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Combat Photo Book of WW2 Poland Campaign 1939 w/300 b&w pictures Wehrmacht Army

$ 105.07

Availability: 90 in stock
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: Germany
  • Condition: In fair exterior and good interior condition. Boards worn, spine frayed, else ok with modest signs of use and age.
  • Region of Origin: Germany
  • Theme: Militaria
  • Conflict: WW II (1939-45)
  • Original/Reproduction: Original

    Description

    The Immense Battle Against Poland
    This rare war documentary book is the definitive German army photo-history
    of the first military campaign of Hitler’s Third Reich.
    A short text is accompanied by hundreds upon hundreds of the very best combat photographs ever taken.
    Most are half-page or full-page and some are double page spreads. Each is accompanied by a very substantial caption.
    There are more than two dozen full-page portraits of Knight’s Cross medal winners (Ritterkreuz Trager) and
    military leaders who took a prominent part in the short but fierce destruction of the Polish Army.
    Every branch of the German Wehrmacht from the SS to the Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe and Army is represented
    in the big clear photos chosen for this rare book. It shows in absolute terms the overwhelming military might
    of Hitler’s forces unleashed against the modern, well entrenched military forces of Poland.
    All types of planes, tanks, weapons and vehicles are shown.
    As well as troop movements, naval operations, Polish prisoners, infantry companies, artillery emplacements,
    tanks, Stukas, etc. They don’t come better. This is a vastly important volume !!!
    Hardcover,
    Half Linen / Cloth
    343 pages, text and photos
    hundreds of rare b&w photos
    several maps
    In
    fair exterior and good interior
    condition
    .
    Boards worn, spine frayed, else ok with modest signs of use and age.
    All pages are complete and tight in the binding.
    Approx/Measurements: 13" x 9-1/2 ~3.4
    lbs.
    Photos by Chief of Photography
    Published by House of Specialized Military Literature
    Background info:
    The Polish September Campaign — known also as the "Polish-German War of 1939" , in Poland sometimes as the "1939 Defensive War" (Wojna obronna 1939 roku), in Germany as the "Poland Campaign" , and codenamed Fall Weiss ("Case White") by the German General Staff — was the World War II invasion of Poland by military forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union and by a small German-allied Slovak contingent. The invasion of Poland marked the start of World War II in Europe as Poland's western allies, the United Kingdom and France, declared war on Germany on September 3. The campaign began on September 1, 1939, one week after the signing of the secret Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, and ended on October 6, 1939, with Germany and the Soviet Union occupying the entirety of Poland. None of the major participants — Germany, the Soviet Union, Poland or the Western Allies — expected that this German invasion of Poland would lead to a war surpassing World War I in scale and cost.
    Following a spurious, German-staged "Polish attack" on 1 September 1939, German forces invaded Poland from the north, south, and west. Spread thin defending their long borders, the Polish armies were soon forced to withdraw east. After the mid-September Polish defeat in the Battle of the Bzura, the Germans gained an undisputed advantage. Polish forces then began a withdrawal south-east, following a plan that called for a long defence in the Romanian bridgehead area where Polish forces were to await an expected Western Allies counterattack and relief.
    On September 17, 1939, the Soviet Red Army invaded the eastern regions of Poland in cooperation with Germany. The Soviets were carrying out their part of the secret appendix of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which divided Eastern Europe into Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence. This invasion secured Hitler's right flank and allowed him to concentrate on attacking Poland. Because of this unexpected Soviet aggression, the Polish government decided that the defence of the Romanian bridgehead was no longer feasible and ordered the evacuation of all troops to neutral Romania. By 1 October, Germany and the Soviet Union had completely overrun Poland. The Polish government (which never surrendered) evacuated together with many of its remaining land and air forces to neighboring Romania and Hungary. Many of the exiles subsequently joined the recreated Polish Army in allied France, French-mandated Syria and the United Kingdom.
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