Remembering September 1, 1939: Germany’s Invasion and Its Brutal Aftermath

One outlet’ archives recount that on September 1, 1939 Germany’s troops crossed into Poland, an act widely recognized as the start of the global conflict. Prior diplomatic notes showed failed peace attempts and large-scale Polish mobilization, while the United States declared neutrality and Britain moved toward war under Neville Chamberlain’s leadership. After the assault, German SS, police and army units executed thousands of Polish civilians, especially members of the nobility, clergy and educated classes, in a campaign later identified as the AB-Aktion.

Thousands more were shipped to newly built camps like Auschwitz and Stutthof, where non-Jewish Poles formed the majority of inmates until early 1942. Hitler’s plan to replace the Polish populace with German settlers led to the forced removal of up to 100,000 civilians, including many children. Historians estimate that between 1.8 and 1.9 million non-Jewish Poles and at least 3 million Polish Jews were killed during the war.