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Osprey Campaign #107
Poland 1939: The Birth of Blitzkrieg
Osprey's examination of the German invasion of Poland, which began World War II (1939-1945) in Europe, pitting the newly modernized army of Europe's great industrial power against the much smaller Polish army and introducing the world to a new style of warfare – Blitzkrieg. Panzer divisions spearheaded the German assault with Stuka dive-bombers prowling ahead spreading terror and mayhem. This book demonstrates how the Polish army was not as backward as it is often portrayed and fielded a tank force larger than that of the contemporary US Army. Its stubborn defence did give the Germans some surprises and German casualties were relatively heavy for such a short campaign.
96 pages, Paperback
First published August 14, 2002
7 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Steven J. Zaloga
380 books75 followersSteven Zaloga is an author and defense analyst known worldwide for his articles and publications on military technology. He has written over a hundred books on military technology and military history, including “Armored Thunderbolt: The US Army Sherman in World War II”, one of the most highly regarded histories of the Sherman Tank. His books have been translated into Japanese, German, Polish, Czech, Romanian, and Russian. He was a special correspondent for Jane’s Intelligence Review and is on the executive board of the Journal of Slavic Military Studies and the New York Military Affairs Symposium. From 1987 through 1992, he was the writer/producer for Video Ordnance Inc., preparing their TV series Firepower. He holds a BA in history from Union College and an MA in history from Columbia University.
Mr. Zaloga is also a noted scale armor modeler and is a host/moderator of the World War II Allied Discussion group at Missing-Lynx.com, a modelling website. He is a frequent contributor to the UK-based modeling magazine Military Modelling. He is a member of the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society.
Mr. Zaloga is also a noted scale armor modeler and is a host/moderator of the World War II Allied Discussion group at Missing-Lynx.com, a modelling website. He is a frequent contributor to the UK-based modeling magazine Military Modelling. He is a member of the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 15, 2025
Another quality Osprey Campaign book. Reading this after the Moorhouse book on the Polish Campaign makes me appreciate what these Campaign series are so good at.
For the money, the page count is a little light, but countering that are the high number of pictures and maps that help bring alive the subject.
This series - and Poland 1939 is no different - is a perfect companion to more detailed, weightier tomes that often lack the visual accompaniment.
The only real gripe I have is that the section on Polish commanders was poor. The section centred on Josef Pilsudski - who had been dead for four years when the battle for Poland began. And there was only the briefest of paragraphs about Marshall Ridz-Smigly.
But that aside, I thought the book covered the essentials of the Campaign and was well worth the read.
For the money, the page count is a little light, but countering that are the high number of pictures and maps that help bring alive the subject.
This series - and Poland 1939 is no different - is a perfect companion to more detailed, weightier tomes that often lack the visual accompaniment.
The only real gripe I have is that the section on Polish commanders was poor. The section centred on Josef Pilsudski - who had been dead for four years when the battle for Poland began. And there was only the briefest of paragraphs about Marshall Ridz-Smigly.
But that aside, I thought the book covered the essentials of the Campaign and was well worth the read.
July 19, 2018
A solid overview of less-studied campaign including appropiate setting the record straight regarding myths related to panzers vs. cavalry, CAS employment of the Luftwaffe etc.
May 25, 2020
I really enjoy Mr. Zaloga's writing style, clear, concise, and easy to understand. Average Osprey fare, meaning this is a very good introduction to the Polish campaign in 1939. Photos were excellent and the color plates fine to good.
May 13, 2021
A fine overview of the opening European campaign of the Second World War. In recent years there have been multiple books published in English dealing with the invasion of Poland: notably Roger Moorhouse's First To Fight: The Polish War 1939 and Robert Forczyk's Case White: The Invasion of Poland 1939. While those books are longer and more detailed—Moorhouse in particular focuses on political and other non-military factors—Zaloga's short book is probably superior as a way to get a high-level overview of the campaign itself. The 3D maps describing key episodes (the Westerplatte defence, the Battle of Mokra, the siege of Warsaw, etc.) are especially well done. As usual with Osprey titles, the campaign maps, photos, and illustrations are excellent.
This is strictly a campaign history, however, and anyone interested in related subjects such as the diplomatic background to the invasion or the atrocities committed by SS units will have to look elsewhere.
This is strictly a campaign history, however, and anyone interested in related subjects such as the diplomatic background to the invasion or the atrocities committed by SS units will have to look elsewhere.
October 7, 2024
Primo Approccio per me ad un libro della collana Osprey. Partivo con alte aspettative che non sono state tradite. Libro dettagliato e ben fatto. Le tavole sono chiare e raggiungono quanto si prefiggono: calare ancora di più il lettore nella tattica militare che fu.
