Odeboyz's Blog

Hitler’s ‘War of choice’: Poland 1939

Hitler’s invasion of Poland was a masterclass. It was thoroughly prepared making victory certain. Every key metric was in place before the invasion began.

Geography

Poland has no natural barriers, which meant the Wehrmacht and Panzer divisions had a smooth pathway. Poland has no strategic choke points to hinder an invading force.

Diplomacy

Regardless of Germany’s overwhelming superiority nothing was left to chance. In a diplomatic coup the Molotov-Ribbentrop treaty was signed immediately before the invasion.¹

Army

The Polish army was a fraction of the Wehrmacht with about 100,000 soldiers in September 1939. The German invasion force had 1.6m soldiers.² The Soviet force was about 800,000³ making a total of 2.4m soldiers. Poland was attacked in a pincer movement from Germany and the Soviet Union.

Tactics

The Germans used Blitzkrieg. This is a combined air-ground attack, which meant that the Polish forces, and internal refugees, were constantly being harassed.

Trump’s ‘War of choice’: Iran 2026

Trump’s pre-emptive attack is a masterclass of incompetence. He hasn’t prepared for victory because he began without coherent war aims.

Geography

Iran is a country of 93m people. It is 1.65m sqr.km in area with significant mountain ranges.⁴ Critically it controls the Straits of Hormuz. The Straits are of global importance and will need massive manpower to seize and hold.

Diplomacy

Trump hates diplomacy preferring bombastic threats. He is indiscriminate aiming at enemies and friends. He’s asserted that the USA will, “…[be] blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages…”⁵

Army

Iran’s army has 600,000 soldiers plus 300,000 in reserve. It can and does retaliate against the USA’s and its allies and military bases with missiles and drones. America’s Army isn’t the Wehrmacht. In a ground campaign they’d probably lose.

Tactics

Trump is trying to win without casualties.⁶ This is unique. Massive bombing raids on key infrastructure have brought Iranian retaliation. They have targeted America’s military bases. One $270m spy plane was destroyed recently.⁷ American strategists know victory is impossible without diplomacy or ground troops. Trump is paralysed as he hates both options.

History isn’t bunk.⁸ It matters if you want to avoid mistakes.

Notes

1 The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact 1939: Bismarck’s Final Triumph | Odeboyz’s Blog

2 The first chapter of the bloodiest conflict in the history of mankind – News Institute of National Remembrance

3 Soviet invasion of Poland – Wikipedia

4 How Big Is Iran vs European Countries? True Size Map (Area) There are a series of maps with Iran superimposed on them. It’s 3x the size of France and nearly 5x the size of Germany

5 Trump threatens both Iran and NATO allies ahead of primetime address on war: ‘Back to the Stone Ages’ | The Independent

6 The USA deployed 100,000 troops during 18 years of warfare in Afghanistan with 2300 deaths Chart: Key Numbers Behind The War In Afghanistan | Statista

7 $270M E-3 Sentry spy plane demolished by Iranian attack at Saudi air base

8 1939 was Hitler’s zenith. He wasn’t Bismarck