Today marks the tragic 70th anniversary of the start of the Nazi invasion of Poland that kicked off World War II.It lasted six years, resulted in 110 million people from 75 nations wearing the uniforms of their military, and 45 to 80 million people dying as the result of Adolf Hitler's dream to rule the planet.
Poland was first to fall to the German Blitzkrieg tactics as five German armies attacked it from three sides. The Poles fought hard, but were outgunned and outmaneuvered by the new German warfighting style.
Warsaw was surrounded by September 8 and put under siege. The Poles repulsed several German attempts to take the city, but with daily bombardment, increasing civilian casualties, dwindling food and water supplies and the invasion of the eastern half of Poland by the Soviet Union, surrendered on September 27.
Thus began Poland's long nightmare under Nazi occupation that would result in 6 million Polish dead and the bloodiest conflict that humankind has embarked on.
