World History
Related: About this forumDid Hitler think that taking over Poland
Did Hitler think that taking over Poland would be as easy as Austria and Czechoslovakia had been?
bearsfootball516
(6,732 posts)unblock
(56,262 posts)Snackshack
(2,596 posts)However it did turn out to fairly easy and clearly accomplished his goal at the time.
unblock
(56,262 posts)Austria effectively invited hitler in. Czechoslovakia was then extremely weak and Poland even was able to grab a piece.
Poland was no match for the Nazi war machine, but far stronger than Czechoslovakia.
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)Poland as mentioned up thread take 6 weeks and while no match for the German Army, didn't go down without a fight.
Va Lefty
(6,252 posts)sarisataka
(22,837 posts)England and France would go to war for the Poles
It was a forgone conclusion German had the ability to defeat Poland, as long as no one interfered. The Pact with the Soviets secured the Eastern side
thucythucy
(9,153 posts)but I think most of the rest of the world was shocked by how quickly it happened.
This was the first ever instance of "blitzkrieg"--using formations of massed tanks, together with tactical air support--to punch through and overwhelm enemy defenses. I think most military experts in the West, while they didn't think Poland would hold out indefinitely, expected it to take longer.
Kick in to the DU tip jar?
This week we're running a special pop-up mini fund drive. From Monday through Friday we're going ad-free for all registered members, and we're asking you to kick in to the DU tip jar to support the site and keep us financially healthy.
As a bonus, making a contribution will allow you to leave kudos for another DU member, and at the end of the week we'll recognize the DUers who you think make this community great.