Poland and the outbreak of War

Soon after the beginning of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, Hitler decided to invade Poland. What gave him confidence?

• The Pact allowed him to deal with the Polish problem without having to worry about a possible Soviet attack.
• The British and French guarantees of support for Poland in April 1939 were too late to convince him that they really were willing to go to war.
• The policy of appeasement had given him the impression that the British and French Governments would agree to almost anything in order to prevent another war with Germany.
• Even if war was declared, Poland was too far away for Britain and France…