The entry of Soviet troops into Polish territory. "liberation campaign" of the Red Army: Polish forces

Original taken from procol_harum on September 17, 1939 - Soviet attack on Poland

Many people don't know this at all. And over time, even fewer people remain who know about it. And there are others who believe that Poland attacked Germany on September 1, 1939, unleashed World War 2, but they are silent about the USSR. In general, there is no science of history. They think the way someone likes or benefits to think.

Original taken from maxim_nm in How the USSR attacked Poland (photos, facts).

Exactly 78 years ago, September 17, 1939 USSR following Nazi Germany, it attacked Poland - the Germans brought in their troops from the west, this happened on September 1, 1939, and more than two weeks later USSR troops entered Polish territory from the east. The official reason for the deployment of troops was supposedly “protection of the Belarusian and Ukrainian population”, which is located in the territory "the Polish state, which revealed internal failure".

A number of researchers clearly assess the events that began on September 17, 1939 as the entry of the USSR into World War II on the side of the aggressor (Nazi Germany). Soviet and some Russian researchers view these events as a separate episode.

So, today’s post contains a long and interesting story about the events of September 1939, photos and stories from local residents. Go to the cut, it’s interesting)

02. It all started with the “Note of the USSR Government”, presented to the Polish ambassador in Moscow on the morning of September 17, 1939. I quote its text in full. Pay attention to the figures of speech, especially the juicy ones I have highlighted in bold - personally, this reminds me very much of the modern events regarding the “annexation” of Crimea.

By the way, in history, in general, it is very rare that the aggressor himself called his actions “aggression.” As a rule, these are “actions aimed at protecting/preventing/preventing” and so on. In short, they attacked a neighboring country in order to “nip aggression in the bud.”

"Mr. Ambassador,
The Polish-German War revealed the internal failure of the Polish state. Within ten days of military operations, Poland lost all of its industrial areas and cultural centers. Warsaw as the capital of Poland no longer exists. The Polish government has collapsed and shows no signs of life. This means that the Polish state and its government virtually ceased to exist. Thus, the agreements concluded between the USSR and Poland were terminated. Left to its own devices and left without leadership, Poland turned into a convenient field for all sorts of accidents and surprises that could pose a threat to the USSR. Therefore, being hitherto neutral, the Soviet government cannot be more neutral in its attitude towards these facts.
The Soviet government cannot also be indifferent to the fact that half-blooded Ukrainians and Belarusians living on the territory of Poland, abandoned to the mercy of fate, remain defenseless. In view of this situation, the Soviet government ordered the High Command of the Red Army to order troops to cross the border and take under their protection the lives and property of the population of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus.
At the same time, the Soviet government intends to take all measures to rescue the Polish people from the ill-fated war into which they were plunged by their foolish leaders, and to give them the opportunity to live a peaceful life.
Please accept, Mr. Ambassador, the assurances of our utmost respect.
People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR
V. Molotov."

03. In fact, immediately after the delivery of the note, the rapid entry of Soviet troops into Polish territory began. The Soviet Union introduced armored tanks and armored vehicles, cavalry, infantry and artillery into the territory. In the photo - Soviet cavalrymen accompany an artillery battery.

04. Armored vehicles crossing the Soviet-Polish border, photograph taken September 17, 1939:

05. Infantry units of the USSR in the border area. By the way, pay attention to the fighters’ helmets - these are SSh-36 helmets, also known as “Halkingolka”. These helmets were widely used in the early period of World War II, but in films (especially of the Soviet era) they are almost never seen - perhaps because this helmet resembles the German "stahlhelm".

06. Soviet tank BT-5 on the streets of the city http://maxim-nm.livejournal.com/42391.html, which was a border town “beyond the Polish hour”.

07. Soon after the “annexation” of the eastern part of Poland to the USSR, a joint parade of Wehrmacht troops and units of the Red Army took place in the city of Brest (then called Brest-Litovsk), this happened on September 22, 1939.

08. The parade was timed to coincide with the creation of a demarcation line between the USSR and Nazi Germany, as well as the establishment of a new border.

09. Many researchers call this action not a “joint parade”, but a “ceremonial procession”, but as for me, the essence does not change. Guderian wanted to hold a full-fledged joint parade, but in the end agreed to the proposal of the commander of the 29th Armored Brigade Krivoshein, which read: “At 16 o’clock, parts of your corps in a marching column, with standards in front, leave the city, my units, also in a marching column, enter the city, stop on the streets where German regiments pass, and salute the passing units with their banners. Bands perform military marches ". What is this if not a parade?

10. Nazi-Soviet negotiations on the “new border”, photograph taken in Brest in September 1939:

11. New Frontier:

12. Nazi and Soviet tank crews communicate with each other:

13. German and Soviet officers:

14. Immediately after arriving in the “annexed lands,” Soviet units launched agitation and propaganda. These kinds of stands were installed on the streets with stories about the Soviet armed forces and the advantages of living in.

15. It must be admitted that many local residents at first greeted the Red Army soldiers with joy, but later many changed their minds about the “guests from the east.” “Purges” and the deportation of people to Siberia began, and there were often cases when a person was shot simply because there were no calluses on his hands - they say, “an unemployed element,” an “exploiter.”

This is what residents of a well-known Belarusian town said about Soviet troops in 1939 World(yes, the same one where the world famous castle is), quotes from the book "The World: Historic Myastechka, What the Yago Zhykhars Told", translation into Russian is mine:
.

“When the soldiers walked, no one gave them anything or treated them. We asked them how life was there, did they have everything?” The soldiers answered - “Oh, we are good! We have everything there!” In Russia they said that life in Poland is bad. But it was good here - people had good suits and clothes. They didn't have anything there. They took everything from Jewish stores - even those slippers that were "for death."

