The Polish Crisis 1939
By Danny Noh, Joon Kyu Lee and
Anthony Gokianluy
Why Poland:
• Danzig/Polish Corridor (Treaty of
Versailles, cuts off East Prussia)
• Posen (Agricultural lands, want to increase
resources)
• Lebensraum (Living space)
• Common border for the invasion of Russia
• Base for future attacks on Eastern Europe
History of the Crisis (A Timeline):
• October 1938: Hitler demanded that the Danzig (of Gdansk)
region of Poland be ceded to Germany
• Port area had been under Polish administration since the
Potsdam agreement.
• March 1939: Poland refused to cede Danzig, and in March of
1939, negotiations began between Germany and Poland
• March 30, 1939: Both France and Great Britain pledged to
defend Poland in the event of a German attack.
• April 1939: German troop concentrations on the Polish border
began.
• April to June 1939: Hitler makes several statements about
Polish "atrocities" to German citizens in Danzig
• August 1939: Signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
• September 1, 1939: Invasion of Poland
• September 3, 1939: Great Britain and France declare war on
Germany, beginning of the Second World War
The Polish Crisis:
• The conflict between Germany and Poland
(supported by Britain and France) over the
Danzig territory
Polish Maps
Significance of the Crisis
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The Spark to WW2
Aggressive German Foreign Policy
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in action
Marked failure of Appeasement