Seventy years ago today, Germany began a military offensive that changed the world. The offensive was apart of an effort by Adolf Hitler to bring all peoples of Germany heritage back into a single country. Early in the morning, 4:40am on September 1, 1939, Luftwaffe forces attacked the town of Wielun, destroying 75% of the town and killing nearly 1,200 people most of the civilians. Minutes later the German battleship, Schleswig-Holstein, opened fire on a Polish military transit depot. By 8am, German troops were marching into the town of Mokra. Within only a month the German army had completely overran Poland, establishing it as apart of their general governmental structure.
Many do not realize that this invasion of Poland was not limited to Germany alone. The Russian army actually invaded from the East on September 17th, 1939. This plan of attack was actually established in an agreement between Germany and Russia in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, signed on August 24, 1939. Subsequently, the territory once known as Poland was divided between the Germans and Russians and maintained those borders until after the war and beyond.
As younger generations are coming of age the importance of World War 2 I believe is beginning to fade. With fewer veterans and less interest being placed on our history, younger generations are failing to understand the significance that World War 2 had on today's world. There are so many fascinating stories and details of the war that one can get lost in learning. I suggest to everyone out there to find an area of the war that interests them and dive a little deeper. Nearly any and every subject and interest has its place in World War 2 history. If you have trouble finding information on a specific any of interest shoot me a message and I would be more than happy to find something to fit your interest level.
Check out this link: http://pittsburghlive.com/x/valleynewsdispatch/s_640701.html
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