hitler's new violation of Europe's borders. Germany was presented with an ultimatum: Withdraw by September 3 or face war with the Western democracies.
At 11:15 a.m. on September 3, a few minutes after the expiration of the British ultimatum, Prime Minister Neville "Peace in our Time" Chamberlain (who had earlier helped broker the Munich Pact treaty) appeared on BBC radio to announce solemnly that Britain was at war with Germany. The British commonwealth nations Australia, New Zealand, and India immediately followed suit.
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/953/wwwnevillejd0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
British PM Neville Chamberlain...later replaced by Winston Churchill. PWN3D!
Later that afternoon, the French ultimatum expired, and at 5:00 p.m. France declared war on Germany.
The Soviets held off because "the fix was in" with Joe Stalin. The Soviets were allowed to roll in to eastern Poland to the limit of a line dividing the country pre-established by a shady Nazi-Soviet agreement. Of course, that pact would be dashed when Hitler later invaded the Soviet Union in his quest for Eurasian dominance a little later.
http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/3764/wwwwwpolandiu2.gif (http://imageshack.us)
Western Poland for Hitler. Eastern Poland for Stalin.
The European phase of World War II had begun.
http://img280.imageshack.us/img280/9295/insane7zoaa5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/3068/wwwpolandmapmv0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
67 years ago today at noon, despite threats of British and French intervention, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler signs the order to attack Poland, and German forces finalize their pre-lauch positions on the Reich's Polish border.
That evening, Waffen SS troops wearing Polish uniforms staged a phony invasion of Germany, damaging several minor installations on the German side of the border. They also left behind a handful of murdered German political prisoners dressed in Polish uniforms to serve as further evidence of the alleged Polish attack, which Nazi propagandists publicized as an "unforgivable act of aggression."
At dawn the next morning, September 1, 1939 58 German divisions invaded Poland all across the 1,750-mile frontier.
http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/7626/wwwbigpl01gz3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Dawn, September 1, 1939.
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/4056/wwwwwiipolandinvasion19390901ul9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Wehrmacht troops dismantling Polish border crossing station
http://img342.imageshack.us/img342/2410/wwwpanzertanksdm2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
German armor rolling onto Polish territory on September 1. The kraut flag over the engine compartment was a form of IFF to help prevent fratricide from Luftwaffe close air support aircraft aiding in the blitzkrieg.
Hitler expected continued appeasement from Britain and France--the same nations that had "sold-out" Czechoslovakia to Hitlerian conquest in 1938 with their signing of the Munich Pact.
See, in the Munich Pact, France and Britian had officially acquiesced to the Nazi conquest of Czechoslovakia buying the Nazi line that all the Nazis wanted to do was return to the pre-WWI status quo and "rescue" historically Germanic folks who were living under Czech tyranny in Czech territory and who desperately wanted and even deserved to live under Nazi rule.
France and Britain were suckered into buying into the notion Hitler wouldn't take any more European land or violate any other borders if the Nazis were allowed a "pass" on this one. (You know, if you'll indulge the historic analogy, kinda like the modern Arab contention that if Israel was subjugated by Arabs, all the jihaadism would cease :rolleyes: )
However, France and Britian finally sacked-up and neither country would allow Hitler's new violation of Europe's borders. Germany was presented with an ultimatum: Withdraw by September 3 or face war with the Western democracies.
At 11:15 a.m. on September 3, a few minutes after the expiration of the British ultimatum, Prime Minister Neville "Peace in our Time" Chamberlain (who had earlier helped broker the Munich Pact treaty) appeared on BBC radio to announce solemnly that Britain was at war with Germany. The British commonwealth nations Australia, New Zealand, and India immediately followed suit.
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/953/wwwnevillejd0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
British PM Neville Chamberlain...later replaced by Winston Churchill. PWN3D!
Later that afternoon, the French ultimatum expired, and at 5:00 p.m. France declared war on Germany.
The Soviets held off because "the fix was in" with Joe Stalin. The Soviets were allowed to roll in to eastern Poland to the limit of a line dividing the country pre-established by a shady Nazi-Soviet agreement. Of course, that pact would be dashed when Hitler later invaded the Soviet Union in his quest for Eurasian dominance a little later.
http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/3764/wwwwwpolandiu2.gif (http://imageshack.us)
Western Poland for Hitler. Eastern Poland for Stalin.
The European phase of World War II had begun.
http://img280.imageshack.us/img280/9295/insane7zoaa5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)