World War 2, a global conflict that reshaped the 20th century, began in 1939. By the outset of that year, Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Germany, was determined to invade and occupy Poland. This act of aggression, however, was not a solitary decision but rather the culmination of strategic calculations and political maneuvering. Poland’s geopolitical position was guaranteed by military support treaties with both France and Great Britain, meaning any German aggression against Poland could trigger a wider European conflict. Despite these guarantees, Hitler was resolute in his plan to invade Poland.
To mitigate potential resistance from the east, Hitler initiated secret negotiations with the Soviet Union. These discussions culminated in the signing of the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact on August 23-24, 1939, in Moscow. This pact, ostensibly a neutrality agreement, included a secret protocol that stunned the international community upon its eventual disclosure. According to this clandestine agreement, Germany and the Soviet Union planned to divide Poland. Germany was to claim the western third of Poland, while the Soviet Union would seize the eastern two-thirds.
With this agreement in place, Hitler believed he had neutralized the threat of Soviet intervention and minimized the risk of British involvement in his planned Polish invasion. He initially ordered the invasion to commence on August 26, 1939. However, news reached Hitler of the formalization of a treaty of mutual assistance between Great Britain and Poland on August 25, which solidified and strengthened a prior, temporary agreement. This development prompted a brief postponement of Hitler’s invasion order as he reassessed the situation.
Despite diplomatic efforts from western powers aimed at preventing war, Hitler remained unyielding. Finally, on August 31, 1939, at 12:40 pm, Hitler issued the definitive order to commence hostilities against Poland. The invasion began at 4:45 am on September 1, 1939. In direct response to this act of aggression, Great Britain and France, honoring their commitments to Poland, declared war on Germany. Britain declared war at 11:00 am, followed by France at 5:00 pm, both on September 3, 1939. These declarations of war marked the official beginning of World War II, plunging Europe and eventually the world into a devastating global conflict.
