Theo Young-Smith

The tanks can just... It's perfect. The tanks can just roll over the border. Now, as for the two armies... We said the Germans attacked with one and a half million men. The Poles have about a million men, many of them infantry, and they have about another million reserves. But Poland is so much poorer than Germany that they are much less well trained and less well equipped.

So there's a brilliant book called The Eagle Unbowed on Poland in the Second World War by Halik Kochanski, who's an Anglo-Polish historian. And she points out Poland's annual defence budget was 50 times smaller than Germany's. And in fact, it was only a tenth of the budget just for the Luftwaffe. So that tells you what a disadvantage they're fighting.

So there's a brilliant book called The Eagle Unbowed on Poland in the Second World War by Halik Kochanski, who's an Anglo-Polish historian. And she points out Poland's annual defence budget was 50 times smaller than Germany's. And in fact, it was only a tenth of the budget just for the Luftwaffe. So that tells you what a disadvantage they're fighting.

So there's a brilliant book called The Eagle Unbowed on Poland in the Second World War by Halik Kochanski, who's an Anglo-Polish historian. And she points out Poland's annual defence budget was 50 times smaller than Germany's. And in fact, it was only a tenth of the budget just for the Luftwaffe. So that tells you what a disadvantage they're fighting.

The Germans have 15 times more armoured and mechanised units than the Poles do. If you think about the air war, which is very important, the Luftwaffe have 2,000 fighters. The Poles have 300 and something. The Polish airmen, by the way, are considered some of the best in the world. Well, because they go on to fight in the Battle of Britain, don't they?

The Germans have 15 times more armoured and mechanised units than the Poles do. If you think about the air war, which is very important, the Luftwaffe have 2,000 fighters. The Poles have 300 and something. The Polish airmen, by the way, are considered some of the best in the world. Well, because they go on to fight in the Battle of Britain, don't they?

The Germans have 15 times more armoured and mechanised units than the Poles do. If you think about the air war, which is very important, the Luftwaffe have 2,000 fighters. The Poles have 300 and something. The Polish airmen, by the way, are considered some of the best in the world. Well, because they go on to fight in the Battle of Britain, don't they?

With tremendous heroism in the Battle of Britain.

With tremendous heroism in the Battle of Britain.

With tremendous heroism in the Battle of Britain.

I suppose it's partly because Czechoslovakia has already been defeated, though, the Poland fights, right? They've already seen what happens if you don't fight. So they feel they have no choice.

I suppose it's partly because Czechoslovakia has already been defeated, though, the Poland fights, right? They've already seen what happens if you don't fight. So they feel they have no choice.

I suppose it's partly because Czechoslovakia has already been defeated, though, the Poland fights, right? They've already seen what happens if you don't fight. So they feel they have no choice.

Anyway, within hours, it is obvious that the Poles, I mean, within hours, not days, hours, it is clear that the Poles are in real trouble because this is the first demonstration of the Germans' famous blitzkrieg, lightning war tactics. So in the Great War, in the First World War, you had these gigantic armies advancing over a huge front that could be tens, hundreds of miles wide.

Anyway, within hours, it is obvious that the Poles, I mean, within hours, not days, hours, it is clear that the Poles are in real trouble because this is the first demonstration of the Germans' famous blitzkrieg, lightning war tactics. So in the Great War, in the First World War, you had these gigantic armies advancing over a huge front that could be tens, hundreds of miles wide.

Anyway, within hours, it is obvious that the Poles, I mean, within hours, not days, hours, it is clear that the Poles are in real trouble because this is the first demonstration of the Germans' famous blitzkrieg, lightning war tactics. So in the Great War, in the First World War, you had these gigantic armies advancing over a huge front that could be tens, hundreds of miles wide.

The thing that the Germans do now is they concentrate their armies into these columns that move very quickly, that punch a hole through your line and then keep going, causing complete chaos.

The thing that the Germans do now is they concentrate their armies into these columns that move very quickly, that punch a hole through your line and then keep going, causing complete chaos.

The thing that the Germans do now is they concentrate their armies into these columns that move very quickly, that punch a hole through your line and then keep going, causing complete chaos.

So armies always have doctrines. So they will have a kind of idea of an ideal of what to do. They have a theory. But then once you put it into practice, you'd always adjust things. You'll see what works. Because the idea of speed and violence is very fascist, isn't it, I guess? It's very fascist, exactly.