Polish Colonial series pt. 3: Second European War
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Second European War (abbreviated
2EW, SEW or IIEW) also known as
Allied-German War was a military conflict fought in Europe, that lasted from 1939 to 1942. Starting with Invasion of Poland by Germany without declaration of wa
r, it turned quickly into major conflict as
Britain and France declared war on Germany in response on 30 August 1939. Rapid advances of German armoured troops, aiming to take Polish army by suprise, were quickly halted by
Polish tank fleet composed of mainly
TKS tankettes, 7TP and 10TP tanks and some hurriedly bought
Char B1. Additionally German tankers bolstered by initial successes, spearheaded deep into Polish territory. As they went far beyond reach of supply lines, Polish cavalry harrased with nightly raids (also called
"zagon") on units' camps, striking fear and panic in Wehrmacht soldiers.
With coming winter, halt of German offensive, first batches of supplies arriving through Romanian ports (and covertly from Hungary, which refused to allow transit of German troops to Poland as "matter of national honor") frontline stabilised ahead of Warsaw and along rivers of Vistula and Narew. Remaining pockets of resistance of Polish Army, like in
Hel were being slowly defeated and stalemate dragged until
Franco-British offensive in March 1940. German forces rapidly retreating from Polish Front could not seriously resist advancing Allied troops. As both German and Allied forces
reached river Rhine frontlines again stabilised, at cost of allowing Poles take the initiative. As such it became apparent that in the West turned out to be a repeat of the Great War, with none of the sides being able to decisively strike at another. Continous offensives and counter-offensives were costly causing loss of many lives and vehicles. However with Polish forces slowly retaking their homelands and dangerously advancing towards Germany proper and German economy crumbling under demands of the Army, Germany was not able to defeat Allied forces and was
ultimately conquered, surrendering on 6 October 1942.
Following the surrender
, Nazi government was deposed and country occupied by Allied militaries. France annexed
Saarland and established
protectorate over Rhineland. Poland annexed
Eastern Prussia, Free City of Danzig and
Silesia was split between them and Czechs - as an appeasement for
Slovakia becoming Polish protectorate and Hungary keeping its' gains. As Prussian militarism was blamed for two conflicts, Germany was
demilitarised and
Prussia abolished. Furthermore War caused ethnic tensions between Germans living in other countries leading to
their expulsion from conquered territories. War has changed Europe geopolitically as it lead to rise of
Polish and Italian bloc of anti-communist countries, oftenly dictatorships, in Eastern Europe, supported by France and Britain and aimed against the Soviet Union.