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Why did Germany invade Poland 1939? - Coggle Diagram
Why did Germany invade Poland 1939?
POLAND
Polish corridor - gave Poland sea access, taken from Germany - split Germany in 2
Poles refused to discuss revising the situation
The Polish Crisis
Hitler believed he needed to control Poland to secure Germany eastern border in case of major war - couldn't risk war w France yet
To achieve lebensraum in USSR, Hitler would have to conquer Poland - but he didn't want war w GB + France who guaranteed Polish independence April 1939 after occupation of Czechoslovakia
set up in 1919 by Tov - Hitler wished to overturn
Poland had part of key industrial area of Silesia
Danzig (formerly German), under League of Nations control
Hitler didn't think GB + France would go to war to prevent Hitler taking formerly German land - self-determination + didn't help Czechoslovakia
Poland wasn't an obvious ally of GB + FR - authoritarian dictatorship w anti-Semitic policies, took advantage of German occupation of Czechoslovakia march 1939 to seize disputed territory - Teschen
HITLER'S BELIEFS
some argue decision to invade Poland wasn't result of unintended consequences/economic concerns -> Hitler's ideological vision
war to Hitler = inevitable + continuous struggle for survival
tested + affirmed German racial superiority
natural state of 3rd Reich = war, Poles + Slavic sub-humans incapable of defeating superior race
wanted a small war, but willing + prepared for wider conflict, didn't particularly want global conflict 1939, but ideological vision = inevitable
openly called for Lebensraum in East
needed access to USSR through Poland to achieve this => conflict w Poland is inevitable
ideological imperative of Lebensraum overcame rational concerns of GB + FR support for Poland
racial ideology affected timing of decisions - worried by growing power of USA - dominated by Jewish world conspiracies hoping to ally USA w GB + FR to destroy Germany
pre-emptive war needed to prevent attack from racial inferiors + Jew-led enemies
his character made war more likely - combined pessimism + optimism, he believed his own personality cult + underestimated opponents
MISUNDERSTOOD ALLIED PREPAREDNESS + POLITICAL MISCALCULATIONS
After Anschluss, failure to protect Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia - miscalculated military preparedness + willingness of GB + France to fight
Sep 3 GB + France declared war 2 days after Germany invaded Poland
Munich conference persuaded Hitler - Allies = weak, wouldn't risk war
March 31 1939 GB PM Chamberlain publicly guaranteed Polish independence
Poland believed it + felt confident enough to resist German pressure
Hitler thought GB was bluffing - believed he could invade without risking war
May 1939, Hitler told his generals he only wanted war w Poland
After Czechoslovakia occupation, GB realised Hitler wanted more than ToV reversal - dominate the world
GB + FR openly increased rearmament
GB publicly announced guarantee Polish independence if they attacked - Hitler thought = weak promise
included clauses Hitler thought had wiggle room to break, Poles warned by GB to not mobilise army - Hitler thought this showed there wasn't a real commitment to defend Poland
Hitler thought long-term competition w USA would force GB into alliance w Germany
When GB signed full military alliance w Poland Aug 1939 - GB offered to guarantee peacefully re-negotiated border changes between Germany + Poland + to support return of German colonies in Africa, now under League control
GB turned down Polish request for a loan for rearmament - Hitler thought British commitment to Polish defence = weak
Miscalculated Poland's strength
signed a non-aggression pact w Poland 1934
Oct 1938 - Ribbentrop met Polish foreign minister Jozef Lipski - discuss German-Polish border + return of Danzig
But Poland was a significant regional power, hoping to extend its influence
appeared militarily strong, spent half govt budget on rearmament by mid 1930s
1932 Poland signed non-aggression pact w USSR + Polish leaders wanted to stand up to Hitler to join Czechoslovakia
They thought an alliance w Hitler would make Poland a satellite state - refused German demands on border negotiations
Pact of Steel May 1939
military alliance Germany + Italy - nations would support each other in any war
Mussolini signed on basis of German promise to not start war before 1942
finished pact didn't include this term, even though Hitler was preparing for immediate war as he signed the pact
increased German confidence - war w Poland didn't = war w West
at worst, Hitler thought war w Poland w no western intervention + Poles more open to negotation - result of Pact of Steel
didn't believe Allies would keep their promise to Poland, even after notes saying they would
Aug 1939, Hitler called them 'tiny little worms'
miscalculated their determination to honour their promise to Poland, underestimated GB military strength + believed naval reconstruction programme was incomplete, little change for army, slightly more rearmament of Air Force
ECONOMIC CRISIS
1936 Hitler started 4 Year Plan - prepare German economy for war
clear Germany lacked resources + insufficient to keep up w level of rearmament
had to import resources - BOP problems by 1939 - threatened rearmament
raw material shortages threatened rearmament + steel supplies for military use were cut, Air Force production targets reduced, machine gun + ammunition lowered, mortar bomb production stopped
labour shortages - 1m workers more needed + 87% increase in workforce to meet all production targets which had been set
foreign labour used - 40k skilled Czechs used by June 1 1939 + benefits from invading other countries + enslaving their workforce
conscripting German workers = impossible + women fully utilised
Hitler's domestic ideology for women had influence + those who wanted to work already joined workforce during mid 1930s economic recovery
food supplies + diet worsened - resources focused on war effort + ersatz food substitutes
Aug 22 1939 - Hitler told military economy = Germany survival for a few more years -> no choice but to invade 1939
MISCALCULATIONS 2
British public opinion
Chamberlain would prefer a diplomatic outcome - other political leaders + public guaranteed commitment to Poland
anti-German
after Hitler invaded Poland Sept 1 1939, House of Commons demanded Chamberlain respond assertively
Hitler didn't declare war or an ultimatum, Labour leader Greenwood demanded action in defence of civilisation
Hitler failed to realise the issue was w the balance of power in Europe + GB's great power status - German control threatened
Nazi-Soviet Pact 1939
made Hitler more sure there wouldn't be intervention
von Ribbentrop visited Moscow + signed non-aggression pact - maintain peace for 10yrs
Germany protected against war w USSR - no threat of war from 2 fronts
Von Ribbentrop
Hated GB - low opinion of British + persuaded Hitler they were degenerate, lacked determination to fight
Chamberlain wrote to Hitler - Pact wouldn't make a difference to GB promise, but next German ambassador + visits assured Hitler that GB wanted to negotiate a deal over Poland