| The League of Nations Intelligence Agency |
| Geneva, Switzerland |
| Mission Europe Hostilities |
| TOP SECRET |
| The Invasion of Poland |
The German invasion of Poland began on September 1, 1939, proved to be a "a campaign from the book." Coming from from East Prussia and Slovakia along with Germany, the German Werchmacht or army defeated the Polish in only ten days. The Polish Air Force was defeated on the ground after the first day. The Panzer divisions cut through the Polish forces at will and isolated them for the later disarming. September 15th led to the Polish Resistance collapsed. The Polish government fled to Romania and France where they organized the their government in exile. Warsaw was able to hold out for a month after. (More information on the Battle for Poland can be found on the Poland pages).
Hitler, so happy with his victory over Poland, was impatient to turn to the Western Allies at once. His generals felt that their army was not ready however and disagreed. When Britain and France declared war on Germany, the German people had no huge patriotic events in Berlin as there had been at the beginning of World War I. On October 9, 1939, Hitler issued orders for the preparation of Operation Yellow, which would involve taking over the Netherlands and Belgium. The beginning of World War II had happened.
The Downfall of the Weimer Republic
The Annexation of Austria and Czechoslovakia
Invasion of Poland
Beginning of the End for the Third Reich