THE GERMAN INVASION OF POLAND polish black book – The German Invasion of Poland – The Black Book Containing Documents, Verified Reports, and Photographs. A Detailed Account of the Nazi Invasion of Poland – Massacres of the Population, Indiscriminate Bombings of Civilians, Killings, and the Conquest of Poland. Published by the Polish Government’s Information and Documentation Authority Through Hutchinson & Co, London, 1940 – First Edition. An important publication issued shortly after the events at the start of World War II by the Polish Government-in-Exile. Accompanied by harrowing photographs printed on glossy paper, it is considered the first part of a series of publications aimed at exposing the atrocities committed by the Nazis in Poland. Includes a foreword by the Archbishop of York.
The detailed report begins with an account of Hitler’s false speech in September 1939: “War is not directed against women and children.” It highlights the Nazi regime’s deceptive promises not to bomb civilian targets, followed by the mass bombings of Poland and the slaughter of civilians. Key elements include: A detailed account of the German air attacks on the morning of September 1, 1939. Reports on air raids, massacres, and the suffering of the civilian population. Attacks on trains and convoys evacuating civilians. The martyrdom of Warsaw, including the bombing of sacred buildings, hospitals, shelters, the Royal Palace, and other historic and national monuments. Descriptions of destruction in residential areas and workers’ districts, marked everywhere by swastikas and Nazi dominance.
The publication, released shortly after the invasion, notes:
“The current publication cannot provide a complete account of Germany’s wickedness or Poland’s martyrdom. Justice demands that we eventually create a full picture of German atrocities. Yet repression and terror render the occupied country voiceless; nor is it possible, within a few short weeks, to compile a systematic compendium of German atrocities in Poland. That final work belongs to the future… Let us not forget that one day Germany will have to answer for these crimes, and for all those it continues to commit, in a country where it vainly seeks to destroy an immortal nation.” The book served as a foundation for subsequent publications, such as “The Black Book of Poland” (1942), which continued documenting Nazi war crimes committed during the occupation of Poland.
128 pages. Printed on thick, high-quality paper. Very good condition.
