Invasion of Poland

Invasion of Poland:
On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. The Polish army was defeated within weeks of the invasion.

Website: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/gallery_fi.php?ModuleId=10005070

Before WWII, Polish Jewry numbered 3.3 million, whereas post-war numbers totaled 240,000, a figure which had fallen to 9,000 after 1970. A total of 5.5 million people were murdered in camps in Poland: of these 4 million were of Jewish origin, 3 million being Polish Jews.

Essential Questions
How did Poland's national consciousness, stemming from a history of foreign suppression and intervention, make it susceptible to anti-Semitic influences from neighboring countries? In the study of national histories, how important are the actions of government officials compared to actions of "the people"?