| In September 1939, the Nazi’s invaded Poland. The occupation was swift and brutal and made all the more severe by the surprise of the attack. The Polish army held strong against the Germans initially, but once the Soviets attacked from the eastern front, the Polish army surrendered – the civilian casualties became too severe – but the worst atrocities of world war two were still to come. |  Polish Army on Parade |
Five Years Later
In 1944, Poland had been occupied by Nazi Germany for almost five years. The Polish Home Army planned some form of rebellion against German forces. Germany was fighting a coalition of Allied powers, led by the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. The initial plan of the Home Army was to link up with the invading forces of the Western Allies as they liberated Europe from the Nazis. However, when the Soviet Army began its offensive in 1943, it became clear that Poland would be liberated by it instead of the Western Allies.
