All German troops sent to Poland 1939. USSR invasion of Poland

Illustration copyright Getty Image caption

On September 1, 1939, Hitler attacked Poland. 17 days later, at 6 am, the Red Army in large forces (21 rifle and 13 cavalry divisions, 16 tank and 2 motorized brigades, a total of 618 thousand people and 4,733 tanks) crossed the Soviet-Polish border from Polotsk to Kamenets-Podolsk.

In the USSR the operation was called a “liberation campaign”; in modern Russia it is neutrally called the “Polish campaign”. Some historians consider September 17 to be the date of the actual entry of the Soviet Union into World War II.

Spawn of the Pact

The fate of Poland was decided on August 23 in Moscow, when the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed.

For “calm confidence in the East” (the expression of Vyacheslav Molotov) and supplies of raw materials and bread, Berlin recognized half of Poland, Estonia, Latvia (Stalin later exchanged Lithuania from Hitler for part of the Polish territory owed to the USSR), Finland and Bessarabia as a “zone of Soviet interests.”

They did not ask for the opinions of the listed countries, as well as other world players.

Great and not-so-great powers constantly divided up foreign lands, openly and secretly, bilaterally and at international conferences. For Poland, the German-Russian partition of 1939 was the fourth.

The world has changed quite a lot since then. The geopolitical game continues, but it is impossible to imagine that two powerful states or blocs would cynically decide the fate of third countries behind their backs.

Has Poland gone bankrupt?

Justifying the violation of the Soviet-Polish non-aggression treaty of July 25, 1932 (in 1937, its validity was extended until 1945), the Soviet side argued that the Polish state had virtually ceased to exist.

“The German-Polish war clearly showed the internal bankruptcy of the Polish state. Thus, the agreements concluded between the USSR and Poland were terminated,” said the note handed to the Polish Ambassador Waclaw Grzybowski, summoned to the NKID on September 17, by Deputy People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vladimir Potemkin.

“The sovereignty of the state exists as long as the soldiers of the regular army fight. Napoleon entered Moscow, but as long as Kutuzov’s army existed, they believed that Russia existed. Where did the Slavic solidarity go?” - Grzybowski answered.

The Soviet authorities wanted to arrest Grzybowski and his employees. The Polish diplomats were saved by the German ambassador Werner von Schulenburg, who reminded the new allies about the Geneva Convention.

The Wehrmacht's attack was truly terrible. However, the Polish army, cut by tank wedges, imposed on the enemy the battle on Bzura that lasted from September 9 to 22, which even the Voelkischer Beobachter recognized as “fierce.”

We are expanding the front of socialist construction, this is beneficial for humanity, because the Lithuanians, Western Belarusians, and Bessarabians consider themselves happy, whom we delivered from the oppression of landowners, capitalists, police officers and all other bastards from Joseph Stalin’s speech at a meeting in the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks on September 9 1940

The attempt to encircle and cut off the aggressor troops that had broken through from Germany was unsuccessful, but the Polish forces retreated beyond the Vistula and began to regroup for a counterattack. In particular, 980 tanks remained at their disposal.

The defense of Westerplatte, Hel and Gdynia aroused the admiration of the whole world.

Mocking the “military backwardness” and “gentry arrogance” of the Poles, Soviet propaganda picked up Goebbels’s fiction that Polish lancers allegedly rushed at German tanks on horseback, helplessly pounding their sabers on the armor.

In fact, the Poles did not engage in such nonsense, and the corresponding film, made by the German Ministry of Propaganda, was subsequently proven to be a fake. But the Polish cavalry seriously disturbed the German infantry.

The Polish garrison of the Brest Fortress, led by General Konstantin Plisovsky, repulsed all attacks, and German artillery was stuck near Warsaw. Soviet heavy guns helped, shelling the citadel for two days. Then a joint parade took place, which was hosted by Heinz Guderian, who soon became too well known to Soviet people, on the German side, and by brigade commander Semyon Krivoshein on the Soviet side.

Surrounded Warsaw capitulated only on September 26, and resistance finally ceased on October 6.

According to military analysts, Poland was doomed, but could fight for a long time.

Diplomatic games

Already on September 3, Hitler began to urge Moscow to act as soon as possible - because the war was not unfolding quite as he wanted, but, most importantly, to induce Britain and France to recognize the USSR as the aggressor and declare war on it along with Germany.

The Kremlin, understanding these calculations, was in no hurry.

On September 10, Schulenburg reported to Berlin: “At yesterday’s meeting, I got the impression that Molotov promised a little more than can be expected from the Red Army.”

According to historian Igor Bunich, diplomatic correspondence every day more and more resembled conversations on a thieves' "raspberry": if you don't go to work, you'll be left without a share!

The Red Army began to move two days after Ribbentrop, in his next message, transparently hinted at the possibility of creating an OUN state in western Ukraine.

If Russian intervention is not initiated, the question will inevitably arise as to whether a political vacuum will be created in the area lying east of the German zone of influence. In eastern Poland, conditions may arise for the formation of new states from Ribbentrop's telegram to Molotov dated September 15, 1939.

“The question of whether the preservation of an independent Polish State is desirable in mutual interests, and what the boundaries of this state will be, can only be finally clarified during further political development,” said paragraph 2 of the secret protocol.

At first, Hitler was inclined to the idea of ​​​​preserving Poland in a reduced form, cutting it off from the west and east. The Nazi Fuehrer hoped that Britain and France would accept this compromise and end the war.

Moscow did not want to give him a chance to escape the trap.

On September 25, Schulenburg reported to Berlin: “Stalin considers it a mistake to leave an independent Polish state.”

By that time, London officially declared: the only possible condition for peace is the withdrawal of German troops to the positions they occupied before September 1; no microscopic quasi-states will save the situation.

Divided without a trace

As a result, during Ribbentrop's second visit to Moscow on September 27-28, Poland was divided completely.

The signed document already talked about “friendship” between the USSR and Germany.

In a telegram to Hitler in response to congratulations on his own 60th birthday in December 1939, Stalin repeated and strengthened this thesis: “The friendship of the peoples of Germany and the Soviet Union, sealed by blood, has every reason to be long-lasting and strong.”

The agreement of September 28 was accompanied by new secret protocols, the main one of which stated that the contracting parties would not allow “any Polish agitation” in the territories they controlled. The corresponding map was signed not by Molotov, but by Stalin himself, and his 58-centimeter stroke, starting in Western Belarus, crossed Ukraine and entered Romania.

At the banquet in the Kremlin, according to Gustav Hilger, adviser to the German embassy, ​​22 toasts were raised. Further, Hilger, according to him, lost count because he drank at the same rate.

Stalin honored all the guests, including the SS man Schulze, who stood behind Ribbentrop’s chair. The adjutant was not supposed to drink in such a company, but the owner personally handed him a glass, proposed a toast “to the youngest of those present,” said that a black uniform with silver stripes probably suited him, and demanded that Schulze promise to come to Soviet again. Union, and certainly in uniform. Schulze gave his word and kept it on June 22, 1941.

Unconvincing arguments

Official Soviet history offered four main explanations, or rather, justifications for the actions of the USSR in August-September 1939:

a) the pact made it possible to delay the war (obviously, it is implied that otherwise the Germans, having captured Poland, would immediately march on Moscow without stopping);

b) the border moved 150-200 km to the west, which played an important role in repelling future aggression;

c) the USSR took under the protection of half-brothers Ukrainians and Belarusians, saving them from Nazi occupation;

d) the pact prevented an “anti-Soviet conspiracy” between Germany and the West.

The first two points arose in hindsight. Until June 22, 1941, Stalin and his circle did not say anything like this. They did not consider the USSR as a weak defending party and did not intend to fight on their territory, be it “old” or newly acquired.

The hypothesis of a German attack on the USSR already in the fall of 1939 looks frivolous.

For aggression against Poland, the Germans were able to assemble 62 divisions, of which about 20 were undertrained and understaffed, 2,000 aircraft and 2,800 tanks, over 80% of which were light tankettes. At the same time, Kliment Voroshilov, during negotiations with the British and French military delegations in May 1939, said that Moscow was able to field 136 divisions, 9-10 thousand tanks, 5 thousand aircraft.

On the previous border we had powerful fortified areas, and the direct enemy at that time was only Poland, which alone would not have dared to attack us, and if it had colluded with Germany, it would not have been difficult to establish the exit of German troops to our border. Then we would have time to mobilize and deploy. Now we are face to face with Germany, which can secretly concentrate its troops for an attack, according to the speech of the chief of staff of the Belarusian Military District, Maxim Purkaev, at a meeting of the district’s command staff in October 1939.

Pushing the border west in the summer of 1941 did not help the Soviet Union, because the Germans occupied this territory in the early days of the war. Moreover: thanks to the pact, Germany advanced east by an average of 300 km, and most importantly, acquired a common border with the USSR, without which an attack, especially a sudden one, would have been completely impossible.

A “crusade against the USSR” may have seemed plausible to Stalin, whose worldview was shaped by the Marxist doctrine of class struggle as the main driving force of history, and also suspicious by nature.

However, not a single attempt by London and Paris to conclude an alliance with Hitler is known. Chamberlain's “appeasement” was not intended to “direct German aggression to the East,” but to encourage the Nazi leader to abandon aggression altogether.