“The first thing that surprised Westerners was the appearance of the Red Army soldiers, who were for them the first representatives of the “socialist paradise.” When the Soviets arrived, you could immediately see how people lived there. The clothes were bad. When they saw the prince’s “slave,” they thought it was the prince himself and wanted to arrest him. That's how well he was dressed - both the suit and the hat. Goncharikova and Manya Razvodovskaya walked in long coats, the soldiers began to point at them and say that “landowners’ daughters” were coming.

“Soon after the entry of troops, “socialist changes” began. They introduced a tax system. The taxes were large, some could not pay them, and those who paid had nothing left. Polish money depreciated in one day. We sold a cow, and the next a day they were able to buy only 2-3 meters of fabric and shoes. The liquidation of private trade led to a shortage of almost all consumer goods. When the Soviet troops arrived, at first everyone was happy, but when the night queues for bread began, they realized that everything was bad.

“We didn’t know how people lived in Russia. When the Soviets came, that’s when we found out. We were happy about the Soviets. But when we lived under the Soviets, we were horrified. The removal of people began. They will “sew” something onto a person and take him away. The men were sent to prison, and their family was left alone. All those who were taken out did not return."

The original of this post is located at

Original taken from maxim_nm in How the USSR attacked Poland (photos, facts).

So, today’s post contains a long and interesting story about the events of September 1939, photos and stories from local residents. Go to the cut, it’s interesting)

"Mr. Ambassador,
The Polish-German War revealed the internal failure of the Polish state. Within ten days of military operations, Poland lost all of its industrial areas and cultural centers. Warsaw as the capital of Poland no longer exists. The Polish government has collapsed and shows no signs of life. This means that the Polish state and its government virtually ceased to exist. Thus, the agreements concluded between the USSR and Poland were terminated. Left to its own devices and left without leadership, Poland turned into a convenient field for all sorts of accidents and surprises that could pose a threat to the USSR. Therefore, being hitherto neutral, the Soviet government cannot be more neutral in its attitude towards these facts.
The Soviet government cannot also be indifferent to the fact that half-blooded Ukrainians and Belarusians living on the territory of Poland, abandoned to the mercy of fate, remain defenseless. In view of this situation, the Soviet government ordered the High Command of the Red Army to order troops to cross the border and take under their protection the lives and property of the population of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus.
At the same time, the Soviet government intends to take all measures to rescue the Polish people from the ill-fated war into which they were plunged by their foolish leaders, and to give them the opportunity to live a peaceful life.
Please accept, Mr. Ambassador, the assurances of our utmost respect.
People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR
V. Molotov."

04. Armored vehicles crossing the Soviet-Polish border, photograph taken September 17, 1939:

06. Soviet tank BT-5 on the streets of the city http://maxim-nm.livejournal.com/42391.html, which was a border town “beyond the Polish hour”.

08. The parade was timed to coincide with the creation of a demarcation line between the USSR and Nazi Germany, as well as the establishment of a new border.

10. Nazi-Soviet negotiations on the “new border”, photograph taken in Brest in September 1939:

11. New Frontier:

12. Nazi and Soviet tank crews communicate with each other:

13. German and Soviet officers:

“When the soldiers walked, no one gave them anything or treated them. We asked them how life was there, did they have everything?” The soldiers answered - “Oh, we are good! We have everything there!” In Russia they said that life in Poland is bad. But it was good here - people had good suits and clothes. They didn't have anything there. They took everything from Jewish stores - even those slippers that were "for death."

“The first thing that surprised Westerners was the appearance of the Red Army soldiers, who were for them the first representatives of the “socialist paradise.” When the Soviets arrived, you could immediately see how people lived there. The clothes were bad. When they saw the prince’s “slave,” they thought it was the prince himself and wanted to arrest him. That's how well he was dressed - both the suit and the hat. Goncharikova and Manya Razvodovskaya walked in long coats, the soldiers began to point at them and say that “landowners’ daughters” were coming.

“Soon after the entry of troops, “socialist changes” began. They introduced a tax system. The taxes were large, some could not pay them, and those who paid had nothing left. Polish money depreciated in one day. We sold a cow, and the next a day they were able to buy only 2-3 meters of fabric and shoes. The liquidation of private trade led to a shortage of almost all consumer goods. When the Soviet troops arrived, at first everyone was happy, but when the night queues for bread began, they realized that everything was bad.

“We didn’t know how people lived in Russia. When the Soviets came, that’s when we found out. We were happy about the Soviets. But when we lived under the Soviets, we were horrified. The removal of people began. They will “sew” something onto a person and take him away. The men were sent to prison, and their family was left alone. All those who were taken out did not return."

So it goes.

On September 1, 1939, at 4 a.m., German troops invaded Poland. So World War II began.

The reason for Germany's attack on Poland was the Polish government's refusal to hand over the free city of Danzig to Germany and grant it the right to build highways to East Prussia that would pass through Polish territory. Danzig and the surrounding territory formed the so-called “Danzig Corridor”. This corridor was created by the Treaty of Versailles so that Poland would have access to the sea. The Danzig region cut off German territory from East Prussia. But not only the passage between the territory of Germany and East Prussia (part of Germany) was the goal of the attack on Poland. For Hitler's Germany, this was the next stage in the implementation of the program to expand the “living space”. In Austria and Czechoslovakia, Hitler managed to achieve his goals through diplomatic moves, threats and blackmail. Now the stage of forceful implementation of aggressive goals has begun.

