when did hitler invade poland

Adolf Hitler ordered the invasion of Poland to begin on September 1, 1939. The attack started at dawn with a surprise assault by German forces, marking the beginning of World War II. The German invasion included a large force of tanks, bombers, and airplanes advancing from multiple fronts to quickly overwhelm the Polish defenses. This invasion was preceded by the secret signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union, which included a plan to divide Poland between the two powers. The Soviet Union later invaded Poland from the east on September 17, 1939. The campaign ended in early October with Poland being divided and occupied by Germany and the Soviet Union.