85: Invasion

85 years ago today (September 1, 1939) the Germans invaded Poland starting World War 2.

(Kazimiera Mika, a 12 year old Polish Girl, mourns the death of her older Sister Andzia who was 14 years old and killed in a field near Jana Ostroroga Street in Warsaw, Poland during a German Air Raid by Luftwaffe in September 1939.This photograph was taken by American Photographer Julien Bryan. Kazimiera Mika died in 2020 at 93 years old.)

The invasion of Poland lasted 35 days (until October 6, 1939.)

The German Invasion began one week after the signing of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union and one day after the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union had approved the Pact (which allowed the Nazis to invade western Poland and the Soviets to invade eastern Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia: the Soviets invaded eastern Poland on September 17, 1939.)

200,000 Polish Men, Women and Children were killed by the Germans during the Invasion.

During the 1939 Siege of Warsaw (killed 7,000 Poles and destroyed 10% of the Capital’s Buildings.)

The German Forces (both SS and the Regular Wehrmacht) murdered tens of thousands of Polish Civilians (such as the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was notorious throughout the campaign for burning villages[ and committing Atrocities in numerous Polish towns, including Massacres in Błonie, Złoczew, Bolesławiec, Torzeniec, Goworowo, Mława and Włocławek).

From September 1, 1939 until May 5, 1945 the Germans murdered 6 Million Poles (17% of its 1939 Population.)

3 Million of the 6 Million Poles killed during the War were Jewish Men, Women and Children.

3 Million of the 6 Million Poles killed during the War were Non-Jewish Men, Women and Children.

150,000 Polish Men, Women and Children were killed by the Soviets during their Occupation of western Poland (from September 1939-June 1941.)

375,000 Polish Jews survived the Holocaust in the Soviet Union (either fleeing by choice or being forcibly deported by the Soviets.)

60,000 Polish Jews survived the Holocaust in Hiding.

50,000 Polish Jews were liberated from Nazi Concentration and Death Camps.

200,000 Polish Children were kidnapped from their Families by the Nazis and sent to Germany to have the “Polish beaten out of them.” 30,000 of these Children returned to Poland after the War.

The Polish Military had 140,000 of their Soldiers killed during the War.

The Polish Resistance had 100,000 of their Soldiers killed during the War.

695,000 Polish Soldiers became PoWs during the War.

Lapankas (Round-Ups) the Germans would block off an entire Street and any Polish Man, Woman or Child caught on the Street or in their Home or Business would be taken as Forced Labor to Germany. From 1939-1944 an average of 400 Poles living in Warsaw were caught in Lapankas every day.