Why did Germany invade Poland?

Question: Why did Germany invade Poland!?

I understand some of the basic reasons why World War 2 started such as;
? The unfair Treaty of Versailles: Left Germans with bitterness and wanting revenge for the humiliation they underwent!.
? League of Nation: Collective security is an idealistic policy!.
? Great Depression
? Appeasement Policies of some League of Nation Members!.
and I know why Britain and Franced declared war!. I just need help summarising why Germany invaded Poland to start with, thankyou :)!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

In the same way that Czechoslovakia had been dismantled by this tactic a year earlier, Hitler wanted a corridor to a primarily ethnic German part of Poland!. I believe it is modern Gdansk (Danzig) A second reason was that Hitler had a long term aim of attacking Russia and Poland would provide that route!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

There was nothing unfair about the treaty of Versailles, The German race was lucky had it had been two hundred years earlier the they would have been wiped out as a race for the massive lose of life and destruction that they had visited on the world in WW1!. Germany had always tried to expand its borders since the 17th century and had used every excuse in the book for its policy in Europe , there is no excuse for invading somebody else's territory but to conquer it !. Naked aggression is what it was, bought on by the gutless British prime minister Chamberlain and united nations dithering and giving way to them and allowing them to take vast chunks of Yugoslavia !. Once they backed down on that Hitler thought that he could do as he liked!. and the world would stand and watch in fear!. Oh dear Germany got it wrong againWww@QuestionHome@Com

For propaganda purposes the Germans claimed the Poles had attacked first (nobody bought it)!. After WWI, the Poles had been given access to the Baltic Sea through what was called the 'Polish Corridor' - Germany wanted the Polish Corridor since it separated East Prussia from the rest of Germany!. Germany also had ambitions of 'Lebensraum' or 'Living Space' and also wanted to expand into Poland, take land and resettle Germans in those areas!. - and of course this would be done without consideration for the Poles who were already there!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Part was that Poland was very Jewish, and had good facilities for ghettos, it was right there and convenient, and he actually invaded the Rhineland first (demilitarized zone between France and Germany)!. He also wanted to go east because on the west was France right there, he didn't want to go there yet!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because it was there!.
There were parts of Poland where the people spoke German (Silesia)
Germany invaded Czechoslovakia before Poland, but the UK wasn't ready for war, so although they were allies, they let Germany have it!. Germany annexed Austria (Hitler's home country) before marching into Poland!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I have Polish family and they were deported to Siberian labour camps by German troops before the advent of WWII!. The German attitude was simply to get rid of the Polish race, especially the educated classes and the clergy, and re-populate with German stock!. Not only the Jews suffered from ethnic cleansing! Thank goodness General Anders campaigned tirelessly and did a deal with Stalin to create a Polish army and move them out of Siberia!. My grandfather used to tell me terrible tales of poverty and human cruelty!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

WW 2 was started over the Danzig corridor which was part of Germany until the Versailles treaty gave it to Poland after WW 1!. Simple as that, to reunite the parts of Germany!. With a just treaty after WW 1, another war could have been averted!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It is a true, although little known fact, that wearing ankle length, black, leather overcoats, gives the wearer an uncontrollable urge to invade Poland!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Thay wanted land to populate with Germans!. Killing off the Jews enslaving the Poles, move in Germans!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's because Germany wanted to conquer all of Europe!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

because hitler wanted to expand the borders of germany :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

They wanted land, Poland was an easy target and i guess seemed like an easy place to start!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

LebensraumWww@QuestionHome@Com

It was nextWww@QuestionHome@Com

Because the areas of Poland that Germany annexed had up to 30% German populations!. Certain areas had almost 95%+ German populations!.

This is because after WW1, many areas of Germany were taken away!. This left many Germans outside of Germany!. Poland wasn't exactly nice to it's German minorities!. Nicer than Czeschlovakia, but not by much!. This of course had a German nationalist such as Hitler seething!.

Add to the fact that because of the Polish corridor the German state of Prussia was an enclave and no longer connected to mainland Germany, that it was seen as a major defense issue!. Imagine it this way!. Canada and Mexico are the same country, they have the US another country inbetween!. This is a big issue!. Since how do you defend both parts with a whole nation inbetween your two parts of the nation!? You can't!. So it was decided to simply close the Polish corridor!. Germany annexed the parts of Poland that belonged to it prior to WW1!. The USSR took the parts of Poland that were always Poland!.

The problems could be seen even before the invasion!. England saw trouble coming there!. And tried to appease the Germans!. Since they were in a catch22!. They couldn't assure German compliances without violating Polish rights!. So they thought perhaps if we allow them Czesclovakia they won't be as adamant about Poland!. The trouble was mainly the Silesian riots or the revolt of Danzig!. In Silesia German peasants revolted against the Polish government, since they disagreed with it's policy of trying to force them to do their trade and speak in Polish!. This was solved by the League of Nations by forcing Poland to grant the Silesian Germans some forms of autonomy!. However the most famous example is Danzig!. Danzig was a huge city on the coast of the Baltic Sea!. It was predominantly German!. 97% to be exact!. However because it was isolated, and all the surrounding farmlands and towns were mostly Polish!. After WW1 it was given to Poland!. Poland also there tried to enforce the Germans there to Polish language, culture and tradition!. The result was not good!. The Germans there revolted!. Rioted and drove out/killed most of the Poles living in the city!. Killed the Polish mayor (the Poles put a Pole in power there, despite the population being 97% German)!. And declared themselves independent!. The city was defended by a militia of volunteers!. This caused a lot of tension in the international community!. Poland wanted to send it's army to crackdown on Danzig and restore it to Poland!. However the League of Nations decided to grant Danzig as a compromise autonomy!. Hence for a short time it was known as the Free State of Danzig!.

Many such issues!. The point is!. Due to the borders being redrawn after WW1!. Many Germans were on the other side of these borders!. It was seen as unifying all German peoples who had been cut off from the homeland as a result of the Versaille treaty!. As well as increasing the lebensraum!.Www@QuestionHome@Com