The thesis of protecting Ukrainians and Belarusians was officially presented by the Soviet side in September 1939 as the main reason.

Hitler, through Schulenburg, expressed his strong disagreement with such an “anti-German formulation.”

“The Soviet government, unfortunately, does not see any other pretext to justify its current intervention abroad. We ask, taking into account the difficult situation for the Soviet government, not to allow such trifles to stand in our way,” Molotov said in response to the German Ambassador

In fact, the argument could be considered flawless if the Soviet authorities, in pursuance of secret NKVD order No. 001223 of October 11, 1939, in a territory with a population of 13.4 million, had not arrested 107 thousand and administratively deported 391 thousand people. About ten thousand died during the deportation and settlement.

High-ranking security officer Pavel Sudoplatov, who arrived in Lviv immediately after its occupation by the Red Army, wrote in his memoirs: “The atmosphere was strikingly different from the state of affairs in the Soviet part of Ukraine. The Western capitalist way of life flourished, wholesale and retail trade were in the hands of private traders, who would soon liquidate."

Special scores

In the first two weeks of the war, the Soviet press devoted short news reports to it under neutral headlines, as if they were talking about distant and insignificant events.

On September 14, in order to prepare information for the invasion, Pravda published a large article devoted mainly to the oppression of national minorities in Poland (as if the arrival of the Nazis promised them better times), and containing the statement: “That’s why no one wants to fight for such a state.” .

Subsequently, the misfortune that befell Poland was commented on with undisguised gloating.

Speaking at the session of the Supreme Soviet on October 31, Molotov rejoiced that “nothing remained of this ugly brainchild of the Treaty of Versailles.”

Both in the open press and in confidential documents, the neighboring country was called either “the former Poland” or, in Nazi fashion, the “Government General”.

Newspapers printed cartoons depicting a border post being knocked down by a Red Army boot, and a sad teacher announcing to the class: “This, children, is where we finish our study of the history of the Polish state.”

Through the corpse of white Poland lies the path to world fire. On bayonets we will bring happiness and peace to working humanity Mikhail Tukhachevsky, 1920

When the Polish government in exile led by Wladyslaw Sikorski was created in Paris on October 14, Pravda responded not with information or analytical material, but with a feuilleton: “The territory of the new government consists of six rooms, a bathroom and a toilet. In comparison with this territory, Monaco looks limitless empire."

Stalin had special scores to settle with Poland.

During the disastrous Polish War of 1920 for Soviet Russia, he was a member of the Revolutionary Military Council (political commissar) of the Southwestern Front.

The neighboring country in the USSR was called nothing less than “lord's Poland” and was always blamed for everything.

As follows from the decree signed by Stalin and Molotov on January 22, 1933 on the fight against the migration of peasants to the cities, people, it turns out, did this not trying to escape the Holodomor, but being incited by “Polish agents.”

Until the mid-1930s, Soviet military plans considered Poland as the main enemy. Mikhail Tukhachevsky, who at one time was also among the beaten commanders, according to the recollections of witnesses, simply lost his composure when the conversation turned to Poland.

Repressions against the leadership of the Polish Communist Party living in Moscow in 1937-1938 were common practice, but the fact that it was declared “sabotage” as such and dissolved by decision of the Comintern is a unique fact.

The NKVD also discovered in the USSR the “Polish Military Organization”, allegedly created back in 1914 by Pilsudski personally. She was accused of something that the Bolsheviks themselves took credit for: the disintegration of the Russian army during the First World War.

During the “Polish operation”, carried out under Yezhov’s secret order No. 00485, 143,810 people were arrested, 139,835 of them were convicted and 111,091 were executed - every sixth of the ethnic Poles living in the USSR.

In terms of the number of victims, even the Katyn massacre pales in comparison to these tragedies, although it was she who became known to the whole world.

Easy walk

Before the start of the operation, Soviet troops were consolidated into two fronts: Ukrainian under the command of the future People's Commissar of Defense Semyon Timoshenko and Belarusian under General Mikhail Kovalev.

The 180-degree turn occurred so quickly that many Red Army soldiers and commanders thought they were going to fight the Nazis. The Poles also did not immediately understand that this was not help.

Another incident occurred: the political commissars explained to the fighters that they had to “beat the gentlemen,” but the attitude had to be urgently changed: it turned out that in the neighboring country everyone is a gentleman.

The head of the Polish state, Edward Rydz-Śmigly, realizing the impossibility of a war on two fronts, ordered the troops not to resist the Red Army, but to be interned in Romania.

Some commanders did not receive the order or ignored it. The battles took place near Grodno, Shatsk and Oran.

On September 24, near Przemysl, the lancers of General Wladyslaw Anders defeated two Soviet infantry regiments with a surprise attack. Tymoshenko had to move tanks to prevent the Poles from breaking into Soviet territory.

But for the most part, the “liberation campaign,” which officially ended on September 30, was a cakewalk for the Red Army.

The territorial acquisitions of 1939–1940 resulted in a major political loss and international isolation for the USSR. The “bridgeheads” occupied with Hitler’s consent did not strengthen the country’s defense capability at all, since this was not what Vladimir Beshanov was intended for,
historian

The winners captured about 240 thousand prisoners, 300 combat aircraft, a lot of equipment and military equipment. Created at the beginning of the Finnish war, the “armed forces of democratic Finland”, without thinking twice, dressed in captured uniforms from warehouses in Bialystok, disputing Polish symbols from them.

The declared losses amounted to 737 killed and 1,862 wounded (according to updated data from the website “Russia and the USSR in the Wars of the 20th Century” - 1,475 dead and 3,858 wounded and sick).

In a holiday order on November 7, 1939, People's Commissar of Defense Kliment Voroshilov argued that “the Polish state at the very first military clash scattered like an old rotten cart.”

“Just think how many years tsarism fought to annex Lvov, and our troops took this territory in seven days!” - Lazar Kaganovich triumphed at a meeting of the party activists of the People's Commissariat of Railways on October 4.

To be fair, it should be noted that there was a person in the Soviet leadership who tried to at least partially cool the euphoria.

“We were terribly damaged by the Polish campaign, it spoiled us. Our army did not immediately understand that the war in Poland was a military promenade, not a war,” Joseph Stalin said at a meeting of senior command staff on April 17, 1940.

However, in general, the “liberation campaign” was perceived as a model for any future war, which the USSR would start when it wanted and finish victoriously and easily.

Many participants in the Great Patriotic War noted the enormous harm caused by the sabotage sentiments of the army and society.

Historian Mark Solonin called August-September 1939 the finest hour of Stalin's diplomacy. From the point of view of immediate goals, this was the case: without officially entering the world war, and with little loss of life, the Kremlin achieved everything it wanted.

However, just two years later, the decisions taken then almost turned into death for the country.

Original taken from procol_harum on September 17, 1939 - Soviet attack on Poland

Many people don't know this at all. And over time, even fewer people remain who know about it. And there are others who believe that Poland attacked Germany on September 1, 1939, unleashed World War 2, but they are silent about the USSR. In general, there is no science of history. They think the way someone likes or benefits to think.

Original taken from maxim_nm in How the USSR attacked Poland (photos, facts).

Exactly 78 years ago, September 17, 1939 USSR following Nazi Germany, it attacked Poland - the Germans brought in their troops from the west, this happened on September 1, 1939, and more than two weeks later USSR troops entered Polish territory from the east. The official reason for the deployment of troops was supposedly “protection of the Belarusian and Ukrainian population”, which is located in the territory "the Polish state, which revealed internal failure".

A number of researchers clearly assess the events that began on September 17, 1939 as the entry of the USSR into World War II on the side of the aggressor (Nazi Germany). Soviet and some Russian researchers view these events as a separate episode.

So, today’s post contains a long and interesting story about the events of September 1939, photos and stories from local residents. Go to the cut, it’s interesting)

02. It all started with the “Note of the USSR Government”, presented to the Polish ambassador in Moscow on the morning of September 17, 1939. I quote its text in full. Pay attention to the figures of speech, especially the juicy ones I have highlighted in bold - personally, this reminds me very much of the modern events regarding the “annexation” of Crimea.

By the way, in history, in general, it is very rare that the aggressor himself called his actions “aggression.” As a rule, these are “actions aimed at protecting/preventing/preventing” and so on. In short, they attacked a neighboring country in order to “nip aggression in the bud.”

"Mr. Ambassador,

The Polish-German War revealed the internal failure of the Polish state. Within ten days of military operations, Poland lost all of its industrial areas and cultural centers. Warsaw as the capital of Poland no longer exists. The Polish government has collapsed and shows no signs of life. This means that the Polish state and its government virtually ceased to exist. Thus, the agreements concluded between the USSR and Poland were terminated. Left to its own devices and left without leadership, Poland turned into a convenient field for all sorts of accidents and surprises that could pose a threat to the USSR. Therefore, being hitherto neutral, the Soviet government cannot be more neutral in its attitude towards these facts.

The Soviet government cannot also be indifferent to the fact that half-blooded Ukrainians and Belarusians living on the territory of Poland, abandoned to the mercy of fate, remain defenseless. In view of this situation, the Soviet government ordered the High Command of the Red Army to order troops to cross the border and take under their protection the lives and property of the population of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus.

