The first days of the Invasion of Poland, 1939, as were seen from Warsaw and London

PZL P.11 as seen in the summer of the year 2018. Screenshot from: PZL P.11 taxiing, Bristol Mercury radial engine sound [Vintage Sky] 

Contrary to a still present in the West legend of Polish horsemen with lances and sabers in their hands, charging against the German tanks, or the Polish obsolete poor little air force, being allegedly effectively eliminated within the first two days of hostilities, the Invasion of Poland was a painful experience for the Nazis. The Polish fighter planes fleet (composed mainly from this one type PZL P11) was in fact too weak compared to the formidable Messerschmitts Bf109, but… The Polish and German air forces losses in the dogfights, however were, in the end, almost the same. Most probably the German losses were even a little higher.

A lot of air raids in Warsaw caused loss of life. but the people remained calm and watched the aerial struggles in the clouds until the air raid wardens drove them to underground shelters.

During the first days of hostilities Polish infantry and cavalry was many times able to charge the enemy and retake the positions. The light anti-tank guns burned a lot of German tanks. As long as there was enough munition the Nazis were driven back almost everywhere by infuriated Polish soldiers.

In London financial needs of another world-wide men-slaughter were to be appeased

The credit of £500,000.000 for an effective prosecution of sea war was widely considered only as beginning of tremendous sacrifices which will be exacted from the British race. At the same time, however, it was estimated at the first days of WW2 that no difficulty will be found in meeting current expenditure, after with heir aid the all money upon which a secondary budget of Lord Chancellor of Echequer was based became available. So, financial markets and investors should have a chance to adapt themselves somehow to radically changed conditions as well as shape new trading activities bound to the launching of an expected soon big defence loan.

War was a business for Westerners — and a grim one at that


Their milltary methods were calculated and mechanized. They saw no romance in the flashing bayonet, the sabre fencing, the glory of the medals and pathetic words. They preferred to educate first-class professional soldiers and commandeurs. After their own terrifying experiencies from first world war, as a cavalry or infantry charge ended with troops decimated by machine gun fire, they disdained amateur heroics.

On Sept. 3 both the Greater Germany and Soviet republic ratified their new non-aggression part. At the same time Stalin called an additional 500.000 men to the colors and shifted his garrisons westward. 


A Russian and German plan to partition Poland was considered as by no means inconceivable in the English language press

But that the Soviets would actively aid Germany was judged at the moment as indeterminable.

“No material improvement in the Australian wheat industry could be expected until international trade barriers were lowered and credits were extended to countries impoverished by war. said F. H. Cullen, president of the Victoria Wheatgrowers' Association at a conference at Horsham.”

(Wheat in Australia,“Calgary Herald”, 1939.09.04, p. 9)

Beneath the Bank of England still lies 4,600 tons of gold

The Bank's precious metal reserves seems to be a part of an invisible Anglo-Saxon Empire by which, in the end, the world seems still to be ruled. According to some cynical critics the WW2 was about who rules next, who fixes the currencies, who dominates the markets, and similar. Are they really absolutely wrong?