In August of 1939, German forces were amassing along the Polish border in preparation to invade. Europe was still haunted by memories of the brutality of the first World War, and consequently the governments in the region were loathe to challenge the aggressive Nazis with military force. Most of Europe had looked the other way as the Nazis annexed portions of neighboring countries, but the leaders of France and Britain knew that an outright invasion of Poland must not be ignored. They pledged to rise to Poland's defense if necessary, placing the world a breath away from its second World War.
On the evening of 31 August 1939, as tensions in Europe approached the breaking point, there was an unusual broadcast from a radio station in Gleiwitz, Germany. Its broadcasts were momentarily silenced, followed by a hate-filled diatribe by a Polish-speaking man. He urged all Poles to take up arms, and to strike down any Germans who resist. When Gestapo officers arrived at the transmitter to investigate, they found the bullet-riddled body one of the alleged Polish attackers. In the morning there were reports of numerous other incidents of Polish aggression along the border. In response, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler issued his “final directive” to attack Poland, compelling the United Kingdom and France to declare war on Germany. Thus began World War 2. But it turns out that this incident at Gleiwitz– blamed as the final provocation for the terrible war that followed– was not quite what it seemed.
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