At the same time, the Soviet government intends to take all measures to rescue the Polish people from the ill-fated war into which they were plunged by their foolish leaders, and to give them the opportunity to live a peaceful life.

Please accept, Mr. Ambassador, the assurances of our utmost respect.

People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR

V. Molotov."

03. In fact, immediately after the delivery of the note, the rapid entry of Soviet troops into Polish territory began. The Soviet Union introduced armored tanks and armored vehicles, cavalry, infantry and artillery into the territory. In the photo - Soviet cavalrymen accompany an artillery battery.

04. Armored vehicles crossing the Soviet-Polish border, photograph taken September 17, 1939:

05. Infantry units of the USSR in the border area. By the way, pay attention to the fighters’ helmets - these are SSh-36 helmets, also known as “Halkingolka”. These helmets were widely used in the early period of World War II, but in films (especially of the Soviet era) they are almost never seen - perhaps because this helmet resembles the German "stahlhelm".

06. Soviet tank BT-5 on the streets of the city http://maxim-nm.livejournal.com/42391.html, which was a border town “beyond the Polish hour”.

07. Soon after the “annexation” of the eastern part of Poland to the USSR, a joint parade of Wehrmacht troops and units of the Red Army took place in the city of Brest (then called Brest-Litovsk), this happened on September 22, 1939.

08. The parade was timed to coincide with the creation of a demarcation line between the USSR and Nazi Germany, as well as the establishment of a new border.

09. Many researchers call this action not a “joint parade”, but a “ceremonial procession”, but as for me, the essence does not change. Guderian wanted to hold a full-fledged joint parade, but in the end agreed to the proposal of the commander of the 29th Armored Brigade Krivoshein, which read: “At 16 o’clock, parts of your corps in a marching column, with standards in front, leave the city, my units, also in a marching column, enter the city, stop on the streets where German regiments pass, and salute the passing units with their banners. Bands perform military marches ". What is this if not a parade?

10. Nazi-Soviet negotiations on the “new border”, photograph taken in Brest in September 1939:

11. New Frontier:

12. Nazi and Soviet tank crews communicate with each other:

13. German and Soviet officers:

14. Immediately after arriving in the “annexed lands,” Soviet units launched agitation and propaganda. These kinds of stands were installed on the streets with stories about the Soviet armed forces and the advantages of living in.

15. It must be admitted that many local residents at first greeted the Red Army soldiers with joy, but later many changed their minds about the “guests from the east.” “Purges” and the deportation of people to Siberia began, and there were often cases when a person was shot simply because there were no calluses on his hands - they say, “an unemployed element,” an “exploiter.”

This is what residents of a well-known Belarusian town said about Soviet troops in 1939 World(yes, the same one where the world famous castle is), quotes from the book "The World: Historic Myastechka, What the Yago Zhykhars Told", translation into Russian is mine:
.

“When the soldiers walked, no one gave them anything or treated them. We asked them how life was there, did they have everything?” The soldiers answered - “Oh, we are good! We have everything there!” In Russia they said that life in Poland is bad. But it was good here - people had good suits and clothes. They didn't have anything there. They took everything from Jewish stores - even those slippers that were "for death."

“The first thing that surprised Westerners was the appearance of the Red Army soldiers, who were for them the first representatives of the “socialist paradise.” When the Soviets arrived, you could immediately see how people lived there. The clothes were bad. When they saw the prince’s “slave,” they thought it was the prince himself and wanted to arrest him. That's how well he was dressed - both the suit and the hat. Goncharikova and Manya Razvodovskaya walked in long coats, the soldiers began to point at them and say that “landowners’ daughters” were coming.

“Soon after the entry of troops, “socialist changes” began. They introduced a tax system. The taxes were large, some could not pay them, and those who paid had nothing left. Polish money depreciated in one day. We sold a cow, and the next "They were able to buy only 2-3 meters of fabric and shoes per day. The liquidation of private trade led to a shortage of almost all consumer goods. When the Soviet troops arrived, at first everyone was happy, but when the night lines for bread began, they realized that everything was bad."

“We didn’t know how people lived in Russia. When the Soviets came, that’s when we found out. We were happy about the Soviets. But when we lived under the Soviets, we were horrified. The removal of people began. They will “sew” something onto a person and take him away. The men were sent to prison, and their family was left alone. All those who were taken out did not return."

On September 1, 1939, Hitler's Germany's military invasion of Poland began. Formally, the reason was Poland's uncompromising position on the Danzig Corridor, but in fact Hitler wanted to turn Poland into his satellite. But Poland had agreements with England and France on the provision of military assistance, and was also confident that the USSR would maintain neutrality. Therefore, Poland refused all of Hitler's demands. On September 3, England and France declared war on Germany. But it never came to hostilities. France and England practically refused to start a war. Poland desperately defended itself, but the situation worsened even more after the Soviet Union sent its troops into Poland on September 17, practically entering the war on the side of Germany. And on October 6, the last resistance was crushed. Poland was divided between Germany, Slovakia, the USSR and Lithuania. But groups of Polish partisans, as well as Polish units in other armies that fought Hitler, continued to resist.

General Heinz Guderian and brigade commander Semyon Moiseevich Krivoshein during the transfer of the city of Brest-Litovsk (now Brest, Belarus) to units of the Red Army. On the left is General Moritz von Wiktorin.

German soldiers break down the Polish border barrier.

German tanks enter Poland.

A Polish tank (French-made) Renault FT-17 stuck in the mud in Brest-Litovsky (now Brest, Belarus).

Women treat German soldiers.

Soldiers of the Polish garrison of Westerplatte in German captivity.

View of a bomb-damaged street in Warsaw. 09/28/1939.

German soldiers escort Polish prisoners of war.

Polish envoys at the surrender of the Modlin fortress.

German dive bombers Junkers Ju-87 (Ju-87) in the skies of Poland.

Tent camp of German troops near the border with Poland.

Soviet soldiers study war trophies.

German troops in Warsaw greet Adolf Hitler who arrived in the city.

Execution of Polish citizens by the Germans during the occupation of Poland. On December 18, 1939, 56 people were shot near the Polish city of Bochnia.

German troops in Warsaw.

German and Soviet officers with a Polish railway worker during the invasion of Poland.

Polish cavalry in the city of Sochaczew, the Battle of Bzura.

The burning Royal Castle in Warsaw, set on fire by German artillery fire during the siege of the city.

German soldiers after the battle in Polish positions.

German soldiers near a damaged Polish tank 7TR.

German soldiers in the backs of trucks on the street of a destroyed Polish town.

Reich Minister Rudolf Hess inspects German troops at the front.

German soldiers pull out property from the captured Brest Fortress.

German soldiers of the 689th propaganda company talk with the commanders of the 29th Tank Brigade of the Red Army in Brest-Litovsk.

T-26 tanks from the 29th Tank Brigade of the Red Army enter Brest-Litovsk. On the left is a unit of German motorcyclists and Wehrmacht officers near an Opel Olympia.

Commanders of the 29th Tank Brigade of the Red Army near an armored car BA-20 in Brest-Litovsk.

German officers at the location of a Soviet military unit. Brest-Litovsk. 09/22/1939.

Soldiers of the 14th Wehrmacht Infantry Division near a broken Polish armored train near the city of Blonie.

German soldiers on the road in Poland.

A unit of the German 4th Panzer Division fights on Wolska Street in Warsaw.

German planes at the airfield during the Polish campaign.

German cars and motorcycles at the North-Western Gate of the Brest Fortress after the capture of the fortress by German troops on September 17, 1939.

BT-7 tanks of the Soviet 24th light tank brigade enter the city of Lvov.

Polish prisoners of war in Tysholski Bor by the side of the road.

A column of Polish prisoners of war passes through the town of Walubi.

German generals, including Heinz Guderian (far right), confer with battalion commissar Borovensky in Brest.

Navigator of the German Heinkel bomber.

Adolf Hitler with officers at a geographical map.

German soldiers fight in the Polish city of Sochaczew.

Meeting of Soviet and German troops in the Polish city of Stryi (now Lviv region of Ukraine).

Parade of German troops in the occupied Polish city of Stryi (now Lviv region, Ukraine).

A British newspaper seller stands near posters with newspaper headlines: “I will teach the Poles a lesson - Hitler”, “Hitler invades Poland”, “Invasion of Poland”.

Soviet and German military personnel communicate with each other in Brest-Litovsk.

Polish boy on the ruins in Warsaw. His house was destroyed by German bombing.

German Bf.110C fighter after an emergency landing.

German road sign “To the Front” (Zur Front) on the outskirts of Warsaw.

The German army marches through captured Warsaw, the capital of Poland.

German intelligence officers in Poland.

German soldiers and Polish prisoners of war.

Abandoned Polish tanks in the Lviv area.

Polish anti-aircraft gun.

German soldiers pose against the backdrop of a destroyed Polish 7TP tank.

Polish soldier in a temporary defensive position.

Polish artillerymen in position near anti-tank guns.

Meeting of Soviet and German patrols in the area of ​​the Polish city of Lublin.

