A Day That Shook The World: Germany invades Poland
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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