“I have completed the political preparations, the road is now open for the soldier,” Hitler said before the invasion. Of course, by “political preparations” he meant, in particular, the Soviet-German non-aggression pact signed in Moscow on August 23, 1939, which relieved Hitler of the need to wage a war on two fronts. Historians will later call this pact the “Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.” We will talk in detail about this document and the secret annexes to it in the next chapter.

Wehrmacht soldiers break the barrier at the border checkpoint in Sopot
(border between Poland and the Free City of Danzig), September 1, 1939.
German Federal Archive.

Early in the morning of September 1, German troops moved deep into Polish territory, having in the first echelon up to 40 divisions, including all the mechanized and motorized formations that Germany had at that time, followed by another 13 reserve divisions. The massive use of tank and motorized forces with active air support allowed German troops to carry out the Blitzkrieg (lightning war) operation in Poland. The million-strong Polish army was dispersed along borders that did not have strong defensive lines, which made it possible for the Germans to create significant superiority in forces in certain areas. The flat terrain contributed to the high rate of advance of German troops. Having attacked the Polish border line from the north and west, using superiority in tanks and aircraft, the German command carried out a major operation to encircle and destroy Polish troops. Despite the powerful onslaught of the enemy, a significant part of the Polish troops managed to break out of the encirclement at the first stage and retreat to the east.

From the first days of the war, miscalculations of the Polish military leadership were revealed. The Polish main headquarters assumed that the Allies would attack Germany from the west, and the Polish army would launch an offensive in the Berlin direction. The offensive doctrine of the Polish armed forces did not provide for the creation of a reliable line of defense. Therefore, the Germans, with relatively small losses in men and equipment from September 1 to 6, 1939, achieved the following results: the 3rd Army of the Wehrmacht (along with the 4th Army, it was part of the Northern Army Group under the command of General von Bock), breaking through the Polish defenses on the border with East Prussia, reached the Narew River and crossed it at Ruzhan. The 4th Army struck from Pomerania through the “Danzig corridor” and began to move south along both banks of the Vistula. The 8th and 10th Armies (Southern Army Group under the command of General von Runstedt) advancing in the center advanced - the first to Lodz, the second to Warsaw. Three Polish armies (Torun, Poznan and Lodz) fought their way to the southeast or to the capital (at first without success). This was the first stage of the encirclement operation.

Already the first days of the campaign in Poland showed that the era of a new war was beginning. Gone are the positions of sitting in the trenches with painfully long breakthroughs. The era of engines, the massive use of tanks and aircraft has arrived. French military experts believed that Poland should hold out until the spring of 1940. But five days were enough for the Germans to defeat the main backbone of the Polish army, which turned out to be unprepared for modern warfare. The Poles could not oppose anything to the six German tank divisions, especially since the territory of Poland was best suited for the blitzkrieg.

The main forces of the Polish army were located along the borders, where there were no fortifications that presented any serious obstacles to tank formations. Under such conditions, the courage and tenacity that Polish wars showed everywhere could not bring them victory.

Polish troops who managed to escape from encirclement, as well as the garrisons of cities located beyond the Narew and Bug rivers, tried to create a new defensive line on the southern banks of these rivers. But the created line turned out to be weak, the units returning after the battles suffered heavy losses, and the newly arriving fresh formations did not have time to fully concentrate. The 3rd Army, part of the German Group North, reinforced by Guderian's tank corps, broke through the defenses of Polish troops on the Narew River on September 9 and moved to the southeast. On September 10, units of the 3rd Army crossed the Bug and reached the Warsaw-Brest railway. Meanwhile, the German 4th Army advanced towards Modlin-Warsaw.

Army Group South defeated Polish troops between the San and Vistula rivers and advanced to join forces with Army Group North. At the same time, the 14th Army crossed the San River and began an attack on Lvov. The 10th Army continued its attack on Warsaw from the south. The 8th Army launched an attack on Warsaw in the central direction, through Lodz. Thus, in the second stage, Polish troops retreated in almost all sectors.

Although the bulk of the Polish troops were forced to retreat to the east, stubborn fighting still continued in the west. Polish troops here managed to prepare and launch a sudden counterattack from the Kutno area against the rear of the 8th German Army. This counterattack was the first tactical success of the Polish army, but, of course, it had no impact on the outcome of the battle. A Polish group of three divisions, which carried out a counterattack from the Kutno area, was surrounded by German troops one day later and ultimately defeated.

On September 10, formations of the 3rd German Army reached the northern suburbs of Warsaw. Guderian's tank corps advanced east of Warsaw in a southern direction and reached Brest on September 15. On September 13, the surrounded Polish group in the Radom area was defeated. On September 15, German troops operating across the Vistula captured Lublin. On September 16, formations of the 3rd Army, advancing from the north, linked up in the Wlodawa area with units of the 10th Army, that is, the troops of Army Group North and South united across the Vistula, and the encirclement ring of Polish troops east of Warsaw was closed. German troops reached the line Lviv - Vladimir-Volynsky - Brest - Bialystok. Thus ended the second stage of hostilities in Poland. Organized resistance to the Polish army at this stage virtually ceased.

Poland's allies - Great Britain and France - declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939, but during the entire Polish campaign they did not provide any practical assistance to Poland.

The third and final stage of hostilities in Poland consisted of German troops suppressing individual pockets of resistance and fighting for Warsaw. These battles ended on September 28. The desperate resistance of the defenders of Warsaw stopped only when the ammunition ran out. Prior to this, Warsaw had been subjected to artillery and air bombardment for six days. The number of deaths as a result of the barbaric bombardment of Warsaw was five times greater than the number of deaths during its defense.

The Polish government, in the most difficult hour of testing for its people on September 16, shamefully fled to Romania. The army and the entire Polish people were left to the mercy of fate, or rather, to the mercy of the fascist aggressors. The last battles were fought by one of the Polish divisions near the city of Kotsk. Here, on October 5, 1939, the remnants of the division laid down their arms and surrendered.

