NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Romanian bridgehead

The Romanian Bridgehead (Polish Przedmoście rumuńskie) was an area in South-Eastern Poland, nowadays located in Ukraine. During the Polish Defence War of 1939, on September 14 the Polish Commander in Chief Marshal of Poland Edward Rydz-Śmigły ordered all Polish troops fighting east of Vistula (approximately 20 divisions still retaining cohesion) to withdraw towards Lwów and then to the hills along the borders with Romania and the Soviet Union. Polish Defence War of 1939 Conflict World War II Date 1 September - 6 October 1939 Place Poland Result Decisive German and Soviet victory The Polish September Campaign (alternatively refered to as the German plan Fall Weiss) refers to the conquest of Poland by the armies of Nazi Germany and the... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... September 14 is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years). ... Marshal of Poland (Marszałek Polski) is the highest rank in the Polish Army. ... . Edward Rydz-Śmigły Edward Rydz-Śmigły (born March 11, 1886 in Łapszyn near Brzeżany, Tarnopol Voivodship - died December 2, 1941 in Warsaw), codenames Śmigły, Tarłowski, Adam Zawisza. ... Vistula river basin Vistula ( Polish Wisła, German Weichsel) is the longest river in Poland. ... Lviv coat of arms Motto: Semper fidelis Municipal government City council (Львівська міська рада) Mayor City chairman Lyubomyr Bunyak Area 171,01 km² Population total 2000 density 808,900 4786/km² Founded city rights 13th century 1353 Area code + 0322 Latitude Longitude 49°51′ N 24°01′ E Twin towns...

The plan was a fall back plan in case it was impossible to defend Polish boders and assumed that the Polish forces would be able to retreat to the area, organise a successful defence until the winter, and hold out until the promised French offensive on the Western Front started. Rydz-Śmigły predicted that the rough terrain, valleys, Stryj and Dniestr rivers, hills and swamps would provide natural lines of defences against the German blitzkrieg. The area was also home to many munitions depots (that were prepared for the third wave of Polish troops) and was strongly linked to ports in Romania (Constanca), which could be used to resupply the Polish troops. See Western Front (disambiguation) for other meanings. ... The river Dniestr (in Polish and Russian; Nistru in Romanian; Дністер, Dnister in Ukrainian; Tyras in Latin; also known as Dniester) is a river in Eastern Europe. ... Blitzkrieg relied on close cooperation between infantry and panzers (tanks). ... . Constanţa (old names: Kustendji, Kustendja, Köstence, Constantza) is a seaport on the Black Sea and the capital of Constanţa county, Romania. ...

This plan is one of the reasons the Polish-Romanian Alliance was not activated by Poland. Poland and Romania were allied since 1921 and the defensive pact was still valid in 1939. However, the Polish government decided that it would be much more helpful to have a safe haven in Romania and a safe port of Constanca, that could accept as many Allied merchant ships as it gets to keep Poland fighting. And that's why Polish navy and merchant marine were mostly evacuated prior to September 1st: they were to operate from French and British ports and deliver the supplies through Romania.

However, the entry of the Soviet Union into the war on the German side on September 17 made all those plans obsolete and Polish units were ordered to evacuate Poland and reorganise in France. September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ...

Up to 120,000 Polish troops withdrew through the Romanian Bridgehead area to neutral Romania and Hungary. The majority of those troops joined new Polish units in France and the United Kingdom that year and next. Until the United States and the Soviet Union entered the war, the Polish army was one of the biggest forces available to the Allies.

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Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa, see also other names, in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto Stołeczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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