History of Poland (1939–1945)

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/history-of-poland-19391945

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the date of german invasion?September 1, 1939
2. What is the date of soviet invasion?September 17, 1939
3. What happened to Poland at the start of World War II?On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, and 17 days later the Soviet Union invaded from the east. The two powerful armies overwhelmed the Polish military, and by October Poland was split between Germany and the Soviet Union, losing its independence.
4. Why were so many Polish Jews killed during the war?The Nazis carried out the Holocaust, a plan to destroy European Jews. They built camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, and Sobibór, where about 90% of Poland's Jewish population was murdered.

German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact: A treaty signed in 1939 where Germany and the Soviet Union agreed not to attack each other and secretly planned to divide Eastern Europe.
Blitzkrieg: A German military tactic meaning 'lightning war,' characterized by fast, concentrated attacks.
Generalplan Ost: A secret Nazi plan for the ethnic cleansing and enslavement of populations in Eastern Europe.
Government-in-Exile: A government that flees its country during occupation and continues to operate from abroad, claiming legitimacy.