Invasion of Poland

1939-09-01 - 1939-10-06

Nazi Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, and the Soviet Union invaded from the east on 17 September under the secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Germany, the Soviet Union, and the Slovak Republic overran Polish defenses, and the campaign ended on 6 October with Poland divided between Germany and the Soviet Union. The invasion marked the beginning of World War II in Europe.