German-Polish Alliance in WWII?

I was wondering, is it at all possible that Poland and Nazi Germany could have become allies rather than enemies? What would have to happen to cause this? Soviets inciting communists in Poland (and the Poles successfully putting them down) Perhaps a German-Polish Molotov-Rippentrop equivilant? What would the implications of such an alliance be?
 
Danzig...

Given Poland's geographic position (between Germany and the enclave of East Prussia) and the unresolved issue of Danzig as well as historical precedent for the dismemberment of Poland, I find it difficult to envisage.

Poland's inter-war rulers were of course strongly anti-Communist but given the attitude of Hitler to the slavs and the aforementioned territorial issues, I don't see the same relationship as existed with Hungary for example.
 
A German-polish alliance would have been hard under every German leadership. There were several conflicts between the two states which would be really hard to solve (Danzig, Silesia and the corridor). With Hitler in power an alliance is next to impossible. At least Two of his most important aims conflicted with the Polish interests. He wanted the revision of the Versailles Treaty and he wanted LEbensraum in the East. Both states may have become Allies if the USSR had attacked Poland before Hitler was ready to move himself. In this case Poland is doomed whoever wins in the end (although with a good polish performance fighting side by side with the Germans the poles might uplift themself from slavs to a better status). But I can´t imagine why Stalin should attack, therefore even this scenario is highly unlikely
 
How about the Czechs refuse to cede the Sudentenland and Poland takes part in the German invasion? This results in the Soviet Union declaring support for it's Czech ally and invades Poland.
 
Teoretically it is possible. Hitler did try to make some kind deal with Poland, making some vague suggestions about Lithuania or some part of Ukraine. Poles didn't trust him (quite rightfully) but for some time Nazi Germany and authoritarian Poland had relatively good relations. It would require Hitler to stop most of his anti-Slavic rhetoric, not to invade Czechoslovakia (which destroyed his credibility, but was kind of necessary for economical reasons), Stalin to be seen as more aggressive and France and Britain more passive. If Poland had felt threatened by the USSR and had lost its faith in the western Allies, Warsaw might decide that loosing Danzig and extraterritorial passage through the Corridor is worth saving the rest of the country.
However I do not believe in Poland making an aggressive anti-Soviet alliance with Germany. Despite Poles bullying Lithuania and Czechs, Poland was not ready for an aggressive war. It wasn't even prepared for full scale defensive war, and Polish commanders knew that quite well (the big modernization of Polish army was to start in early 1940s). Invading USSR was too risky with too small potential gains. A small victorious war against some weaker country (Lithuania, Czechoslovakia) - absolutely possible. Full scale aggression against USSr? No way.
Anyway, as I mentioned, Poles did not trust Hitler, or any other German leader in the past, and they had good reason. So an alliance with Hitler would be for Poland a desperate solution, like choosing a lesser evil.
 
Teoretically it is possible. Hitler did try to make some kind deal with Poland, making some vague suggestions about Lithuania or some part of Ukraine. Poles didn't trust him (quite rightfully) but for some time Nazi Germany and authoritarian Poland had relatively good relations. It would require Hitler to stop most of his anti-Slavic rhetoric, not to invade Czechoslovakia (which destroyed his credibility, but was kind of necessary for economical reasons), Stalin to be seen as more aggressive and France and Britain more passive. If Poland had felt threatened by the USSR and had lost its faith in the western Allies, Warsaw might decide that loosing Danzig and extraterritorial passage through the Corridor is worth saving the rest of the country.
However I do not believe in Poland making an aggressive anti-Soviet alliance with Germany. Despite Poles bullying Lithuania and Czechs, Poland was not ready for an aggressive war. It wasn't even prepared for full scale defensive war, and Polish commanders knew that quite well (the big modernization of Polish army was to start in early 1940s). Invading USSR was too risky with too small potential gains. A small victorious war against some weaker country (Lithuania, Czechoslovakia) - absolutely possible. Full scale aggression against USSr? No way.
Anyway, as I mentioned, Poles did not trust Hitler, or any other German leader in the past, and they had good reason. So an alliance with Hitler would be for Poland a desperate solution, like choosing a lesser evil.

I don't think that you have to stop Germany from invading Czechoslovakia because POland gained from that, however temporarily.
 
Originally posted by Wendell
I don't think that you have to stop Germany from invading Czechoslovakia because POland gained from that, however temporarily.
No. Poland gained Tesin region in 1938, after Germany took Sudetenland. I had meant occupation of Czech Republic in 1939.
 
If I remember correctly an alliance between Poland and Germany or at least non-aggression is the scenario in Harry Tutledove's Hitler's War. This meant that they attacked France early. I'm not sure if I can see it myself - the desire to reunite Prussia must surely have been too great, and Lebensraum was in the East wasn't it - i.e. Poland, Russia etc, so it seems unlikely to me. France was not necessarily a country that the Germans wanted to conquer.
 
Well if I remember correctly the USSR feared a German-Polish alliance in the 20's and 30's. They even war gamed it.

In the 1920's and early 1930's, the Weimar Republic and the USSR were de facto military allies.

- technical cooperation in arms industry, building of germans war factories, Junkers near Moscow, Krupp in Rostov...
- schools of training of pilots (Lipetsk) and tank crews (Kazan)...
- installations for chemical weapons and even a naval base was planned...

A intelligent General Staff wargamed a war with every neighbooring nations, for example, the USA had plans for war with the UK and Mexico... It is their jobs...
 
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