A Day That Shook The World: Germany invades Poland

Thursday 01 September 2011 00:00 BST

(Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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On 1 September 1939 Germany invaded Poland, prompting Britain and France to declare war three days later.

In a terrifying demonstration of the power of the Blitzkrieg doctrine, German armed forces overwhelmed those of Poland in a matter of hours, setting the stage for nearly six years of bitter global conlict.

Watch original footage from the invasion in this British Pathé video, above.

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A Day That Shook The World: Germany invades Poland

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