Pregio di questo volume è anche il modo in cui evidenzia due aspetti che in molti altri libri che trattano la WWII passano in sordina e cioè la confusionaria quanto tenace resistenza polacca e il colpo di grazia datogli dagli "imbarazzanti e peggiorati" reparti dell'armata rossa che, seppur non paragonabili alla Wehrmacht, hanno contribuito alla rapida capitolazione ed all' infame sorte del popolo polacco.
Pregio di questo volume è anche il modo in cui evidenzia due aspetti che in molti altri libri che trattano la WWII passano in sordina e cioè la confusionaria quanto tenace resistenza polacca e il colpo di grazia datogli dagli "imbarazzanti e peggiorati" reparti dell'armata rossa che, seppur non paragonabili alla Wehrmacht, hanno contribuito alla rapida capitolazione ed all' infame sorte del popolo polacco.
April 15, 2021
A solid and clear account of the strategic and tactical operations of the 1939 Poland invasion by Germany and the USSR. It's quite detailed without being exhausting for its size, and allowing for errors where historical data is scarce and muddled.
It is especially good in highlighting the Polish side of things and clearing up many misunderstandings and myths on the defense of their country and the hopeless anticipation of help from the western powers.
The illustrations and maps are wonderful and very welcome.
It is especially good in highlighting the Polish side of things and clearing up many misunderstandings and myths on the defense of their country and the hopeless anticipation of help from the western powers.
The illustrations and maps are wonderful and very welcome.
October 11, 2025
Material ilustrado de apoyo de calidad y un desarrollo del apartado militar extenso.
Se viene abajo cuando habla de Katyn como una masacre soviética y cuando habla de invasión soviética, cuando en la práctica el estado polaco se evaporó, pero no se puede esperar mucho más de una editorial británica...
Se viene abajo cuando habla de Katyn como una masacre soviética y cuando habla de invasión soviética, cuando en la práctica el estado polaco se evaporó, pero no se puede esperar mucho más de una editorial británica...
May 28, 2018
Short but great read about the opening campaign of WW2. The author tells you about everything you need to know about this short but interesting campaign, and why the Germans won so easily.
July 10, 2022
The Osprey collection is short, simple, and sweet. Very informative stuff in bite size pieces. You'll probably learn a lot as long as you enjoy the topic.
June 29, 2024
A very good overview of the Polish campaign for military history buffs.
March 10, 2025
Es bastante interesante, está muy centrado en tácticas militares, así como armas, municiones y demás. En verdad es una crónica de cada movimiento y batalla desde el inicio de la guerra.
November 28, 2014
Like other Osprey books, this is small, but packs quite a lot for its size. The most informative, to me, part was the analysis of how the armies ended up he way they did and why the Poles had a cordon defensive strategy. Particularly useful was the point about Germany having an economy considerably bigger than that of Poland. When you are richer and more industrialized, it's easier to build trucks and tanks while the poorer country is more dependent on cavalry (incidentally, the book does a good job in exploding the canard that the Polish reliance on cavalry was due to obsolete doctrine). Although the Polish campaign is seen as the dawn of blitzkrieg warfare, the book points out that much of the German success was due to having considerably more artillery. That doesn't mean that Germany didn't make better doctrinal choices. Although the Poles had a tank that was qualitatively equal to the German Mark II, they still deployed them in penny packets for infantry support while Germany formed them into Panzer and Light divisions. The greater German commitment to radio is explained and it had much to do with greater German ability to react to developments and shape events.
The book does a good job with the campaign. Two key points were the Polish defense strategy and their delayed mobilization. The latter was a consequence of Anglo-French pressure, which view Polish mobilization as being potentially provocative and thus discourage it. This encourage a forward defense strategy by Poland since many of the population centers from which the reserves would be drawn were close to the German frontier. This strategy was also to discourage German "salami tactics", where the Germans would perhaps simply size a few border areas (a la Sudetenland). One nice touch is it's addressing the myth that Polish cavalry charged German armored vehicles (the action that gave rise to that myth is explained). The rest is a breakdown of the initial battles, the breakthroughs and the siege of Warsaw. The Soviet invasion, although anti-climatic in some respects, isn't stinted.
The maps and photos are up to the usual Osprey standard. A very useful, for its brevity, book on the first campaign of WWII.