German soldiers are fooling around. The inscription on the soldier’s back reads “Western Front 1939.”

German soldiers near the downed Polish fighter PZL P.11.

A damaged and burned-out German light tank

Downed Polish short-range bomber PZL P-23 "Karas" and German light reconnaissance aircraft Fieseler Fi-156 "Storch"

Rest of German soldiers before crossing the border and invading Poland.

US President Franklin Roosevelt addresses the nation by radio from the White House on the occasion of Germany's attack on Poland.

A monument made of gray boulders with a memorial plaque in memory of the Russian military leader was erected back in 1918 by former enemy A.V. Samsonova - German General Hindenburg, who commanded the Eighth German Army in August 1914, which then defeated the Russian troops. On the board there is an inscription in German: “To General Samsonov, Hindenburg’s opponent in the Battle of Tannenberg, August 30, 1914.”

German soldiers against the backdrop of a burning house in a Polish village.

Heavy armored car Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) reconnaissance battalion of one of the Wehrmacht tank divisions, destroyed by Polish artillery.

A Soviet artillery major and German officers in Poland discuss the demarcation line on the map and the associated deployment of troops.

Polish prisoners of war in a temporary German camp on Polish territory.

Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering looks at a map during the invasion of Poland, surrounded by Luftwaffe officers.

Artillery crews of German 150 mm railway guns prepare their guns to open fire on the enemy during the Polish campaign.

Artillery crews of German 150 mm and 170 mm railway guns prepare to open fire on the enemy during the Polish campaign.

The artillery crew of a German 170-mm railway gun is ready to fire at the enemy during the Polish campaign.

A battery of German 210-mm “long” L/14 mortars at a firing position in Poland.

Polish civilians near the ruins of a house in Warsaw, destroyed during a Lutfwaffe raid.

Polish civilian near the ruins of houses in Warsaw.

Polish and German officers in a carriage during negotiations on the surrender of Warsaw.

A Polish civilian and his daughter wounded during a Luftwaffe raid in a hospital in Warsaw.

Polish civilians near a burning house on the outskirts of Warsaw.

The commandant of the Polish fortress of Modlin, Brigadier General Victor Tome, during negotiations on surrender with three German officers.

German prisoners of war escorted by a Polish officer on the streets of Warsaw.

A German soldier throws a grenade during a battle on the outskirts of Warsaw.

German soldiers run across a Warsaw street during the attack on Warsaw.

Polish soldiers escort German prisoners along the streets of Warsaw.

A. Hitler signs a document on the beginning of the war with Poland. 1939

Wehrmacht mortarmen fire mortars at positions of Polish troops in the vicinity of Radom.

A German motorcyclist on a BMW motorcycle and an Opel Olympia car on the street of a destroyed Polish town.

Anti-tank barriers near the road in the vicinity of Danzig.

A German sailor and soldiers near a column of Polish prisoners in the vicinity of Danzig (Gdansk).

A column of Polish volunteers on the march to dig trenches.

German prisoners escorted by a Polish soldier on the streets of Warsaw.

Polish prisoners board a truck surrounded by German soldiers and officers.

A. Hitler in a carriage with Wehrmacht soldiers wounded during the invasion of Poland.

British Prince George, Duke of Kent, with Polish General Wladyslaw Sikorski during a visit to Polish units stationed in Great Britain.

A T-28 tank fords a river near the town of Mir in Poland (now the village of Mir, Grodno region, Belarus).

Large masses of Parisians gathered in front of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Montmartre for a peace service.

A Polish P-37 Los bomber captured by the Germans in a hangar.

A woman with a child on a destroyed street in Warsaw.

Warsaw doctors with newborn babies born during the war.

A Polish family on the ruins of their house in Warsaw.

German soldiers on the Westerplatte peninsula in Poland.

Residents of Warsaw collect their belongings after a German air raid.

A Warsaw hospital ward after a German air raid.

Polish priest collects church property after German air raid

Soldiers of the SS regiment "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" rest during a rest near the road towards Pabianice (Poland).

German fighter in the skies of Warsaw.

Ten-year-old Polish girl Kazimira Mika mourns her sister, who was killed by German machine gun fire in a field outside Warsaw.

German soldiers in battle on the outskirts of Warsaw.

Polish civilians detained by German troops walk along the road.

Panorama of the destroyed Ordynacka street in Warsaw.

Killed civilians, in Poland in the city of Bydogoszcz.

Polish women on the streets of Warsaw after a German air raid.

German soldiers captured during the invasion of Poland.

Residents of Warsaw are reading the Evening Express newspaper, issue dated September 10, 1939. On the newspaper page there are headlines: “The United States is joining the bloc against Germany. Combat actions of England and France"; “A German submarine sank a ship carrying American passengers”; “America will not remain neutral! Published Statement of President Roosevelt."

A captured wounded German soldier undergoing treatment in a Warsaw hospital.

Adolf Hitler hosts a parade of German troops in Warsaw in honor of the victory over Poland.

Warsaw residents are digging anti-aircraft trenches in the park on Malachowski Square.

German soldiers on the bridge over the Oslawa River near the city of Zagorz.

German tank crews on a medium tank Pz.Kpfw.

On September 1, 1939, the military invasion of Nazi Germany into Poland began. Formally, the reason for the attack was Poland’s unyielding position on the “Danzig Corridor” and the Glaiwice Incident. But Poland had agreements with England and France to provide military assistance in the event of aggression and hoped for the neutrality of the USSR. Poland refused Hitler's demands. On September 3, England and France declared war on Germany, but things never came to an armed uprising on the side of Poland. The country desperately defended itself, but the situation worsened even more after the Soviet Union sent its troops into Poland on September 17. On October 6, the last resistance was crushed. Poland was divided between Germany, Slovakia, the USSR and Lithuania. Groups of Polish partisans, as well as Polish units in the armies of other countries that fought Hitler, continued to resist.

German tanks enter Poland.

A Polish tank (French-made) Renault FT-17 stuck in the mud in Brest-Litovsky (now Brest, Belarus).

Polish German women treat German soldiers.

Soldiers of the Polish garrison of Westerplatte in German captivity.

View of a bomb-damaged street in Warsaw. 09/28/1939.

German soldiers escort Polish prisoners of war.

Polish envoys at the surrender of the Modlin fortress.

German dive bombers Junkers Ju-87 (Ju-87) in the skies of Poland.

Tent camp of German troops near the border with Poland.

Soviet soldiers study war trophies.

German troops in Warsaw greet Adolf Hitler who arrived in the city.

Execution of Polish citizens by the Germans during the occupation of Poland. On December 18, 1939, 56 people were shot near the Polish city of Bochnia.

German troops in Warsaw.

German and Soviet officers with a Polish railway worker during the invasion of Poland.

Polish cavalry in the city of Sochaczew, the Battle of Bzura.

The burning Royal Castle in Warsaw, set on fire by German artillery fire during the siege of the city.

German soldiers after the battle in Polish positions.

German soldiers near a damaged Polish tank 7TR.

German soldiers in the backs of trucks on the street of a destroyed Polish town.

Reich Minister Rudolf Hess inspects German troops at the front.

German soldiers pull out property from the captured Brest Fortress.

German soldiers of the 689th propaganda company talk with the commanders of the 29th Tank Brigade of the Red Army in Brest-Litovsk.

T-26 tanks from the 29th Tank Brigade of the Red Army enter Brest-Litovsk. On the left is a unit of German motorcyclists and Wehrmacht officers near an Opel Olympia.

Commanders of the 29th Tank Brigade of the Red Army near an armored car BA-20 in Brest-Litovsk.

German officers at the location of a Soviet military unit. Brest-Litovsk. 09/22/1939.

Soldiers of the 14th Wehrmacht Infantry Division near a broken Polish armored train near the city of Blonie.

German soldiers on the road in Poland.

A unit of the German 4th Panzer Division fights on Wolska Street in Warsaw.

German planes at the airfield during the Polish campaign.

German cars and motorcycles at the North-Western Gate of the Brest Fortress after the capture of the fortress by German troops on September 17, 1939.

BT-7 tanks of the Soviet 24th light tank brigade enter the city of Lvov.

Polish prisoners of war in Tysholski Bor by the side of the road.

A column of Polish prisoners of war passes through the town of Walubi.

German generals, including Heinz Guderian (far right), confer with battalion commissar Borovensky in Brest.

Navigator of the German Heinkel bomber.

Adolf Hitler with officers at a geographical map.

German soldiers fight in the Polish city of Sochaczew.

Meeting of Soviet and German troops in the Polish city of Stryi (now Lviv region of Ukraine).

Parade of German troops in the occupied Polish city of Stryi (now Lviv region, Ukraine).

A British newspaper seller stands near posters with newspaper headlines: “I will teach the Poles a lesson - Hitler,” “Hitler invades Poland,” “Invasion of Poland.”

Soviet and German military personnel communicate with each other in Brest-Litovsk.

Polish boy on the ruins in Warsaw. His house was destroyed by German bombing.

German Bf.110C fighter after an emergency landing.

German road sign “To the Front” (Zur Front) on the outskirts of Warsaw.

The German army marches through captured Warsaw, the capital of Poland.

German intelligence officers in Poland.

