What was Hitler’s prime reason for wanting to take Poland?*
He knew it would be a bargaining chip with the Soviet Union.
He wanted the Polish Corridor and the port city of Danzig.
He knew it would cause Great Britain and France to declare war.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is: He wanted the Polish Corridor and the port city of Danzig.
Adolf Hitler’s ambitions regarding Poland were primarily driven by territorial expansion and the pursuit of Lebensraum, or “living space,” for the German people. The Polish Corridor, a strip of land that provided Poland access to the Baltic Sea, separated East Prussia from the rest of Germany. The port city of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) was predominantly German-speaking and held significant strategic importance due to its location. Hitler aimed to reclaim these territories as part of his broader goal of revising the outcomes of World War I and the Treaty of Versailles, which he viewed as humiliating to Germany.
In Hitler’s eyes, reclaiming Danzig and the Polish Corridor was not only a matter of national pride but also essential for Germany’s economic and military interests. Access to the Baltic Sea was crucial for trade and naval operations, and regaining control of these areas would strengthen Germany’s position in Europe. Hitler’s plans also included the broader vision of expanding German territory eastward to create a vast empire that would provide resources and land for German settlers.
While it is true that Hitler anticipated that an invasion of Poland would provoke a military response from Great Britain and France, this was not his primary motivation for the invasion. Instead, he believed that the establishment of German dominance in Central and Eastern Europe was a necessary step toward securing Germany’s future. The invasion of Poland in September 1939 marked the beginning of World War II, as Britain and France declared war on Germany shortly thereafter, demonstrating the dire consequences of Hitler’s expansionist policies. Ultimately, the desire for the Polish Corridor and Danzig exemplified Hitler’s broader objectives of territorial acquisition and the reassertion of German power in Europe.