This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen | Historical Context

This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen Historical Context

Poland Under Attack

Despite being a dominant power in Eastern Europe from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century, in the eighteenth century, Poland was divided up by its neighbors. With the end of World War I and the Treaty of Versailles, however, an independent Polish state was formed. Poland also received a large area of German territory, including the Polish Corridor. This strip of territory separated Germany from East Prussia, which gave Poland access to the Baltic Sea. The seaport Danzig, to which Germany retained usage rights, became a free city administered by the League of Nations. Poland's post-World War I government was precarious, however, and its leaders were unable to conclude defensive security agreements with other European powers.

As German expansion in Europe grew, Poland's government vainly attempted to protect itself. Danzig had a large German population, and Adolf Hitler eventually claimed it for Germany. A strong Nazi Party developed in...
(read more)