Soon after the invasion of Poland, the Germans proposed that the Soviet Union intervene in the hostilities in order to immediately occupy those areas of Poland that, according to the secret annex to the Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact of August 23, 1939, were subject to annexation by the Soviet Union. But the Soviet leadership gave its troops, concentrated at the western border of the USSR, instructions to occupy the eastern regions of Poland only after it became clear that the Polish army had been defeated and no help would come from Poland’s allies, since the Polish government had left the country. On September 17, 1939, the Red Army crossed the Soviet-Polish border. The liberation campaign of the Red Army, as it was called then and many years later, began. The Soviet leadership motivated the entry of Soviet troops into Polish territory by the need to protect the Ukrainian and Belarusian population of the eastern regions of Poland in the conditions of the outbreak of war and the complete defeat of the Polish armed forces. It should be noted that the Soviet Union repeatedly offered Poland military assistance in repelling German aggression, but these proposals were actually rejected by the Polish government, which feared Soviet assistance more than German attacks.

The number of Soviet troops participating in the campaign against Poland was about 620 thousand people. The Polish armed forces did not at all expect the offensive of the Red Army. In most areas occupied by Soviet troops, the Poles did not offer armed resistance. Only in certain places in the Ternopil and Pinsk regions, as well as in the city of Grodno, did Soviet units encounter stubborn resistance, which was quickly suppressed. As a rule, resistance was provided not by regular Polish troops, but by units of the gendarmerie and military settlers. Polish troops, completely demoralized by defeat from German troops, surrendered en masse to Soviet troops. In total, over 450 thousand people surrendered. For comparison: about 420 thousand Polish soldiers and officers surrendered to German troops operating on the vast territory of Poland. One of the possible reasons for this was also the order of the commander-in-chief of the Polish army, General Rydz-Smigly, to refrain from military operations with Soviet troops.

One of the main goals of the Polish campaign of the Red Army in September 1939 was the return of the territories of Western Belarus and Western Ukraine captured by Poland during the Soviet-Polish War of 1920. Here we would like to briefly remind our readers of the background of the issue. The eastern borders of Poland were established at the proposal of the Supreme Council of the Entente in December 1919 along the line: Grodno - Brest - Bug River - Przemysl - Carpathians (the so-called “Curzon Line”). But the then Polish government, led by Marshal Jozef Pilsudski (1867-1935), started a war for lands lying much east of this border. During the undeclared war with Soviet Russia, Polish troops, together with military formations of the Ukrainian People's Republic, transferred to the subordination of the Polish command by Semyon Petlyura, captured the lands of Ukraine and Belarus, lying significantly east of the “Curzon Line”. Thus, in Belarus, by the end of 1919, Polish troops reached the Berezena line, and in Ukraine, they reached areas east of Kyiv, Fastov, and Lvov. The Red Army as a whole unsuccessfully carried out the largest operations of the Soviet-Polish war and was ultimately defeated. The Polish campaign of the Red Army, which began on September 17, 1939, was supposed to restore the western lands of Belarus and Ukraine within the USSR.

The Soviet media were silent for a long time about the war with Poland in 1920. In fact, Soviet Russia was at war with Poland throughout 1919 (the first clashes between the Red Army and Polish troops took place in the western part of Belarus in December 1918) and until October 12, 1920, when a truce was concluded in Riga between Poland and Soviet Russia. Long peace negotiations began, and the Riga Peace Treaty was concluded only on March 18, 1921. Soviet Russia failed to push the Soviet-Polish border to the “Curzon Line”. Under the terms of the Riga Peace Treaty, Western Ukraine and Western Belarus were ceded to Poland.

The Soviet leadership preferred not to talk about the Soviet-Polish war for obvious reasons: who is interested in talking about their defeat? In addition, the Soviet troops in that war were commanded by two marshals - M.N. Tukhachevsky and A.I. Egorov, who were slandered and in 1937 were shot on the orders of Stalin as “enemies of the people.”

The Soviet official bodies spread no more than the Soviet-Polish war of 1920 and the “liberation campaign” of the Red Army in September 1939. Whatever they say about the “liberation mission” of the Red Army, the black shadow of the secret protocol to the Soviet-German non-aggression pact of August 23, 1939 relentlessly followed this noble mission.

The campaign of the Red Army, which began on September 17, continued as follows. On September 19-20, 1939, advanced Soviet units met with German troops on the line Lvov - Vladimir-Volynsky - Brest - Bialystok. On September 20, negotiations began between Germany and the USSR on establishing a demarcation line.

As a result of these negotiations, on September 28, 1939, a Treaty of Friendship and Border between the USSR and Germany was signed in Moscow. The new Soviet border now differed little from the so-called “Curzon Line”. Stalin, during negotiations in Moscow, abandoned the initial claims to ethnic Polish lands between the Vistula and Bug and invited the German side to abandon claims to Lithuania. The German side agreed to this, and Lithuania was included in the sphere of interests of the USSR. It was also agreed that the Lublin and partially Warsaw voivodeships would move into the zone of German interests.

After the conclusion of the friendship and border treaty, economic relations between the Soviet Union and Germany noticeably intensified. The USSR supplied Germany with food and strategic materials, for example, cotton, oil, chromium, copper, platinum, manganese ore and others. Supplies of raw materials and materials from the Soviet Union made the economic blockade imposed against it by Western countries at the beginning of the war almost imperceptible to Germany. From Germany, the USSR received rolled steel, machinery and equipment in exchange for the supply of its goods. The trust of the top leadership of the USSR in the Non-Aggression Treaty of August 23, 1939 and in the Treaty of Friendship and Border of September 28 of the same year was quite high, although not unlimited. This, of course, influenced the increase in Germany's share in the USSR's foreign trade. This share increased from 7.4% to 40.4% from 1939 to 1940.

