Made in 1939, this German silent propaganda film “The Liberation of Danzig and the German Defensive Campaign in Poland” shows the seizure of Danzig and the invasion of Poland that marked the beginning of World War II. The Danzig crisis began after the Munich Conference in October 1938, when German Minister von Ribbentrop demanded the incorporation of the Free City into the Reich. There followed a series of incidents designed to justify a seizure of Danzig and the invasion of Poland. The population of Danzig was strongly in favour of annexation. Hitler sought to use this as a reason for war, promising to “liberate” the German minority still in the Corridor. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week after the signing of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union. The Soviets invaded Poland on 17 September. The campaign ended on 6 October with Germany and the Soviet Union dividing and annexing the whole of Poland.

The film begins with images of the Free City of Danzig (1;08) and a title card that explains that “German Danzig” had been cut off from the “motherland” and made a free state by the dictate of the Treaty of Versailles. At 1:37 a card indicates that “under the protection of the English, Poland’s threats became increasingly intolerable”. It is followed by images of German soldiers putting up barbed wire and fortifying the border. At 2:25, a title card discusses the “ambush” of a family man, police officer and member of the S.A. Joseph Wessel, and his funeral is shown on 28 August 1939. At 3:09 “defenseless” German civilians are seen evacuating from Danzig as refugees. At 4:06 their houses are burned and livestock killed. The next card at 4:53 indicates that “even German territory” was not spared. Scenes in the city of Beuthen (now Bytom, Poland) at 5:08 show bomb damage. At 5:27 a sign indicates the presence of an unexploded shell. At 5:56 a civilian shows off his shattered house. At 6:24 a title card mentions that England had rejected solutions to issues for 20 years. At 6:41 British Prime Minister Chamberlain and members of his cabinet. At 7:35, Danzig residents read notices as Germany’s offensive begins at 04:45 on Sept. 1.

At 7:42 the League of Nations commissar Professor Burkhard is shown leaving his office. At 8:40, shooting on the streets of Danzig is shown. At 9:20 infantry and Danzig police are seen in combat at the city’s post office. At 10:26 Hitler is seen arriving at the Reich Chancellery building to announce the offensive to the world. At 11:30 victorious German troops are seen entering Danzig. They are greeted by huge crowds. At 12:56 the German public buys up newspapers and makes preparations for wartime including putting up blackout curtains, painting fire lanes on streets and handing out gas masks (13:26).

At 13:43, Hitler Youth are shown at Pergamon Museum putting up matting to protect the altarpiece. At 14:31 sandbags are emplaced. At 15:00, an anti-aircraft flak gun is shown on the roof. At 15:27 the reserves are called up. At 16:16 a German factory gets to work producing artillery. At 17:29 German troops on horses are shown on the move. At 18:20 troops enter Poland. At 19:18 troops are shown 100 miles into Poland. At 20:08 Panzer tanks, motorcycle troops and infantry move into Poland and at 20:24 are greeted by civilians. At 22:12 the Luftwaffe is shown making strikes on Polish airfields. At 23:00 German Stukas and He-111s are armed and take off for bombing missions. At 25:58, attacks on the Westerplatte are shown including at 27;11 naval gunfire from the Schleswig-Holstein is shown. At 30:02 German troops operate a radio. 30:26 a farmstead burns. At 30:34 a demolished bridge cannot force the Germans to pause their advance. Another smashed bridge is shown at 31:40. At 31:57 a steam locomotive lies underneath the rubble. A montage follows of destroyed bridges. At 33:40, Pioneer troops install a temporary bridge. A title card at 34:33 states that soldiers are “unstoppable” in their advance. At 35:04 a sign for “Via Polna” is removed as a crowd celebrates their “liberators” by giving the Germans coffee and bread. The days of the “Polish terror regiments” are over, states the card at 35:38 as a soldier removes the Polish government symbol from a building and throws it into the street. The End.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com