German soldiers and Polish prisoners of war.

Abandoned Polish tanks in the Lviv area.

Polish anti-aircraft gun.

German soldiers pose against the backdrop of a destroyed Polish 7TP tank.

Polish soldier in a temporary defensive position.

Polish artillerymen in position near anti-tank guns.

Meeting of Soviet and German patrols in the area of ​​the Polish city of Lublin.

German soldiers are fooling around. The inscription on the soldier’s back reads “Western Front 1939.”

German soldiers near the downed Polish fighter PZL P.11.

A damaged and burned-out German light tank

Downed Polish short-range bomber PZL P-23 "Karas" and German light reconnaissance aircraft Fieseler Fi-156 "Storch"

Rest of German soldiers before crossing the border and invading Poland.

US President Franklin Roosevelt addresses the nation by radio from the White House on the occasion of Germany's attack on Poland.

A monument made of gray boulders with a memorial plaque in memory of the Russian military leader was erected back in 1918 by former enemy A.V. Samsonova - German General Hindenburg, who commanded the Eighth German Army in August 1914, which then defeated the Russian troops. On the board there is an inscription in German: “To General Samsonov, Hindenburg’s opponent in the Battle of Tannenberg, August 30, 1914.”

German soldiers against the backdrop of a burning house in a Polish village.

Heavy armored car Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) reconnaissance battalion of one of the Wehrmacht tank divisions, destroyed by Polish artillery.

A Soviet artillery major and German officers in Poland are discussing the demarcation line on the map and the associated deployment of troops.

Polish prisoners of war in a temporary German camp on Polish territory.

Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering looks at a map during the invasion of Poland, surrounded by Luftwaffe officers.

Artillery crews of German 150 mm railway guns prepare their guns to open fire on the enemy during the Polish campaign.

Artillery crews of German 150 mm and 170 mm railway guns prepare to open fire on the enemy during the Polish campaign.

The artillery crew of a German 170-mm railway gun is ready to fire at the enemy during the Polish campaign.

A battery of German 210-mm “long” L/14 mortars at a firing position in Poland.

Polish civilians near the ruins of a house in Warsaw, destroyed during a Lutfwaffe raid.

Polish civilian near the ruins of houses in Warsaw.

Polish and German officers in a carriage during negotiations on the surrender of Warsaw.

A Polish civilian and his daughter wounded during a Luftwaffe raid in a hospital in Warsaw.

Polish civilians near a burning house on the outskirts of Warsaw.

The commandant of the Polish fortress of Modlin, Brigadier General Victor Tome, during negotiations on surrender with three German officers.

German prisoners of war escorted by a Polish officer on the streets of Warsaw.

A German soldier throws a grenade during a battle on the outskirts of Warsaw.

German soldiers run across a Warsaw street during the attack on Warsaw.

Polish soldiers escort German prisoners along the streets of Warsaw.

A. Hitler signs a document on the beginning of the war with Poland. 1939

Wehrmacht mortarmen fire mortars at positions of Polish troops in the vicinity of Radom.

A German motorcyclist on a BMW motorcycle and an Opel Olympia car on the street of a destroyed Polish town.

Anti-tank barriers near the road in the vicinity of Danzig.

A German sailor and soldiers near a column of Polish prisoners in the vicinity of Danzig (Gdansk).

A column of Polish volunteers on the march to dig trenches.

German prisoners escorted by a Polish soldier on the streets of Warsaw.

Polish prisoners board a truck surrounded by German soldiers and officers.

A. Hitler in a carriage with Wehrmacht soldiers wounded during the invasion of Poland.

British Prince George, Duke of Kent, with Polish General Wladyslaw Sikorski during a visit to Polish units stationed in Great Britain.

A T-28 tank fords a river near the town of Mir in Poland (now the village of Mir, Grodno region, Belarus).

Large masses of Parisians gathered in front of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Montmartre for a peace service.

A Polish P-37 Los bomber captured by the Germans in a hangar.

A woman with a child on a destroyed street in Warsaw.

Warsaw doctors with newborn babies born during the war.

A Polish family on the ruins of their house in Warsaw.

German soldiers on the Westerplatte peninsula in Poland.

Residents of Warsaw collect their belongings after a German air raid.

A Warsaw hospital ward after a German air raid.

Polish priest collects church property after German air raid

Soldiers of the SS regiment "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" rest during a rest near the road towards Pabianice (Poland).

German dive bomber in the sky of Warsaw.

Ten-year-old Polish girl Kazimira Mika mourns her sister, who was killed by German machine gun fire in a field outside Warsaw.

German soldiers in battle on the outskirts of Warsaw.

Polish civilians detained by German troops walk along the road.

Panorama of the destroyed Ordynacka street in Warsaw.

Killed civilians, in Poland in the city of Bydogoszcz.

Polish women on the streets of Warsaw after a German air raid.

German soldiers captured during the invasion of Poland.

Residents of Warsaw are reading the Evening Express newspaper, issue dated September 10, 1939. On the newspaper page there are headlines: “The United States is joining the bloc against Germany. Combat actions of England and France"; “A German submarine sank a ship carrying American passengers”; “America will not remain neutral! Published Statement of President Roosevelt."

A captured wounded German soldier undergoing treatment in a Warsaw hospital.

Adolf Hitler hosts a parade of German troops in Warsaw in honor of the victory over Poland.

Warsaw residents are digging anti-aircraft trenches in the park on Malachowski Square.

German soldiers on the bridge over the Oslawa River near the city of Zagorz.

German tank crews on a medium tank PzKpfw IV

General Heinz Guderian and brigade commander Semyon Moiseevich Krivoshein during the transfer of the city of Brest-Litovsk (now Brest, Belarus) to units of the Red Army. On the left is General Moritz von Wiktorin.

On September 17, 1939, the Soviet invasion of Poland took place. The USSR was not alone in this aggression. Earlier, on September 1, by mutual agreement with the USSR, the troops of Nazi Germany invaded Poland and this date marked the beginning of the Second World War.

It would seem that the whole world condemned Hitler’s aggression, England and France " declared war on Germany as a result of allied obligations, but were in no hurry to enter the war, fearing its expansion and hoping for a miracle. We will find out later that the Second World War had already begun, and then...then politicians still hoped for something.

So, Hitler attacked Poland and Poland is fighting with its last strength against the Wehrmacht troops. England and France condemned Hitler's invasion and declared war on Germany, that is, they sided with Poland. Two weeks later, Poland, which was fighting back the aggression of Nazi Germany with all its might, was additionally invaded from the east by another country - the USSR.

A war on two fronts!

That is, the USSR, at the very beginning of the global fire, decided to take the side of Germany. Then, after the victory over Poland, the Allies (USSR and Germany) will celebrate their joint victory and hold a joint military parade in Brest, spilling captured champagne from the captured wine cellars of Poland. There are newsreels. And on September 17, Soviet troops moved from their western borders deep into the territory of Poland towards the “brotherly” Wehrmacht troops to Warsaw, which was engulfed in fire. Warsaw will continue to defend itself until the end of September, confronting two strong aggressors and will fall in an unequal struggle.

The date September 17, 1939 marked the entry of the USSR into World War II on the side of Nazi Germany. It will be later, after the victory over Germany, that history will be rewritten and the real facts will be hushed up, and the entire population of the USSR will sincerely believe that the “Great Patriotic War” began on June 22, 1941, and then... then the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition received a severe blow and The global balance of power has sharply shaken.

September 17, 2010 was the 71st anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland. How did this event go in Poland:

A little chronicle and facts

Heinz Guderian (center) and Semyon Krivoshein (right) watch the passage of Wehrmacht and Red Army troops during the transfer of Brest-Litovsk on September 22, 1939 to the Soviet administration

September 1939
Meeting of Soviet and German troops in the Lublin area

They were the first

who met Hitler's war machine with an open face - the Polish military command.The first heroes of World War II:

Commander-in-Chief of the VP Marshal Edward Rydz-Smigly

Chief of the VP General Staff, Brigadier General Vaclav Stachewicz

VP Armor General Kazimierz Sosnkowski

Divisional General of the VP Kazimierz Fabrycy

Divisional General VP Tadeusz Kutrzeba

Entry of Red Army forces into Polish territory

At 5 a.m. on September 17, 1939, troops of the Belorussian and Ukrainian fronts crossed the entire length of the Polish-Soviet border and attacked the KOP checkpoints. Thus, the USSR violated at least four international agreements:

• Riga Peace Treaty of 1921 on Soviet-Polish borders
• The Litvinov Protocol, or the Eastern Pact of Renunciation of War
• Soviet-Polish non-aggression pact of January 25, 1932, extended in 1934 until the end of 1945
• London Convention of 1933, which contains a definition of aggression, and which the USSR signed on July 3, 1933

The governments of England and France presented notes of protest in Moscow against the undisguised aggression of the USSR against Poland, rejecting all of Molotov’s justifying arguments. On September 18, the London Times described this event as “a stab in the back of Poland.” At the same time, articles began to appear explaining the actions of the USSR as having an anti-German orientation (!!!)

