The pact signed in Moscow at the end of August between Hitler and Stalin gave a green light for war against Poland. September 1,1939 Wehrmacht launched its Blitzkrieg, and a couple weeks later, the Red Army stabbed the overwhelmed Polish Army in the back, splitting Poland in half along a prearranged line. Less then two years later, Hitler?s surprise attack on Russia forced Stalin to turn to the West for help. This gave the Polish government-in-exile in London a chance to negotiate the release of Polish prisoners held in the Gulag. Out of almost two million held there, only less then 75000 prisoners were released from prisons and labor camps. They joined the recruiting centers and waited – sick and hungry ? for the arms that Stalin has promised their prime minister in London, but few only were delivered. General Wladyslaw Anders, just released from the notorious Lubyanka prison, knowing the Russians well, was very apprehensive and suspicious about Stalin’s designs on Poland. Being aware of his plans to control newly organized army militarily as well as politically, Anders worked out a plan of evacuation to Iran Under pressure of Wehrmacht advance to the gates of Moscow in late 1941, Stalin panicked and dropped his guard, allowing several divisions of Polish volunteers to join the British 10th Army in the Middle East. At the beginning of 1944, after moving from Iraq to Palestine, the 2ND Polish Corps moved to Egypt and then on to southern Italy. After a few smaller … Video Rating: 4 / 5