The Spiritual Triumph of Wladyslaw Szpilman: Resistance in the Face of Tragedy
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Invasion of poland
"German soldiers beat Polish Jews in the vicinity of Lodz during the invasion of Poland." 1939, US Holocaust Memorial Museum
“DESTRUCTION OF POLAND IS OUR PRIMARY TASK. […] SHOW NO MERCY. BE BRUTAL.”
- Adolf Hitler, to his army commanders a few days prior to invasion, 1939
On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland.
Within weeks, the Polish army was defeated. Warsaw surrendered to Germany on September 27, 1939 and was occupied for the remainder of WWII.
The entire sky of Warsaw was red. Completely red.
—Benjamin Meed, Holocaust Survivor, Oral Interview, March 1, 1990