This is a short story. The Germans attacked without a declaration of war on September 1, 1939. Great Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, but sat quiescent while the Germans destroyed the Polish armed forces. The Poles themselves believed in a war of movement; unlike the Western Powers, they were not wedded to the idea of positional warfare.

But their idea of mobility was based on the horse, not on motorized formations. The Poles attempted to conduct a cordon defense and cover the entirety of their border with Germany. As a result they were weak everywhere and subject to encirclement by the fast-moving Germans.

The Poles were already defeated when, on September 17, the Soviets crossed their border and annexed the eastern third of the nation. This ended all hope of a last stand in the southeast, and the Polish Air Force and High Command took refuge in Rumania. Fighting continued into early October, but the campaign had been decided in the first few days.

About 85,000 Polish troops, including much of the Air Force, escaped into neighboring countries. This was the only part of the Polish plan that actually worked. These troops would form the core of the Polish armed forces in exile, which would continue fighting for Poland until the end of the war.

Note: Bibliography available upon request.

Poland 1939

Introduction
Infantry
Cavalry
Artillery
Armor
Air Force
Navy
Campaign Overview