Prior to the 1939 invasion of Poland, Germany’s political position was a totalitarian, expansionist dictatorship under Adolf Hitler. Focused on revising the Treaty of Versailles, the regime systematically rearmed, annexed Austria and Czechoslovakia, and signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with the Soviet Union to secure its eastern flank, intending to secure Lebensraum (living space).
- Totalitarian Control & Revisionism: Following Hitler's rise to power in 1933, the Nazi party eliminated internal opposition and focused on overturning the post-WWI territorial settlements, particularly targeting the "Polish Corridor" and Free City of Danzig.
- Diplomatic Strategy: Initially, Germany pursued a non-aggression pact with Poland (1934) to isolate it from France, but this was a tactical move before eventual aggression.
- Expansionist Momentum: Following the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland (1938), Hitler’s position was that German security and racial superiority demanded further expansion eastward, leading to the deliberate planning of the invasion.
- The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact: In August 1939, Germany secured a pact with the Soviet Union, creating a secret protocol to divide Eastern Europe, which finalized the decision to invade.
- Propaganda: The Nazi regime presented itself as a victim of the Versailles treaty, using this narrative to justify rearmament and aggression as necessary self-defense.
References
- Imperial War Museums: How Europe Went To War In 1939
- Yad Vashem: Significant Events in Holocaust History
- The National WWII Museum, New Orleans: The Invasion of Poland
- Holocaust Encyclopedia: Deceiving the Public
- Holocaust Encyclopedia: Invasion of Poland, Fall 1939