20:
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The plan correctly assumed the size, location and most of the directions of attack by the enemy. When the
Germans attacked, however, the second and further defensive lines and related items were not fully defined by the plan, and none of its aspects had been subject to a military exercise. There were
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A controversy involved the decision whether Polish forces should defend the lengthy borders or should withdraw east and south and try to defend a shorter line, backed with rivers. Although the second plan was more militarily sound, political considerations outweighed them, as Polish politicians were
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was the dictator of Poland, planning concentrated on a possible attack on Poland from the east. It was only after Piłsudski's death in 1935 that the new Polish government and military re-evaluated the situation and decided that the current Polish plan for a Polish–German war, dating from the
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The plan assumed that Polish forces would be able to hold for several months but would be pushed back by the German numerical and technical superiority, which was estimated to be two or three to one. Then, the
Western Allies (France and the United Kingdom), obliged by the
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Even with the decision to protect the borders, the fact that Poland was virtually encircled from three sides by the
Germans caused the decision that some areas were almost impossible to defend and so had to be abandoned early on. That was the case for the northwestern
144:) and then push for an early end of the war after it had occupied those territories. The western regions were also the most densely populated ones and had major industrial centres, which were crucial for
118:. The Polish planners correctly predicted the direction of most German thrusts, with one crucial exception: they assigned low priority to a possible deep, flanking, eastward push from Prussia and
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295:), would launch an offensive from the west, which would draw enough German forces away from the east to allow Polish forces to launch a counteroffensive.
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and changes of borders, Polish planners revised the plan with the expectation that a main thrust would originate from
Silesia through
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315:, just as critics of the plan had predicted. Further factors, such as underestimating German mobility and
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279:, a city disputed between Poland and Lithuania, and a small Polish force, primarily elite units of
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concerned that
Germany could be satisfied with occupation of some disputed territories (like the
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244:). The second defensive line was based on the Augustów Forest - Biebrza River – Narew River –
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also other unfinished parts, particularly those dealing with communications and supplies.
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However up to 1938, the priority remained in the east, not the west, and most Polish
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River. Finally, the third defensive line involved retreating southeast towards the
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and any continued military production of equipment and supply for the Polish Army.
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on 1 September 1939, Polish forces were dealt a significant defeat at the
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between German
Pomerania and Prussia. After German annexation of parts of
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Dispositions of opposing forces, August 31, 1939, and the German plan
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mid-1920s (Plan "S"), was inadequate and needed to be revised.
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was to be evacuated to the United
Kingdom as specified in the
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border and holding as long as possible in the region of the
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The first version predicted that
Germans would attack from
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Marshal Edward Śmigły-Rydz Rydz and the
Defense of Poland
327:, contributed to the Polish defeat by 6 October 1939.
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Polish
Defense Planning, 1919-1939: Myth vs. Reality
98:, aiming at establishing an early link through the
319:strategy and overestimating Polish mobility, the
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271:seemed unlikely. The plan, however, allowed for
74:were being erected on the Polish–Soviet border.
514:(Dissertation), Florida Atlantic University,
325:lack of promised aid from the Western Allies
492:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
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16:Polish Army Military Plan in World War 2
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54:. It was designed in the late 1930s.
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567:Military operations involving Poland
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228:– Silesian fortifications – town of
50:, for defence against invasion from
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293:Polish–British Common Defence Pact
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176:were to engage the enemy in the
90:, with supporting thrusts from
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1:
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470:Seidner, Stanley S. (1978).
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462:Seidner 1978, pp. 284–290.
400:POLSKI PLAN OBRONNY ZACHÓD
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453:Seidner 1978, p. 235–241.
321:Soviet invasion of Poland
444:Seidner 1978, pp. 89–91.
417:Seidner 1978, pp. 34–40.
200:River (and the towns of
186:Augustów Primeval Forest
160:. A separate force, the
267:would be neutral, as a
508:Dunn, John P. (1987),
309:Germany invaded Poland
289:Franco-Polish alliance
269:German–Soviet alliance
248:– Vistula River – and
48:Second Polish Republic
35:
24:
263:The plan assumed the
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435:Seidner 1978, p. 74.
426:Seidner 1978, p. 50.
313:Battle of the Border
281:Border Defence Corps
162:Land Coastal Defence
258:Romanian Bridgehead
180:, according to the
154:Pomorze Voivodeship
134:Free City of Danzig
114:towards Warsaw and
572:Invasion of Poland
405:2007-07-13 at the
240:– and the town of
158:Poznań Voivodeship
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407:Wayback Machine
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275:to try to take
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100:Polish Corridor
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64:Józef Piłsudski
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577:Military plans
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524:the original
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474:. New York.
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146:mobilization
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52:Nazi Germany
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544:(in Polish)
397:(in Polish)
374:(in Polish)
226:Częstochowa
170:Peking Plan
166:Polish Navy
44:Polish Army
36:Plan Zachód
556:Categories
530:2012-05-11
349:References
317:blitzkrieg
232:– town of
214:Inowrocław
182:Worek Plan
178:Baltic Sea
174:submarines
125:Fall Weiss
58:Background
488:cite book
480:164675876
337:Plan East
273:Lithuania
246:Bug River
242:Nowy Sącz
210:Bydgoszcz
84:Pomerania
28:Plan West
520:18811808
403:Archived
331:See also
291:and the
254:Romanian
238:Chabówka
220:River –
216:Lakes –
196:River –
192:River –
120:Slovakia
108:Piotrków
86:towards
38:) was a
250:Dunajec
222:Widawka
198:Vistula
190:Biebrza
142:Silesia
96:Prussia
92:Silesia
78:Details
46:of the
42:of the
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478:
234:Żywiec
202:Modlin
136:, the
116:Kraków
88:Warsaw
62:While
32:Polish
307:When
277:Wilno
218:Warta
206:Toruń
194:Narew
516:OCLC
494:link
476:OCLC
323:and
212:) –
156:and
140:and
112:Łódź
110:and
94:and
128:).
558::
490:}}
486:{{
383:^
356:^
260:.
208:,
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188:–
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172:(
30:(
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