Thus, by early October 1939, the German and Soviet invasion was complete, with the Nazis occupying the west of the country and the Soviets occupying the east. Despite being ideological enemies (and 'racial' enemies according to the Nazis), the USSR and Germany signed a non-aggression pact the previous month to facilitate the would-be partition of Poland. Then, on September 17, the Soviet Union (USSR) also invaded. Furthermore, Polish troops were too thinly spread across the Polish-German border, meaning that the Wehrmacht easily broke through their defenses. While the Polish army was about the same size as the German army on paper, poor supplies and technology made them no match for the German Blitzkrieg. On September 1, 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, marking the beginning of the Second World War, as France and the United Kingdom (UK) declared war on Germany shortly afterward. He spoke to Germany and the world from the main hall of the ancient Artus Court. The Invasion Of Poland Hitler speaking in Danzig after the German invasion of Poland. Indeed, rather than being mere military campaigns, the outcomes of these battles shaped the futures of Europe, Asia, and the entire world. While impossible to fully explain in a short article, addressing the conflict's major battles provides a relatively concise overview. It pitted the Allied Powers led by Britain, the United States, Russia, and France, against the Axis powers of Hitler-led Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan. It began on September 1st, 1939 with the Nazi German invasion of Poland, and ended on September 2nd, 1945 when Imperial Japan formally signed its terms of surrender to become the last of the Axis powers to fall. World War II was one of the most formative events of the 20th century.

Japanese tank battles wwii