Germany invades Poland. German soldiers on streets in Gdynia, Poland. The Mayor of Gdynia surrenders to the Commander of the German troop. Soldiers stand in front of food grain sacs. Troops march in the city with rifles in their hands. German battleships fire at Polish enemy and clear the bay of Danzig, Poland.
Crisis in Poland after the imposition of Martial Law by its Military Government. Roman Catholic priests assembled at Monument to the Victims of June 1956 (Święty Marcin, 61-001 Poznań, Poland) in Poznan, Poland to pay homage to those died during the strikes and protest. A priest performs ceremonies at the venue. Polish trade union Solidarity leader Lech Walesa and others at the venue. The priest reads prayers standing near the memorial at the venue.
An inquiry commission inquires into holocaust mass killings by Nazi Germans at Majdanek concentration camp in Lublin, Poland in World War II. Views of many passports and identity cards of prisoners from Poland, Holland, France and other countries. Closeup view of identity card of Homère Fonteneau from Charentais, France, born in 1922. Views of other identity cards including an Italian with first name Bruno, a Dutch man with name P. Janssen, a boy named Constantine and his sister, a girl named Irena Eleanora Peters from Poland. View of prisoners who survived at the concentration camp.
German newspaper headlines from August 26, 1939 through September 1, 1939 which document the German sentiment leading up to the invasion of Poland on September 1. Sign for Beuthen, Poland (now Bytom) is shown, along with scenes from Poland (possibly Beuthen), showing gun fire damage to buildings.
Crisis in Poland around time of imposition of Martial Law by its Military Government. Large convoy of Soviet military bombers advances on countryside roads towards border of Poland. Soviet warplanes and helicopters strafe targets. A Soviet missile launched destroys its targets accurately. Tanks and Soviet amphibious vehicles cross a river. Infantry soldiers on alert at their posts along the Soviet-Polish border. Soldiers watch the border with binoculars.
Events leading to start of World War 2. Contingents of German army troops and black uniformed SS (Schutzstaffel) troops parading past Hitler on reviewing stand in German city. Hitler youth at a rally in a stadium. Hitler addressing an open air assembly, shaking his fist, yelling about the might of Germany in an animated fashion. Women holding signs reading: "Down with War and Fascism," and "Aid the Allies." 1939 edition of the New York Times carries headline about Nazi pact with Soviets and of Estonia giving Moscow air and sea bases. Views of Soviet leaders, Joseph Stalin, Vyacheslav Molotov, and General Boris Mikhailovitch Shaposhnikov, preparing to meet with German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop for signing of Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact agreeing to non-aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union. Von Ribbentrop descending from his airplane for the meeting. Scenes of German attack and invasion of Poland, September 1, 1939. Vehicles carrying German troops on the move. German Stuka, Ju87 dive bombers peeling off in dives and dropping bombs. German He-111 bomber in flight. Many explosions and collapsing buildings and destruction depicted. Soviet T-26 Twin-Turret Cavalry Tank seen moving through snow as it crosses Polish frontier, on September, 17, 1939. Soviet troops charging into Poland in the snow. The two forces meet in central Poland. Newspaper cartoon of the time shows Hitler and Stalin politely addressing each other in deprecating terms. Soviet icebreaker opening the way for German warships. German submarine making way on the surface, ostensibly from a base in Murmansk, and firing at a surface ship with its 88mm deck gun. A French fighter plane spinning towards earth and pilot parachuting. Narrator speaks of French Communists sabotaging electrical systems on the aircraft. The plane burning on the ground. German troops marching along the Champs Elysee, with the Arch of Triumph in background. German troops firing artillery at Soviet forces. Wooden buildings burning. German soldier taking a prisoner.