why did germany invade poland

Germany invaded Poland in 1939 primarily because Adolf Hitler wanted to expand German territory eastwards to gain "living space" (Lebensraum) for Germans and secure resources such as food. He considered the Polish people inferior and aimed to destroy Poland as a sovereign state to make way for German colonization. The invasion was also motivated by Hitler's desire to reverse the territorial losses inflicted on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles after World War I, such as the Polish Corridor and the Free City of Danzig, which had significant German populations. Additionally, Hitler used staged false- flag operations, like the Gleiwitz incident, to falsely portray Poland as the aggressor and justify the invasion. The invasion was planned in secret under "Case White," with the aim of not only military conquest but also the brutal annihilation of Polish elites and populations seen as obstacles to German rule. The invasion began on September 1, 1939, following the Molotov- Ribbentrop Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union that included secret terms to divide Poland between them. In summary, Germany invaded Poland to gain territory and resources, reverse post-World War I territorial settlements, enforce racial and ideological goals, and expand German dominance in Eastern Europe, using a combination of military strategy and false propaganda to justify the attack.