Invasion of Poland (1939): Germany vs Poland

1939

On raw force balance, the model gives Germany a 67% edge. How that verdict held up against history — below.

The balance of forces

Germany		Poland
1,500,000	Personnel	950,000
2,750	Tanks	880
2,300	Aircraft	400
9,000	Artillery pieces	4,300
×1.2	Quality factor (est.)	×0.9

First full test of blitzkrieg: concentrated armor, close air support — versus — Brave but spread thin along a 1,900 km border, obsolete aircraft.

What actually happened

Here the model and history agree. Germany's two-to-one edge in men and three-to-one in the air, multiplied by a new way of war, collapsed Polish defenses in two weeks; the Soviet invasion from the east on September 17 sealed the outcome. Warsaw capitulated on day 28. The lesson that echoed through the next six years: static defense of long borders against concentrated armor is hopeless.

All scenarios

Figures are approximate campaign-start estimates from open historical sources; the quality factor is our editorial assessment of doctrine and training. Compare these countries' modern armies in the simulator.