The Soviet Invasion of Poland (1939) – Stalin's Overlooked Campaign at the Start of World War II
December 31, 2024
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29:20Now PlayingThe Soviet Invasion of Poland (1939) – Stalin's Overlooked Campaign at the Start of World War II
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The Soviet invasion of Eastern Poland on September 17, 1939 (Agresja ZSRR na Polskę / Польский поход Красной армии) occurred while Poland was already reeling from the German invasion (started on September 1, 1939). The Soviet invasion was justified under the terms of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a secret non-aggression agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union that also included a clause dividing Eastern Europe into spheres of influence.
Approximately 450,000 Soviet troops from the Belarusian and Ukrainian Fronts participated in the operation, supported by about 5,000 tanks and other mechanized units. The invasion was well-coordinated and overwhelming for the already weakened Polish defenders. The Polish Army, already exhausted from weeks of fighting the Germans, had only a few units stationed in the east to defend against a Soviet threat. Some units tried to withdraw toward Romania and Hungary, but were caught between the advancing Germans and Soviets.
Notable battles and clashes were the Battle of Grodno, the Defense of Wilno and the Siege of Lwów. Many Polish units, trapped between the Germans and the Soviets, opted to retreat to neutral Romania or Hungary. The Soviet forces quickly took control of key cities and infrastructure, facing relatively limited organized resistance. By early October 1939, the entirety of eastern Poland had fallen under Soviet control.
History Hustle presents: The Soviet Invasion of Poland (1939) – Stalin's Overlooked Campaign at the Start of World War II.
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SOURCES
– The Red Army and the Second World War (Alexander Hill).
– Ivan's War. The Red Army, 1939 – 45 (Catherine Merridale).
– First to Fight, The Polish War, 1939 (Roger Moorhouse).
– Russia's War (Richard Overy).
– Katyn and the Soviet M***acre of 1940: Truth, Justice and Memory (George Sanford).
– Bloodlands (Timothy Snyder).
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INVASION OF POLAND IN 1939 BY GERMAN ARMY
Western Ukraine Liberated by Red Army 1939 (1/8)
Western Ukraine Liberated by Red Army 1939 (2/8)
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