The book does a good job with the campaign. Two key points were the Polish defense strategy and their delayed mobilization. The latter was a consequence of Anglo-French pressure, which view Polish mobilization as being potentially provocative and thus discourage it. This encourage a forward defense strategy by Poland since many of the population centers from which the reserves would be drawn were close to the German frontier. This strategy was also to discourage German "salami tactics", where the Germans would perhaps simply size a few border areas (a la Sudetenland). One nice touch is it's addressing the myth that Polish cavalry charged German armored vehicles (the action that gave rise to that myth is explained). The rest is a breakdown of the initial battles, the breakthroughs and the siege of Warsaw. The Soviet invasion, although anti-climatic in some respects, isn't stinted.
The maps and photos are up to the usual Osprey standard. A very useful, for its brevity, book on the first campaign of WWII.
July 1, 2015
One of the more enjoyable books in the Osprey series. The maps are clear and concise, some good illustrations (particularly of the armoured train) and a straightforward narrative that doesn't go off in a tangent.
On the campaign itself, the book does a splendid job of framing the awful dilemma that Poland found herself in. The Anglo-French alliance was keen for Poland to buy the West 'time,' and yet, they hobbled Poland by restricting her mobilization, in case it provoked Germany.
Of Germany, we learn of the many blunders the Wehrmacht made as it put its theory to the unforgiving test of warfare, and how, it ultimately prevailed, with valuable lessons learned for the invasion of France.
And finally, we see the Soviet invasion of Poland, for the shameless, cynical move that it was.
All in all, a good book for the amateur, military historian.
On the campaign itself, the book does a splendid job of framing the awful dilemma that Poland found herself in. The Anglo-French alliance was keen for Poland to buy the West 'time,' and yet, they hobbled Poland by restricting her mobilization, in case it provoked Germany.
Of Germany, we learn of the many blunders the Wehrmacht made as it put its theory to the unforgiving test of warfare, and how, it ultimately prevailed, with valuable lessons learned for the invasion of France.
And finally, we see the Soviet invasion of Poland, for the shameless, cynical move that it was.
All in all, a good book for the amateur, military historian.
November 21, 2015
A concise introduction to the German campaign which resulted in the outbreak of the Second World War and the subsequent dissolution of Poland as an independent state.
August 31, 2016
Bien documenté
December 27, 2016
Mi reseña completa y opinión de La invasión de Polonia: Blitzkrieg puedes leerla aquí.
June 1, 2018
Juga dikenali sebagai Poland 1939: The Birth of Blitzkrieg. Buku ini juga merupakan Buku Satu (1) di dalam siri Battles of World War II. Siri ini menggunakan format penyampaian yang memudahkan para pembaca untuk mengikuti dan memahami apa yang cuba disampaikan. Dibahagikan kepada enam (6) bab utama iaitu:
a) Origins of the Campaign/Battle
b) Chronology
c) Opposing Commanders
d) Opposing Plans
e) Opposing Armies
f) The Campaign/Battle
Walaupun saya menganggap diri saya sebagai seorang peminat sejarah Perang Dunia Kedua,namun,banyak yang saya pelajari dengan membaca buku ini terutamanya yang berkaitan dengan penaklukan Jerman ke atas Poland pada 1 September 1939. Walaupun Jerman dianggap sebagai pelopor kepada taktik blitzkrieg,tetapi,perang dengan Poland umpama medan ujian yang menonjolkan kelemahan di dalam perlaksanaannya dan perlu dilakukan penambahbaikan. Potensi sebenarnya akan dapat diperhatikan dengan serangan Jerman ke atas Perancis pada tahun 1940. Poland juga bukanlah sebuah negara yang mudah dijinakkan oleh Jerman. Poland memberikan tentangan yang cukup hebat kepada Jerman sehingga memaksa Jerman menelan kos korban yang tinggi untuk mengalahkan Poland.
a) Origins of the Campaign/Battle
b) Chronology
c) Opposing Commanders
d) Opposing Plans
e) Opposing Armies
f) The Campaign/Battle
Walaupun saya menganggap diri saya sebagai seorang peminat sejarah Perang Dunia Kedua,namun,banyak yang saya pelajari dengan membaca buku ini terutamanya yang berkaitan dengan penaklukan Jerman ke atas Poland pada 1 September 1939. Walaupun Jerman dianggap sebagai pelopor kepada taktik blitzkrieg,tetapi,perang dengan Poland umpama medan ujian yang menonjolkan kelemahan di dalam perlaksanaannya dan perlu dilakukan penambahbaikan. Potensi sebenarnya akan dapat diperhatikan dengan serangan Jerman ke atas Perancis pada tahun 1940. Poland juga bukanlah sebuah negara yang mudah dijinakkan oleh Jerman. Poland memberikan tentangan yang cukup hebat kepada Jerman sehingga memaksa Jerman menelan kos korban yang tinggi untuk mengalahkan Poland.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews