Second World War begins (104 words)

Historical Context Note

  • Editors


At dawn September 1st 1939 Germany invaded Poland with 34 infantry divisions and 6 panzer divisions, preceded by waves of Stuka divebombers, giving the world a terrifying example of the .Blitzkrieg. [Lighting War] tactics which were to replace the static trenchwar methods used twenty years earlier. Warsaw, 140 miles from the frontier, was reached in a week, and on September 17th the government went into exile whilst the heroic Warsaw garrison fought on for another ten days. Since the British and French governments had warned Germany on 31st March 1939 that they would defend Poland, on September 3rd they declared war on Germany. The Second World War had begun.

Editors. "Second World War begins". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 February 2004
[, accessed 22 January 2017.]

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