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The occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II (1939–1945) began with the Invasion of Poland in September 1939, and it was formally concluded with the defeat of Germany by the Allies in May 1945.
The history of Poland spans over a thousand years, from medieval tribes, Christianization and monarchy; through Poland's Golden Age, expansionism and becoming one of the largest European powers; to its collapse and partitions, two world wars, communism, and the restoration of democracy .
On September 1, 1939, Nazi Germany unleashed World War II by invading Poland. The war radicalized Nazi policies, leading to brutal occupations of conquered territory. German authorities in occupied Poland established ghettos for Jews. They also introduced harsh measures against non-Jewish Poles.
The occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II (1939–1945) began with the Invasion of Poland in September 1939, and it was formally concluded with the defeat of Germany by the Allies in May 1945.
The history of Poland from 1939 to 1945 encompasses primarily the period from the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to the end of World War II. Following the German–Soviet non-aggression pact, Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany on 1 September 1939 and by the Soviet Union on 17 September.
In June 1941, Nazi Germany invaded Soviet-occupied eastern Poland as part of its attack on the Soviet Union. Eventually, Nazi Germany occupied all of prewar Poland. The German occupation of Poland came to an end as the Soviet Red Army forced the German military to retreat through the country towards Berlin in 1944 and early 1945.
Invasion. Prior to the invasion of Poland on the 1 September 1939, the country was home to just over three million Jews. By 28 September 1939, Poland had been defeated and divided up between the Nazis and Soviets as per the Molotov-Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact . The western area of Poland was annexed into the Greater German Reich.