The advancing units of the Red Army encountered virtually no resistance from the border units. To top it all off, Marshal Edward Rydz-Smigly gave the so-called in Kuty. “General Directive”, which was read out on the radio:

Quote: The Soviets invaded. I order the withdrawal to Romania and Hungary by the shortest routes. Do not conduct hostilities with the Soviets, only in the event of an attempt on their part to disarm our units. The task for Warsaw and Modlin, which must defend themselves from the Germans, remains unchanged. The units approached by the Soviets must negotiate with them in order to withdraw garrisons to Romania or Hungary...

The commander-in-chief's directive led to the disorientation of the majority of Polish military personnel and their mass capture. In connection with Soviet aggression, Polish President Ignacy Mościcki, while in the town of Kosov, addressed the people. He accused the USSR of violating all legal and moral norms and called on the Poles to remain strong and courageous in the fight against soulless barbarians. Mościcki also announced the transfer of the residence of the President of the Republic of Poland and all higher authorities “to the territory of one of our allies.” On the evening of September 17, the President and the government of the Republic of Poland, headed by Prime Minister Felician Skladkovsky, crossed the border of Romania. And after midnight on September 17/18 - the Commander-in-Chief of the VP Marshal Edward Rydz-Smigly. It was also possible to evacuate 30 thousand military personnel to Romania and 40 thousand to Hungary. Including a motorized brigade, a battalion of railway sappers and a police battalion "Golędzinow".

Despite the order of the commander-in-chief, many Polish units entered into battle with the advancing Red Army units. Particularly stubborn resistance was shown by units of the VP during the defense of Vilna, Grodno, Lvov (which from September 12 to 22 defended against the Germans, and from September 18 also against the Red Army) and near Sarny. On September 29 - 30, a battle took place near Shatsk between the 52nd Infantry Division and the retreating units of the Polish troops.

War on two fronts

The Soviet invasion sharply worsened the already catastrophic situation of the Polish army. In the new conditions, the main burden of resistance to German troops fell on the Central Front of Tadeusz Piskor. On September 17 - 26, two battles took place near Tomaszow Lubelski - the largest in the September campaign after the Battle of Bzura. The task was to break through the German barrier in Rawa Ruska, blocking the path to Lviv (3 infantry and 2 tank divisions of the 7th Army Corps of General Leonard Wecker). During the heaviest battles fought by the 23rd and 55th infantry divisions, as well as the Warsaw tank-motorized brigade of Colonel Stefan Rowecki, it was not possible to break through the German defenses. The 6th Infantry Division and the Krakow Cavalry Brigade also suffered huge losses. On September 20, 1939, General Tadeusz Piskor announced the surrender of the Central Front. More than 20 thousand Polish soldiers were captured (including Tadeusz Piskor himself).

Now the main forces of the Wehrmacht concentrated against the Polish Northern Front.

On September 23, a new battle began near Tomaszow Lubelski. The Northern Front was in a difficult situation. From the west, the 7th Army Corps of Leonard Wecker pressed against him, and from the east - the Red Army troops. Units of the Southern Front of General Kazimierz Sosnkowski at this time tried to break through to the encircled Lvov, inflicting a number of defeats on the German troops. However, on the outskirts of Lvov they were stopped by the Wehrmacht and suffered heavy losses. After the news of the capitulation of Lvov on September 22, the front troops received orders to split into small groups and make their way to Hungary. However, not all groups managed to reach the Hungarian border. General Kazimierz Sosnkowski himself was cut off from the main parts of the front in the Brzuchowice area. In civilian clothes, he managed to pass through the territory occupied by Soviet troops. First to Lviv, and then, through the Carpathians, to Hungary. On September 23, one of the last mounted battles of World War II took place. The 25th regiment of the Wielkopolska Uhlan, Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Stakhlewski, attacked the German cavalry in Krasnobrud and captured the city.

On September 20, Soviet troops suppressed the last pockets of resistance in Vilna. About 10 thousand Polish soldiers were captured. In the morning, tank units of the Belorussian Front (27th Tank Brigade of the 15th Tank Corps from the 11th Army) launched an attack on Grodno and crossed the Neman. Despite the fact that at least 50 tanks took part in the assault, it was not possible to take the city on the move. Some of the tanks were destroyed (the city’s defenders widely used Molotov cocktails), and the rest retreated back beyond the Neman. Grodno was defended by very small units of the local garrison. All the main forces a few days earlier became part of the 35th Infantry Division and were transferred to the defense of Lvov, besieged by the Germans. Volunteers (including scouts) joined parts of the garrison.

The troops of the Ukrainian Front began preparations for the assault on Lvov, scheduled for the morning of September 21. Meanwhile, the power supply was cut off in the besieged city. By evening, German troops received Hitler's order to move 10 km away from Lvov. Because according to the agreement, the city went to the USSR. The Germans made a last attempt to change this situation. The Wehrmacht command again demanded that the Poles surrender the city no later than 10 o’clock on September 21: “If you surrender Lvov to us, you will remain in Europe, if you surrender it to the Bolsheviks, you will become Asia forever”. On the night of September 21, the German units besieging the city began to retreat. After negotiations with the Soviet command, General Vladislav Langner decided to capitulate Lvov. The majority of officers supported him.

The end of September and the beginning of October marked the end of the existence of the independent Polish state. Warsaw defended until September 28, Modlin defended until September 29. On October 2, the defense of Hel ended. The last to lay down their arms were the defenders of Kotsk - October 6, 1939.

This ended the armed resistance of regular units of the Polish Army on Polish territory. To further fight against Germany and its allies, armed formations made up of Polish citizens were created:

• Polish armed forces in the West
• Anders Army (2nd Polish Corps)
• Polish armed forces in the USSR (1943 – 1944)

Results of the war

As a result of the aggression of Germany and the USSR, the Polish state ceased to exist. September 28, 1939, immediately after the surrender of Warsaw, in violation of the Hague Convention of October 18, 1907). Germany and the USSR defined the Soviet-German border on the territory of Poland they occupied. The German plan was to create a puppet "Polish residual state" Reststaat within the borders of the Kingdom of Poland and Western Galicia. However, this plan was not adopted due to Stalin's disagreement. Who was not satisfied with the existence of any Polish state entity.

The new border basically coincided with the “Curzon Line”, recommended in 1919 by the Paris Peace Conference as the eastern border of Poland, since it delimited areas of compact residence of Poles, on the one hand, and Ukrainians and Belarusians, on the other.

The territories east of the Western Bug and San rivers were annexed to the Ukrainian SSR and the Byelorussian SSR. This increased the territory of the USSR by 196 thousand km², and the population by 13 million people.

Germany expanded the borders of East Prussia, moving them close to Warsaw, and included the area up to the city of Lodz, renamed Litzmannstadt, into the Wart region, which occupied the territory of the old Poznan region. By decree of Hitler on October 8, 1939, Poznan, Pomerania, Silesia, Lodz, part of the Kielce and Warsaw voivodeships, where about 9.5 million people lived, were proclaimed German lands and annexed to Germany.

The small residual Polish state was declared the "General Government of the Occupied Polish Regions" under the control of the German authorities, which a year later became known as the "General Government of the German Empire". Krakow became its capital. Any independent policy of Poland ceased.

On October 6, 1939, speaking in the Reichstag, Hitler publicly announced the cessation of the 2nd Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the division of its territory between Germany and the USSR. In this regard, he turned to France and England with a proposal for peace. On October 12, this proposal was rejected by Neville Chamberlain at a meeting of the House of Commons

Losses of the parties

Germany- During the campaign, the Germans, according to various sources, lost 10-17 thousand killed, 27-31 thousand wounded, 300-3500 people missing.

USSR- The combat losses of the Red Army during the Polish campaign of 1939, according to Russian historian Mikhail Meltyukhov, amounted to 1,173 killed, 2,002 wounded and 302 missing. As a result of the fighting, 17 tanks, 6 aircraft, 6 guns and mortars and 36 vehicles were also lost.

According to Polish historians, the Red Army lost about 2,500 soldiers, 150 armored vehicles and 20 aircraft.

Poland- According to post-war research by the Bureau of Military Losses, more than 66 thousand Polish military personnel (including 2000 officers and 5 generals) died in battles with the Wehrmacht. 133 thousand were wounded, and 420 thousand were captured by the Germans.

Polish losses in battles with the Red Army are not precisely known. Meltyukhov gives figures of 3,500 killed, 20,000 missing and 454,700 prisoners. According to the Polish Military Encyclopedia, 250,000 military personnel were captured by the Soviets. Almost the entire officer corps (about 21,000 people) was subsequently shot by the NKVD.

Myths that arose after the Polish campaign

The war of 1939 has become overgrown with myths and legends over many years. This was a consequence of Nazi and Soviet propaganda, falsification of history and the lack of free access by Polish and foreign historians to archival materials during the Polish People's Republic. Some works of literature and art also played a decisive role in the creation of enduring myths.

"Polish cavalrymen in despair rushed with sabers at the tanks"

Perhaps the most popular and enduring of all myths. It arose immediately after the Battle of Krojanty, in which the 18th Pomeranian Lancer Regiment of Colonel Kazimierz Mastalez attacked the 2nd Motorized Battalion of the 76th Motorized Regiment of the 20th Motorized Division of the Wehrmacht. Despite the defeat, the regiment completed its task. The attack by the Ulans brought confusion into the general course of the German offensive, disrupted its pace and disorganized the troops. It took the Germans some time to resume their advance. They never managed to reach the crossings that day. In addition, this attack had a certain psychological effect on the enemy, which Heinz Guderian recalled.