The Polish campaign of the Red Army actually meant the entry of the USSR into World War II. The losses of Soviet troops during the Polish campaign amounted to 715 people killed and 1876 people wounded. The Poles lost 3.5 thousand people killed, 20 thousand wounded and over 450 thousand prisoners in military clashes with the Red Army. Most of the prisoners were Ukrainians and Belarusians. Almost all of them (primarily the rank and file) were sent home.

The total German losses during the fighting in Poland in 1939 amounted to 44 thousand people, of which 10.5 thousand were killed. The Poles lost 66.3 thousand people killed and missing, 133.7 thousand wounded and 420 thousand prisoners in battles with the German army.

Hitler, especially in the first weeks of fighting in Poland, personally controlled the actions of German troops. According to the memoirs of Heinz Guderian, on September 5, Adolf Hitler unexpectedly arrived at his tank corps in the Plevno area. Seeing the destroyed Polish artillery, he was surprised to learn from Guderian that this was done not by dive bombers, but by tanks. Hitler asked about the losses. Having learned that in five days of fighting in four divisions there were 150 killed and 700 wounded, he was very surprised at such insignificant losses. By comparison, Hitler cited his regiment's World War I casualties after the first day of fighting as about 2,000 killed and wounded in the regiment alone. Guderian pointed out that the minor losses of his corps in battle were due mainly to the effectiveness of the tanks. At the same time, he described his opponent as brave and persistent.

The results of German aggression against Poland were as follows: the western regions of Poland were annexed to Germany, and a General Government was created on the common territory of the Warsaw, Lublin and Krakow voivodeships, occupied by Wehrmacht troops. The state of Poland, having gained independence in November 1918, almost ceased to exist twenty years later until the spring of 1945, when Poland was liberated by the Soviet Army with the participation of the Polish Army.

The result of the Polish campaign of the Red Army in 1939 was the reunification of divided peoples - Belarusians and Ukrainians. The territories, populated mainly by Ukrainians and Belarusians, became part of the Ukrainian SSR and the Belarusian SSR in November 1939. The territory of the USSR increased by 196 thousand sq. km, and the population - by 13 million people. Soviet borders moved 300-400 km to the west. Of course, this was a good territorial and demographic result. But the Polish campaign also had a certain negative result. What we mean is that the ease with which the goals of this campaign were achieved could have created illusions among the military-political leadership of the USSR about the invincible power of the Red Army. Praising the victories of the Red Army over the Japanese in the area of Lake Khasan (1938) and the Khalkhin Gol River (1939), which, by the way, were not at all easy for the Soviet troops, also played a role here. Soviet propaganda insisted that the results of the Polish campaign were proof of the “invincibility” of the Red Army. But every normal person understood that the “ease” of the Red Army’s actions was ensured by the defeat of Poland by the troops of the German Wehrmacht. The Soviet military leadership learned very quickly how dangerous self-confidence, inflated self-esteem and simultaneous underestimation of enemy forces are, during the war with Finland, which began on November 30, 1939.

Occupation of Poland. The struggle of the Polish people against the Nazi invaders.

The occupation of Poland by Nazi troops, which began on September 1, 1939, lasted until May 1945. All this time, the Polish people showed courageous resistance to the invaders. The first to enter the territory of occupied Poland were the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front on July 17, 1944, and the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front and the 1st Polish Army on July 20.

On July 22, in the city of Chelm, liberated by the Soviet Army (then the Red Army) and parts of the Polish Army, the Polish Committee of National Liberation was established, which took over the functions of the Polish government.

On July 31, 1944, the State Defense Committee of the USSR adopted a resolution on the tasks of the Soviet Army in connection with its entry into the territory of Poland. The resolution emphasized that the Soviet Army, having entered the territory of Poland, was carrying out a liberation mission towards the Polish people.

This mission was not easy. Let us give just one figure: almost 600 thousand Soviet soldiers and officers died in the battles for the liberation of Poland. All of Poland is covered with mass graves of Soviet soldiers.

Soviet-Polish relations have been difficult since the early years of Soviet Russia. The Soviet-Polish War of 1920 and the entry of Soviet troops into Poland on September 17, 1939 showed the complexity of these relations. It is known that Poland was constantly pushed to worsen relations with the USSR by the ruling circles of Western countries. Great Britain was especially successful in this ignoble task.

The entry of Soviet troops on September 17, 1939 into the eastern regions of Poland, populated mainly by Belarusians and Ukrainians, was agreed upon with the leadership of Nazi Germany. The non-aggression treaty of August 23, 1939, concluded between the USSR and Germany, called the “Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact,” provided for the division of the territory of Poland into zones of interest of the Soviet Union and Germany.

On September 28, 1939, Molotov and Ribbentrop signed a new German-Soviet “Treaty of Friendship and Border between the USSR and Germany.” This treaty formally and legally established the division of Polish territory between Germany and the Soviet Union.

Two additional secret protocols were attached to this agreement. One of them clarified the boundaries of the division of Poland: the Lublin Voivodeship and part of the Warsaw Voivodeship went into the German sphere of influence, and the entire Lithuanian territory was given to the Soviet Union as an additional sphere of influence. In another secret protocol, both sides committed to not allow any Polish agitation on “their territories” and even to “eliminate the embryos” of such agitation. In other words, the USSR and Nazi Germany agreed on united action against agitation and propaganda for the revival of Poland. The meaning is clear, but we will not dwell on the moral and ethical side of such a conspiracy.

