The Polish Crisis & the Outbreak of War
History: Cambridge International GCSE The Twentieth Century (Option B), topic 3.4.2
Invasion of Poland, 1939
On the 1st September 1939 Poland was invaded by Germany.
Invasion of Poland
- Hitler invaded Poland with force after blowing up the port of Danzig and sending his army and air force into the country.
- 2 days later, Britain issued an ultimatum to Germany:
- Withdraw your troops or face a declaration of war.
Declaring war
- The Germans were given a deadline to do this which was ignored.
- Britain then declared war on Germany, followed by the same declaration from France.
Hitler
- Within 4 weeks, Hitler took all of Poland.
- Breaking the Treaty of Versailles, the Nazi-Soviet Pact and ignoring the ultimatum from France and Great Britain.
The Second World War
- Hitler thought the threat of war from France and Great Britain wouldn’t amount to anything and they would back down.
- However, France and Great Britain didn’t back down the Second World War began.
Pact of Steel, 1939
In 1939 the Pact of Steel was signed.
1939
- In 1939 the Pact of Steel was signed.
Allies
- This was a formal pact joining Germany and Italy as three allies in World War Two.
Test yourself on The Polish Crisis & the Outbreak of War
On which day was Poland invaded by Germany?
What was signed in 1939?
Which countries signed the Pact of Steel in 1939?
Which of these countries was NOT part of the Pact of Steel?