The very next day, Italian correspondents who were in the combat area, referring to the testimony of German soldiers, wrote that “Polish cavalrymen rushed with sabers at the tanks.” Some “eyewitnesses” claimed that the lancers cut down tanks with sabers, believing that they were made of paper. In 1941, the Germans made a propaganda film on this topic, Kampfgeschwader Lützow. Even Andrzej Wajda did not escape the propaganda stamp in his 1958 “Lotna” (the picture was criticized by war veterans).

The Polish cavalry fought on horseback, but used infantry tactics. It was armed with machine guns, 75 and 35 mm carbines, Bofors anti-tank guns, a small number of Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, as well as a small number of UR 1935 anti-tank rifles. Of course, the cavalrymen carried sabers and pikes, but these weapons were used only in mounted battles. Throughout the entire September campaign, there was not a single case of Polish cavalry attacking German tanks. It should be noted, however, that there were times when the cavalry galloped quickly in the direction of the tanks attacking it. With one single goal - to get past them as quickly as possible.

"Polish aviation was destroyed on the ground in the first days of the war"

In fact, just before the start of the war, almost all aviation was relocated to small, camouflaged airfields. The Germans managed to destroy only training and support aircraft on the ground. For two whole weeks, inferior to the Luftwaffe in numbers and quality of vehicles, Polish aviation inflicted heavy losses on them. After the end of the fighting, many Polish pilots moved to France and England, where they joined the Allied Air Force pilots and continued the war (after shooting down many German aircraft during the Battle of Britain)

"Poland did not provide adequate resistance to the enemy and quickly surrendered"

In fact, the Wehrmacht, superior to the Polish Army in all major military indicators, received a strong and completely unplanned rebuff from the OKW. The German army lost about 1,000 tanks and armored vehicles (almost 30% of the total strength), 370 guns, over 10,000 military vehicles (about 6,000 cars and 5,500 motorcycles). The Luftwaffe lost over 700 aircraft (about 32% of the total personnel participating in the campaign).

Manpower losses amounted to 45,000 killed and wounded. According to Hitler’s personal admission, the Wehrmacht infantry “...did not live up to the hopes placed on it.”

A significant number of German weapons were so damaged that they required major repairs. And the intensity of the fighting was such that there was only enough ammunition and other equipment for two weeks.

In terms of time, the Polish campaign turned out to be only a week shorter than the French one. Although the forces of the Anglo-French coalition were significantly superior to the Polish Army both in numbers and in weapons. Moreover, the unexpected delay of the Wehrmacht in Poland allowed the Allies to more seriously prepare for the German attack.

Read also about the heroic one, which the Poles were the first to take upon themselves.

Quote: Immediately after the invasion of Poland on September 17, 1939 ""...The Red Army committed a series of violence, murders, robberies and other lawlessness, both in relation to captured units and in relation to the civilian population" "[http://www .krotov.info/libr_min/m/mackiew.html Jozef Mackiewicz. "Katyn", Ed. "Dawn", Canada, 1988] In total, according to general estimates, about 2,500 military and police personnel, as well as several hundred civilians, were killed. Andrzej Frischke. "Poland. The fate of the country and the people 1939 - 1989, Warsaw, publishing house "Iskra", 2003, p. 25, ISBN 83-207-1711-6] At the same time, the commanders of the Red Army called on the people to "beat the officers and generals" (from the address of Army Commander Semyon Timoshenko).

“When we were taken prisoner, we were ordered to raise our hands up and they drove us at a run for two kilometers. During the search, they stripped us naked, grabbing everything of any value... after which they drove us for 30 km, without rest or water. Who was weaker and could not keep up, received a blow with the butt, fell to the ground, and if he could not get up, he was pinned with a bayonet. I saw four such cases. I remember exactly that Captain Krzeminski from Warsaw was shoved with a bayonet several times, and when he fell, another Soviet the soldier shot him twice in the head..." (from the testimony of a KOP soldier) [http://www.krotov.info/libr_min/m/mackiew.html Yuzef Matskevich. "Katyn", Ed. "Dawn", Canada, 1988] ]

The most serious war crimes of the Red Army took place in Rohatyn, where prisoners of war were brutally killed along with the civilian population (the so-called “Rohatyn massacre”) Vladislav Pobug-Malinovsky. "The latest political history of Poland. 1939 - 1945", ed. "Platan", Krakow, 2004, volume 3, p. 107, ISBN 83-89711-10-9] Katyn crime in documents. London, 1975, pp. 9-11] ] Wojciech Roszkowski. "Modern history of Poland 1914 - 1945". Warsaw, "World of Books", 2003, pp. 344-354, 397-410 (volume 1) ISBN 83-7311-991-4], in Grodno, Novogrudok, Sarny, Ternopil, Volkovysk, Oshmyany, Svislochi, Molodechno and Kossovo Vladislav Pobug-Malinovsky. "The latest political history of Poland. 1939 - 1945", ed. “Platan”, Krakow, 2004, volume 3, p. 107, ISBN 83-89711-10-9] “...Terror and murders took on enormous proportions in Grodno, where 130 schoolchildren and servants were killed, wounded defencists were killed on the spot ". 12-year-old Tadzik Yasinsky was tied to a tank and dragged along the pavement. After the occupation of Grodno, repressions began; those arrested were shot on Dog Mountain and in the Secret grove. On the square near Fara there was a wall of corpses..." Yulian Sedletsky. "The fate of the Poles in the USSR in 1939 - 1986", London, 1988, pp. 32-34] Karol Liszewski. "Polish-Soviet War 1939", London, Polish Cultural Foundation, 1986, ISBN 0-85065-170-0 (The monograph contains a detailed description of the battles on the entire Polish-Soviet front and testimony of witnesses about the war crimes of the USSR in September 1939)] Institute of National In memory of Poland. Investigation into the mass murder of civilians and military defenders of Grodno by Red Army soldiers, NKVD officers and saboteurs 09.22.39]

“At the end of September 1939, part of the Polish army entered into battle with a Soviet unit in the vicinity of Vilna. The Bolsheviks sent parliamentarians with a proposal to lay down their arms, guaranteeing in return freedom and return to their homes. The commander of the Polish unit believed these assurances and ordered to lay down their arms. The entire detachment at once surrounded, and the liquidation of the officers began..." (from the testimony of Polish soldier J.L. dated April 24, 1943) [http://www.krotov.info/libr_min/m/mackiew.html Jozef Matskevich. "Katyn", Ed. "Dawn", Canada, 1988] ]

“I myself witnessed the capture of Ternopil. I saw how Soviet soldiers hunted Polish officers. For example, one of the two soldiers passing by me, leaving his comrade, rushed in the opposite direction, and when asked where he was in a hurry, he answered: “I’ll be right back.” , I’ll just kill that bourgeois,” and pointed to a man in an officer’s overcoat without insignia…” (from the testimony of a Polish soldier on the crimes of the Red Army in Ternopol) [http://www.krotov.info/libr_min/m/mackiew.html Yuzef Matskevich. "Katyn", Ed. "Dawn", Canada, 1988] ]

“Soviet troops entered at about four o’clock in the afternoon and immediately began a brutal massacre and brutal abuse of the victims. They killed not only police and military personnel, but also the so-called “bourgeois”, including women and children. Those military personnel who escaped death and who As soon as they were disarmed, they were ordered to lie down in a wet meadow outside the city. About 800 people were lying there. The machine guns were installed in such a way that they could shoot low above the ground. Anyone who raised their head died. They were kept like that all night. The next day they were driven to Stanislavov , and from there into the depths of Soviet Russia..." (from testimony on the "Rohatyn Massacre") [http://www.krotov.info/libr_min/m/mackiew.html Jozef Matskevich. "Katyn", Ed. "Dawn", Canada, 1988] ]

“On September 22, during the battles for Grodno, at about 10 o’clock, the commander of the communications platoon, junior lieutenant Dubovik, received an order to escort 80-90 prisoners to the rear. Having moved 1.5-2 km from the city, Dubovik interrogated the prisoners in order to identify the officers and persons who took participation in the murder of the Bolsheviks. Promising to release the prisoners, he sought confessions and shot 29 people. The remaining prisoners were returned to Grodno. The command of the 101st Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division was aware of this, but no measures were taken against Dubovik. Moreover, the commander of the 3rd battalion, Senior Lieutenant Tolochko, gave a direct order to shoot the officers..."Meltyukhov M.I. [http://militera.lib.ru/research/meltyukhov2/index.html Soviet-Polish wars. Military-political confrontation 1918-1939] M., 2001.] end of quote