Over the years since then, everything has been written and said about the “Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact” and its annexes, as well as about the “Treaty of Friendship and Border”. It has long been clear to objective historians that these documents record a conspiracy between the leaders of two largest states: the USSR and Germany, and the conspiracy was forced on both one and the other side. The intentions of each side were determined by the current situation. With the help of these documents, Germany tried to convince (at least for a while) the Soviet leadership of the supposedly peaceful intentions of the Nazi regime in order to guarantee itself against the need to wage a war on two fronts (in the West and in the East). The Soviet leadership, understanding the inevitability of war with Germany, hoped to gain at least a little time before the start of the war in order to prepare the country and the armed forces for the upcoming tests. This was vitally important for the USSR in that tense situation.

The agreement of August 23, 1939 did not provide for the seizure of Polish territories by the Soviet Union. Only the reunification of the western lands, which historically belonged to Ukraine and Belarus, but passed to Poland after the Soviet-Polish war of 1920, was envisaged. Therefore, the campaign of the Red Army on the territory of Poland, which began on September 17, 1939, was not an act of aggression against Poland, as it was represented by Polish nationalist circles and many Western politicians.

In anticipation of the complete defeat of Poland from the Nazi troops, the Polish government left the country and emigrated to London. On July 30, 1941, an agreement was signed in London between the USSR and Poland on the restoration of diplomatic relations, on mutual assistance in the war against Nazi Germany and on the creation of a Polish army on the territory of the USSR.

On December 3-4, 1941, Soviet-Polish negotiations were held in Moscow and a declaration of friendship and mutual assistance was signed by the governments of the USSR and Poland. But on April 25, 1943, the Soviet government sent a note to the Polish émigré government in London to sever relations with it. The reason for this step was criticism of the policies of the Soviet leadership by the Polish government, which was perceived by Moscow as a slanderous campaign.

The “Union of Polish Patriots”, which was organized in the USSR, turned to the Soviet government with a request to form Polish military units on the territory of the USSR. This request was granted, and in May 1943, the 1st Polish Infantry Division named after Tadeusz Kosciuszko began to form on the territory of the USSR. This Polish division first entered into battle with the Nazi invaders on October 12, 1943 near the village of Lenino (Goretsky district of the Mogilev region) as part of the 33rd Army of the Soviet Western Front. October 12 was previously considered Polish Army Day. We don’t know what this day is now considered in Poland.

We only know that modern Poland is a member of NATO, and Polish leaders, clearly confusing day and night, are talking about some kind of danger emanating from Russia, a country that at one time saved the Polish people from destruction. Having lost orientation in space, the Polish government clung to the maternal breast of NATO, seeking protection from this military-political organization. NATO instructors, mentors and other military specialists have already arrived in Poland. It is likely that more militarily significant NATO forces and assets will appear here soon. Then the Polish leaders will breathe freely: Poland has not yet disappeared...

The nationalist aspirations of the leading circles of Poland, on the one hand, and the inexorable desire of the Soviet leadership to keep Poland in its sphere of influence, on the other, were the reason that in the fight against the Nazi invaders in Poland, national forces acted with different goals, organized in Home Army and Ludowa Army.

Let us briefly recall what these two military organizations were. The Home Army (Armia Krajowa - Polish. Patriotic Army) is an underground military organization created in 1942 by the Polish emigrant government in the territory of Poland occupied by Nazi Germany. It was in effect until January 1945. In 1943-1944. its number ranged from 250 to 350 thousand people.

With the help of the Home Army, the emigrant government hoped to retain its power after the liberation of Poland, prevent the loss of Poland's independence and avoid its dependence on the Soviet Union.

The Army of Ludowa (Armia Ludowa - Polish People's Army) is a military organization created by the Polish Workers' Party by decision of the Regional Rada of the People on January 1, 1944 on the basis of the Guard of Ludowa - the underground military organization of the Polish Workers' Party and has been operating since January 1942. The Lyudov Army and the Lyudov Guard that preceded it waged a fairly active fight against the Nazi occupiers. Geographically, the Army of Ludov was divided into six districts. Organizationally, it consisted of 16 partisan brigades and 20 separate battalions and detachments. Ludov's army fought 120 major battles, destroyed more than 19 thousand Nazi soldiers and officers, and collaborated with detachments of Soviet partisans operating in Poland. The Soviet Union helped the Army of Ludova with weapons and other material means. In July 1944, the Army of Ludow (about 60 thousand people) merged with the 1st Polish Army into a single Polish Army.

The common people always suffer from political confrontation within any country, as well as from international political disagreements and conflicts. The Warsaw Armed Uprising of 1944 was a great drama for the residents of Warsaw and the entire Polish people. To put it mildly, the leadership of the Home Army acted short-sightedly, preparing this uprising against the Nazi occupiers without establishing contact with the Soviet command and the leadership of the Ludowa Army. Yes, the leadership of the Home Army could not have acted differently, following the instructions of the Polish émigré government. The victory of the uprising would enable this government to establish its power in Warsaw, and then throughout the entire camp.

The uprising, prepared hastily and militarily weak, began on August 1, 1944. It quickly became widespread, and then the rebels were supported by detachments of the Army of Ludova, who were not notified in advance of the impending uprising. However, the forces were not equal. The fascist German garrison of Warsaw rushed at the rebels with all its might. The weakness of the preparations for the uprising was already evident in the first clashes between the rebels and the Germans. The rebels turned to the Soviet Army for help. The Soviet leadership, naturally, did not want such a turn of events that, as a result of the victory of the Warsaw Uprising, the previous bourgeois-landlord power would be established in Poland. Therefore, Stalin did not immediately respond to the Poles’ appeal for help. But in order to create the appearance of helping the rebels, he ordered weapons, ammunition and other necessary equipment to be dropped on them by plane. The order was carried out, but, unfortunately, a significant part of the dropped weapons fell into the hands of the Germans. It was impossible to do more, since Soviet troops were not yet able to take Warsaw by storm. Warsaw was liberated from the Nazi occupation by the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front with the participation of the 1st Polish Army only on January 17, 1945.

