About the Episode
In September 1939, Adolf Hitler orders German forces into Poland. The Germans execute a new kind of battle plan: a war of movement using rapid mobile infantry, artillery, and tank divisions, closely supported by their menacing aerial warfare branch. They advance on Warsaw with 2,000 tanks, followed by nearly 900 bombers and over 400 fighter planes, targeting military personnel and civilians alike. The Polish armed forces offer courageous resistance but are outgunned and overrun.
A man of terrifying ambition, Hitler seeks revenge for Germany’s defeat in World War I and plans for a 1,000-year Reich that will dominate the continent and suppress so-called inferior races. In Moscow, Josef Stalin seizes the moment to carve up Poland with Hitler in an opportunistic deal between dictators, shocking the world.
Even Poland’s allies, Britain and France, can do nothing to stop the onslaught. President Roosevelt is horrified but knows that America is not yet willing, or able, to intervene.
The National WWII Museum was proud to support HISTORY's work on this series through historical research, educational outreach, and archival footage, as well as on-site interviews with WWII veterans that will be featured as part of the network’s “Save Our History” initiative.
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THE INVASION OF POLAND
Ted Winestone was born in September 1929 in Poland. In his oral history, he recalls how, as a young Jewish boy, his life quickly changed after forces from Germany and the Soviet Union occupied his country.
Educational Resources
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THE RISE AND FALL OF HITLER’S GERMANY
Join featured historian Dr. Alexandra Richie and expert local guides on a journey back in time, to explore the origins of World War II. Travel through cities such as Berlin, Kraków, and Warsaw, and experience poignant sites of profound significance like Stalag Luft III prisoner-of-war camp in Żagań, Westerplatte near Gdańsk, and Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
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Our institution explores the full story of the American experience in World War II through immersive exhibits, multimedia experiences, and an expansive collection of artifacts and personal accounts. Plan your visit to the top-rated attraction in New Orleans and be inspired by the stories of those who came together to secure Allied victory.