Often Polish units surrendered, succumbing to the promises of freedom that the Red Army commanders guaranteed them. In reality, these promises were never kept. Like, for example, in Polesie, where some of the 120 officers were shot and the rest were sent deep into the USSR [http://www.krotov.info/libr_min/m/mackiew.html Yuzef Matskevich. "Katyn", Ed. "Zarya", Canada, 1988] ] On September 22, 1939, the commander of the defense of Lvov, General Vladislav Langner, signed an act of surrender, providing for the unhindered passage of military and police units to the Romanian border immediately after they laid down their arms. This agreement was violated by the Soviet side. All Polish military personnel and police were arrested and taken to the USSR. Wojciech Roszkowski. "Modern history of Poland 1914 - 1945". Warsaw, "World of Books", 2003, pp. 344-354, 397-410 (volume 1) ISBN 83-7311-991-4]

The command of the Red Army did the same with the defenders of Brest. Moreover, all captured border guards of the 135th KOP regiment were shot on the spot by Wojciech Roszkowski. "Modern history of Poland 1914 - 1945". Warsaw, "World of Books", 2003, pp. 344-354, 397-410 (volume 1) ISBN 83-7311-991-4]

One of the most serious war crimes of the Red Army was committed in Velikiye Mosty on the territory of the School of State Police Subofficers. At that time, there were about 1,000 cadets in this largest and most modern police training institution in Poland. The School Commandant, Inspector Vitold Dunin-Vonsovich, gathered the cadets and teachers on the parade ground and gave a report to the arriving NKVD officer. After which the latter ordered to open fire from machine guns. Everyone died, including the commandant [http://www.lwow.com.pl/policja/policja.html Krystyna Balicka “Destruction of the Polish Police”] ]

The reprisal of General Olshina-Wilczynski

On September 11, 2002, the Institute of National Remembrance began an investigation into the circumstances of the tragic death of General Józef Olszyny-Wilczynski and Captain Mieczysław Strzemeski (Act S 6/02/Zk). Inquiries into Polish and Soviet archives revealed the following:

“On September 22, 1939, the former commander of the Grodno operational group, General Jozef Olshina-Wilczynski, his wife Alfreda, adjutant artillery captain Mieczyslaw Strzemeski, the driver and his assistant ended up in the town of Sopotskin near Grodno. Here they were stopped by the crews of two Red Army tanks. The tank crews ordered everyone to leave the car. The general's wife was taken to a nearby barn, where more than a dozen other people were already present. After which both Polish officers were shot on the spot. From photocopies of Soviet archival materials located in the Central Military Archives in Warsaw, it follows that on September 22, 1939, In the Sopotskin area, a motorized detachment of the 2nd tank brigade of the 15th tank corps entered into battle with Polish troops. The corps was part of the Dzerzhinsky cavalry-mechanized group of the Belorussian Front, commanded by corps commander Ivan Boldin..." [http://www.pl.indymedia .org/pl/2005/07/15086.shtml

The investigation identified the persons directly responsible for this crime. This is the commander of the motorized detachment, Major Fedor Chuvakin, and Commissioner Polikarp Grigorenko. There are also testimonies of witnesses to the murder of Polish officers - the wife of General Alfreda Staniszewska, the driver of the car and his assistant, as well as local residents. On September 26, 2003, a request was submitted to the Military Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation for assistance in the investigation into the murder of General Olszyna-Wilczynski and Captain Mieczyslaw Strzemeski (as a crime that does not have a statute of limitations in accordance with the Hague Convention of October 18, 1907). In the response of the Military Prosecutor's Office to the Polish side, it was stated that in this case we are not talking about a war crime, but about a crime under common law, the statute of limitations for which has already expired. The prosecutor's arguments were rejected as having as their sole purpose the termination of the Polish investigation. However, the refusal of the Military Prosecutor's Office to cooperate made further investigation pointless. On May 18, 2004 it was terminated. [http://www.pl.indymedia.org/pl/2005/07/15086.shtml Act S6/02/Zk - investigation into the murder of General Olszyna-Wilczynski and Captain Mieczyslaw Strzemeski, Institute of National Memory of Poland] ]

Why did Lech Kaczynski die?... The Polish Law and Justice party, led by President Lech Kaczynski, is preparing a response to Vladimir Putin. The first step against “Russian propaganda praising Stalin” should be a resolution equating the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939 with fascist aggression.

Polish conservatives from the Law and Justice (PiS) party proposed to officially equate the invasion of Poland by Soviet troops in 1939 with fascist aggression. The most representative party in the Sejm, to which Polish President Lech Kaczynski belongs, presented a draft resolution on Thursday.

According to Polish conservatives, every day Stalin is glorified in the spirit of Soviet propaganda is an insult to the Polish state, the victims of World War II in Poland and around the world. To prevent this, they call on the Sejm leadership to “call on the Polish government to take steps to counter the falsification of history.”

“We insist on revealing the truth,” Rzeczpospolita quotes a statement from the faction’s official representative, Mariusz Blaszczak. “Fascism and communism are the two great totalitarian regimes of the 20th century, and their leaders were responsible for the outbreak of World War II and its consequences. The Red Army brought death and ruin to Polish territory. Its plans included genocide, murder, rape, looting and other forms of persecution,” reads the resolution proposed by PiS.

Blaszczak is confident that the date of September 17, 1939, when Soviet troops entered Poland, was not as well known until that time as September 1, 1939, the day of the invasion of Hitler’s troops: “Thanks to the efforts of Russian propaganda, which falsifies history, this remains the case to this day.”.

When asked whether the adoption of this document would harm Polish-Russian relations, Blaszczak said that there would be nothing to harm. In Russia, “smear campaigns are underway” against Poland, in which government agencies, including the FSB, are taking part, and official Warsaw “should put an end to this.”

However, the passage of the document through the Sejm is unlikely.

The deputy head of the PiS faction, Gregory Dolnyak, generally opposed the draft resolution being made public until his group managed to agree on the text of the statement with the other factions. “We must first try to agree on any resolution with historical content among us, and then make it public,” Rzeczpospolita quotes him as saying.

His fears are justified. The ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Platform party is openly skeptical.

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Stefan Niesiołowski, representing the Civic Platform, called the resolution “stupid, untruthful and damaging to the interests of Poland.” “It does not correspond to the truth that the Soviet occupation was the same as the German one, it was softer. It is also not true that the Soviets carried out ethnic cleansing; the Germans did this,” he noted in an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza.

The socialist camp also categorically opposes the resolution. As Tadeusz Iwiński, a member of the Left Forces and Democrats bloc, noted to the same publication, LSD considers the draft resolution “anti-historical and provocative.” Poland and Russia have recently managed to bring closer their positions on the issue of the role of the USSR in the death of the Polish state in 1939. In an article in Gazeta Wyborcza dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the start of the war, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact “unacceptable from a moral point of view” and had “no prospects in terms of practical implementation,” not forgetting to reproach historians writing for the sake of the “momentary political situation.” The idyllic picture was blurred when, at memorial celebrations on Westerplatte near Gdansk, Prime Minister Putin compared attempts to understand the causes of World War II to “picking through a moldy bun.” At the same time, Polish President Kaczynski announced that in 1939 “Bolshevik Russia” inflicted a “stab in the back” on his country, and clearly accused the Red Army, which occupied eastern Polish lands, of persecuting Poles on ethnic grounds.

The Nuremberg Military Tribunal sentenced: Goering, Ribbentrop, Keitel, Kaltenbrunner, Rosenberg, Frank, Frick, Streicher, Sauckel, Jodl, Seyss-Inquart, Bormann (in absentia) to death by hanging.

Hess, Funk, Raeder - to life imprisonment.

Schirach, Speer - to 20, Neurath - to 15, Doenitz - to 10 years in prison.

Fritsche, Papen, and Schacht were acquitted. Ley, who was handed over to the court, hanged himself in prison shortly before the start of the trial. Krup (industrialist) was declared terminally ill, and the case against him was dropped.

After the Control Council for Germany rejected the prisoners' requests for clemency, those sentenced to death were hanged in Nuremberg prison on the night of October 16, 1946 (2 hours earlier, G. Goering committed suicide). The Tribunal also declared the SS, SD, Gestapo, and leadership of the National Socialist Party (NDSAP) criminal organizations, but did not recognize the SA, the German government, the General Staff and the Wehrmacht High Command as such. But a member of the tribunal from the USSR, R. A. Rudenko, stated in a “dissenting opinion” that he disagreed with the acquittal of the three defendants and spoke in favor of the death penalty against R. Hess.

The International Military Tribunal recognized aggression as a grave crime of an international nature, punished as criminals statesmen guilty of preparing, unleashing and waging aggressive wars, and rightly punished the organizers and executors of criminal plans for the extermination of millions of people and the conquest of entire nations. And its principles, contained in the Charter of the Tribunal and expressed in the verdict, were confirmed by the resolution of the UN General Assembly of December 11, 1946, as generally recognized norms of international law and entered the consciousness of most people.

So, don't say that someone is rewriting history. It is beyond the power of man to change past history, to change what has already happened.

But it is possible to change the brains of the population by implanting political and historical hallucinations in them.

Regarding the charges of the Nuremberg International Military Tribunal, don’t you think that the list of accused is not complete? Many escaped responsibility and continue to go unpunished to this day. But the point is not even in them - their crimes, which are presented as valor, are not condemned, thereby distorting historical logic and distorting memory, replacing it with propaganda lies.

“You can’t trust anyone’s word, comrades... (Stormy applause).” (I.V. Stalin. From speeches.)