After fierce fighting, the rebels were defeated. The leadership of the Home Army withdrew the remnants of the troops and signed surrender on the terms dictated by the Nazi command. This event took place on October 2, 1944. As a result of the fighting on the part of the rebels, about 200 thousand people died, and Warsaw suffered severe destruction.

On September 1, 1939, Hitler's Germany's military invasion of Poland began. Formally, the reason was Poland's uncompromising position on the Danzig Corridor, but in fact Hitler wanted to turn Poland into his satellite. But Poland had agreements with England and France on the provision of military assistance, and was also confident that the USSR would maintain neutrality. Therefore, Poland refused all of Hitler's demands. On September 3, England and France declared war on Germany. But it never came to hostilities. France and England practically refused to start a war. Poland desperately defended itself, but the situation worsened even more after the Soviet Union sent its troops into Poland on September 17, practically entering the war on the side of Germany. And on October 6, the last resistance was crushed. Poland was divided between Germany, Slovakia, the USSR and Lithuania. But groups of Polish partisans, as well as Polish units in other armies that fought Hitler, continued to resist.

General Heinz Guderian and brigade commander Semyon Moiseevich Krivoshein during the transfer of the city of Brest-Litovsk (now Brest, Belarus) to units of the Red Army. On the left is General Moritz von Wiktorin.

German soldiers break down the Polish border barrier.

German tanks enter Poland.

A Polish tank (French-made) Renault FT-17 stuck in the mud in Brest-Litovsky (now Brest, Belarus).

Women treat German soldiers.

Soldiers of the Polish garrison of Westerplatte in German captivity.

View of a bomb-damaged street in Warsaw. 09/28/1939.

German soldiers escort Polish prisoners of war.

Polish envoys at the surrender of the Modlin fortress.

German Junkers Ju-87 dive bombers in the skies of Poland.

Tent camp of German troops near the border with Poland.

Soviet soldiers study war trophies.

German troops in Warsaw greet Adolf Hitler who arrived in the city.

Execution of Polish citizens by the Germans during the occupation of Poland. On December 18, 1939, 56 people were shot near the Polish city of Bochnia.

German troops in Warsaw.

German and Soviet officers with a Polish railway worker during the invasion of Poland.

Polish cavalry in the city of Sochaczew, the Battle of Bzura.

The burning Royal Castle in Warsaw, set on fire by German artillery fire during the siege of the city.

German soldiers after the battle in Polish positions.

German soldiers near a damaged Polish tank 7TR.

German soldiers in the backs of trucks on the street of a destroyed Polish town.

Reich Minister Rudolf Hess inspects German troops at the front.

German soldiers pull out property from the captured Brest Fortress.

German soldiers of the 689th propaganda company talk with the commanders of the 29th Tank Brigade of the Red Army in Brest-Litovsk.

T-26 tanks from the 29th Tank Brigade of the Red Army enter Brest-Litovsk. On the left is a unit of German motorcyclists and Wehrmacht officers near an Opel Olympia.

Commanders of the 29th Tank Brigade of the Red Army near an armored car BA-20 in Brest-Litovsk.

German officers at the location of a Soviet military unit. Brest-Litovsk. 09/22/1939.

Soldiers of the 14th Wehrmacht Infantry Division near a broken Polish armored train near the city of Blonie.

German soldiers on the road in Poland.

A unit of the German 4th Panzer Division fights on Wolska Street in Warsaw.

German planes at the airfield during the Polish campaign.

German cars and motorcycles at the North-Western Gate of the Brest Fortress after the capture of the fortress by German troops on September 17, 1939.

BT-7 tanks of the Soviet 24th light tank brigade enter the city of Lvov.

Polish prisoners of war in Tysholski Bor by the side of the road.

A column of Polish prisoners of war passes through the town of Walubi.

German generals, including Heinz Guderian (far right), confer with battalion commissar Borovensky in Brest.

Navigator of the German Heinkel bomber.

Adolf Hitler with officers at a geographical map.

German soldiers fight in the Polish city of Sochaczew.

Meeting of Soviet and German troops in the Polish city of Stryi (now Lviv region of Ukraine).

Parade of German troops in the occupied Polish city of Stryi (now Lviv region, Ukraine).

A British newspaper seller stands near posters with newspaper headlines: “I will teach the Poles a lesson - Hitler”, “Hitler invades Poland”, “Invasion of Poland”.

Soviet and German military personnel communicate with each other in Brest-Litovsk.

Polish boy on the ruins in Warsaw. His house was destroyed by German bombing.

German Bf.110C fighter after an emergency landing.

German road sign “To the Front” (Zur Front) on the outskirts of Warsaw.

The German army marches through captured Warsaw, the capital of Poland.

German intelligence officers in Poland.

German soldiers and Polish prisoners of war.

Abandoned Polish tanks in the Lviv area.

Polish anti-aircraft gun.

German soldiers pose against the backdrop of a destroyed Polish 7TP tank.

Polish soldier in a temporary defensive position.

Polish artillerymen in position near anti-tank guns.

Meeting of Soviet and German patrols in the area of the Polish city of Lublin.

German soldiers are fooling around. The inscription on the soldier’s back reads “Western Front 1939.”

German soldiers near the downed Polish fighter PZL P.11.

