The Fresno Times By: Greg Bacchetti There was once a time when a small city in southern Poland took on a matter of great significance. Not many of us have heard of Gleiwitz, however, the role that city had in world history is phenomenal. That is because that location is where World War II began. On the night of August 31, 1939 Germans dressed as Polish Nationals staged an attack on other Germans. The following day September 1, 1939 Germany’s military rolled into Poland (while other European nations such France and Britain stood by), and this so-called ‘attack’ on Germany was the precipitating cause which led to the deaths of tens of millions of people in the ensuing 6 years. Years earlier, in 1933, the Reichstag, the German Parliamentary building was set afire and a Dutch construction worker by the name of Marinus van der Lubbe was arrested for the alleged arson. The Germans invoked what was called Article 48, which suspended various rights of the German people. These rights included the right of free press, free speech, freedom of assembly, privacy and legalized phone tapping. Although Hitler and his henchmen initially blamed the Communist party which was his chief…
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