Soviet invasion of Poland

Soviet invasion of Poland. The invasion was a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler, which led to the division of Eastern Europe into Soviet sphere of influence and Nazi sphere of influence. The Red Army invaded Poland on September 17, 1939, following the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, led by Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht under the command of Walther von Brauchitsch. This marked the beginning of World War II and involved Polish Armed Forces under the command of Edward Rydz-Śmigły and Władysław Raczkiewicz.

Background

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed on August 23, 1939, by Vyacheslav Molotov and Joachim von Ribbentrop, which included a secret protocol dividing Eastern Europe into Soviet sphere of influence and Nazi sphere of influence. The Soviet Union and Nazi Germany agreed to invade and divide Poland, with the Soviet Union gaining control of Eastern Poland and Nazi Germany gaining control of Western Poland. The Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921 had previously led to the establishment of the Polish-Soviet border, which was now to be redrawn. The League of Nations and the United Kingdom's Neville Chamberlain and France's Édouard Daladier were unable to prevent the invasion, despite having Anglo-Polish Agreement of Mutual Assistance and Franco-Polish alliance in place.

Invasion

The Red Army invaded Poland on September 17, 1939, with the goal of capturing Eastern Poland and establishing a new border with Nazi Germany. The invasion was led by Mikhail Kovalev and involved the Belarusian Front and the Ukrainian Front. The Polish Armed Forces were unable to withstand the invasion, and by September 28, 1939, the Soviet Union had captured Wilno (now Vilnius) and Lwów (now Lviv). The Battle of Wilno and the Battle of Lwów were key battles fought during the invasion. The Soviet Union also established the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in the occupied territories.

Military campaign

The military campaign was marked by the use of tank warfare and air support by the Red Army. The Polish Air Force and the Polish Navy were quickly overwhelmed, and the Polish Army was forced to retreat. The Battle of Grodno and the Battle of Szack were key battles fought during the campaign. The Soviet Union also used partisan warfare and guerrilla warfare to weaken the Polish resistance. The Armia Krajowa and the Polish Underground State were established to resist the occupation. The Soviet Union's NKVD and the Nazi Germany's Gestapo also played a significant role in suppressing the resistance.

Aftermath

The invasion resulted in the division of Poland between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, with the Soviet Union gaining control of Eastern Poland and Nazi Germany gaining control of Western Poland. The Soviet Union also established the Białystok Voivodeship and the Lviv Voivodeship in the occupied territories. The Polish population was subject to forced relocation and mass executions, including the Katyn massacre and the Massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia. The Soviet Union also established the Polish Committee of National Liberation to govern the occupied territories. The Yalta Conference and the Potsdam Conference later established the Oder-Neisse line as the new border between Poland and Germany.

International reactions

The international community, including the United States' Franklin D. Roosevelt and the United Kingdom's Winston Churchill, condemned the invasion. The League of Nations was unable to take effective action, and the United Nations was not established until after the war. The French Third Republic and the United Kingdom declared war on Nazi Germany on September 3, 1939, but did not declare war on the Soviet Union. The Soviet-Finnish War and the Winter War also broke out in 1939, involving the Soviet Union and Finland. The Atlantic Charter and the Lend-Lease Act were later signed to support the Allies during the war. The Soviet Union's actions during the invasion were widely criticized, including by André Gide and George Orwell. Category:World War II