A damaged and burned-out German light tank

Downed Polish short-range bomber PZL P-23 "Karas" and German light reconnaissance aircraft Fieseler Fi-156 "Storch"

Rest of German soldiers before crossing the border and invading Poland.

US President Franklin Roosevelt addresses the nation by radio from the White House on the occasion of Germany's attack on Poland.

A monument made of gray boulders with a memorial plaque in memory of the Russian military leader was erected back in 1918 by former enemy A.V. Samsonova - German General Hindenburg, who commanded the Eighth German Army in August 1914, which then defeated the Russian troops. On the board there is an inscription in German: “To General Samsonov, Hindenburg’s opponent in the Battle of Tannenberg, August 30, 1914.”

German soldiers against the backdrop of a burning house in a Polish village.

Heavy armored car Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) reconnaissance battalion of one of the Wehrmacht tank divisions, destroyed by Polish artillery.

A Soviet artillery major and German officers in Poland discuss the demarcation line on the map and the associated deployment of troops.

Polish prisoners of war in a temporary German camp on Polish territory.

Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering looks at a map during the invasion of Poland, surrounded by Luftwaffe officers.

Artillery crews of German 150 mm railway guns prepare their guns to open fire on the enemy during the Polish campaign.

Artillery crews of German 150 mm and 170 mm railway guns prepare to open fire on the enemy during the Polish campaign.

The artillery crew of a German 170-mm railway gun is ready to fire at the enemy during the Polish campaign.

A battery of German 210-mm “long” L/14 mortars at a firing position in Poland.

Polish civilians near the ruins of a house in Warsaw, destroyed during a Lutfwaffe raid.

Polish civilian near the ruins of houses in Warsaw.

Polish and German officers in a carriage during negotiations on the surrender of Warsaw.

A Polish civilian and his daughter wounded during a Luftwaffe raid in a hospital in Warsaw.

Polish civilians near a burning house on the outskirts of Warsaw.

The commandant of the Polish fortress of Modlin, Brigadier General Victor Tome, during negotiations on surrender with three German officers.

German prisoners of war escorted by a Polish officer on the streets of Warsaw.

A German soldier throws a grenade during a battle on the outskirts of Warsaw.

German soldiers run across a Warsaw street during the attack on Warsaw.

Polish soldiers escort German prisoners along the streets of Warsaw.

A. Hitler signs a document on the beginning of the war with Poland. 1939

Wehrmacht mortarmen fire mortars at positions of Polish troops in the vicinity of Radom.

A German motorcyclist on a BMW motorcycle and an Opel Olympia car on the street of a destroyed Polish town.

Anti-tank barriers near the road in the vicinity of Danzig.

A German sailor and soldiers near a column of Polish prisoners in the vicinity of Danzig (Gdansk).

A column of Polish volunteers on the march to dig trenches.

German prisoners escorted by a Polish soldier on the streets of Warsaw.

Polish prisoners board a truck surrounded by German soldiers and officers.

A. Hitler in a carriage with Wehrmacht soldiers wounded during the invasion of Poland.

British Prince George, Duke of Kent, with Polish General Wladyslaw Sikorski during a visit to Polish units stationed in Great Britain.

A T-28 tank fords a river near the town of Mir in Poland (now the village of Mir, Grodno region, Belarus).

Large masses of Parisians gathered in front of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Montmartre for a peace service.

A Polish P-37 Los bomber captured by the Germans in a hangar.

A woman with a child on a destroyed street in Warsaw.

Warsaw doctors with newborn babies born during the war.

A Polish family on the ruins of their house in Warsaw.

German soldiers on the Westerplatte peninsula in Poland.

Residents of Warsaw collect their belongings after a German air raid.

A Warsaw hospital ward after a German air raid.

Polish priest collects church property after German air raid

Soldiers of the SS regiment "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" rest during a rest near the road towards Pabianice (Poland).

German fighter in the skies of Warsaw.

Ten-year-old Polish girl Kazimira Mika mourns her sister, who was killed by German machine gun fire in a field outside Warsaw.

German soldiers in battle on the outskirts of Warsaw.

Polish civilians detained by German troops walk along the road.

Panorama of the destroyed Ordynacka street in Warsaw.

Killed civilians, in Poland in the city of Bydogoszcz.

Polish women on the streets of Warsaw after a German air raid.

German soldiers captured during the invasion of Poland.

Residents of Warsaw are reading the Evening Express newspaper, issue dated September 10, 1939. On the newspaper page there are headlines: “The United States is joining the bloc against Germany. Combat actions of England and France"; “A German submarine sank a ship carrying American passengers”; “America will not remain neutral! Published Statement of President Roosevelt."

A captured wounded German soldier undergoing treatment in a Warsaw hospital.

Adolf Hitler hosts a parade of German troops in Warsaw in honor of the victory over Poland.

Warsaw residents are digging anti-aircraft trenches in the park on Malachowski Square.

German soldiers on the bridge over the Oslawa River near the city of Zagorz.

German tank crews on a medium tank Pz.Kpfw.

On September 1, 1939, the military invasion of Nazi Germany into Poland began. Formally, the reason for the attack was Poland’s unyielding position on the “Danzig Corridor” and the Glaiwice Incident. But Poland had agreements with England and France to provide military assistance in the event of aggression and hoped for the neutrality of the USSR. Poland refused Hitler's demands. On September 3, England and France declared war on Germany, but things never came to an armed uprising on the side of Poland. The country desperately defended itself, but the situation worsened even more after the Soviet Union sent its troops into Poland on September 17. On October 6, the last resistance was crushed. Poland was divided between Germany, Slovakia, the USSR and Lithuania. Groups of Polish partisans, as well as Polish units in the armies of other countries that fought Hitler, continued to resist.