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Bydgoszcz became part of the German Empire after the First Partition of Poland in 1772.
Answer: False
Explanation: Bydgoszcz was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1772 during the First Partition of Poland, and later became part of the German Empire after its unification in 1871.
The Treaty of Versailles awarded Bydgoszcz to Germany, leading to an increase in its German population.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Treaty of Versailles awarded Bydgoszcz to the Second Polish Republic, which resulted in a decrease in its German population as many ethnic Germans left for Germany.
Adolf Hitler's goal was to create a Greater German State by annexing territories inhabited by German minorities.
Answer: True
Explanation: Hitler's explicit goal was to create a Greater German State by annexing territories of other countries inhabited by German minorities.
Polish-German relations were stable and cooperative leading up to the 1939 invasion.
Answer: False
Explanation: By March 1939, Polish-German relations had completely deteriorated due to Hitler's ambitions, mutual accusations of atrocities, distrust, and rising nationalist sentiment.
German propaganda prior to the 1939 invasion accused Polish authorities of organizing or tolerating violent ethnic cleansing of ethnic Germans in Poland.
Answer: True
Explanation: German newspapers and politicians, including Hitler, carried out a propaganda campaign accusing Polish authorities of organizing or tolerating violent ethnic cleansing of ethnic Germans.
Bydgoszcz was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia in what year?
Answer: 1772
Explanation: Bydgoszcz was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1772 during the First Partition of Poland.
What was a direct consequence of the Treaty of Versailles awarding Bydgoszcz to the Second Polish Republic?
Answer: A number of ethnic Germans leaving the region for Germany.
Explanation: The Treaty of Versailles awarded Bydgoszcz to Poland, resulting in a number of ethnic Germans leaving the region for Germany.
What movement did Adolf Hitler revitalize to appeal to German minorities living outside Germany's post-World War I borders?
Answer: The Völkisch movement
Explanation: Adolf Hitler revitalized the Völkisch movement to appeal to German minorities living outside Germany's post-World War I borders.
Which of the following was NOT a factor contributing to the deterioration of Polish-German relations by March 1939?
Answer: Polish demands for the German Corridor.
Explanation: Polish demands for the German Corridor were not a factor; rather, Hitler's demands for the Polish Corridor and Polish resistance to Nazi annexation contributed to the deterioration of relations.
What did German newspapers and politicians, including Hitler, carry out for months prior to the 1939 invasion?
Answer: A national and international propaganda campaign accusing Poland of ethnic cleansing.
Explanation: German newspapers and politicians conducted a national and international propaganda campaign accusing Polish authorities of organizing or tolerating violent ethnic cleansing of ethnic Germans.
What was the primary reason for the decrease in Bydgoszcz's German population during the interwar period?
Answer: The Treaty of Versailles awarding Bydgoszcz to Poland, leading to Germans leaving.
Explanation: The Treaty of Versailles awarded Bydgoszcz to the Second Polish Republic, which resulted in a number of ethnic Germans leaving the region for Germany, causing a decrease in the German population.
The initial violence in Bydgoszcz on September 3, 1939, was triggered by an unprovoked attack by Polish forces on the German minority.
Answer: False
Explanation: The violence was triggered by an attack by German minority members, collaborating with Abwehr agents, on the Polish garrison, not an unprovoked Polish attack.
Abwehr documents prepared by General Erwin von Lahousen reported that German armed saboteurs in Bydgoszcz suffered heavy losses during their operations.
Answer: True
Explanation: Abwehr documents prepared by General Erwin von Lahousen reported that German armed saboteurs conducting operations in Bydgoszcz suffered heavy losses.
German saboteur groups in Bydgoszcz were tasked with protecting German cultural institutions like the German theater and private school.
Answer: False
Explanation: Documented tasks for German saboteur groups included blowing up or setting fire to German institutions like the German theater and private school, not protecting them.
Sabotage-Organisationen Gruppe 12 was an Abwehr group tasked with maintaining power and communication lines in Bydgoszcz.
Answer: False
Explanation: Sabotage-Organisationen Gruppe 12 was tasked with disabling a local power plant and cutting phone communications, not maintaining them.
German records indicate the formation of paramilitary groups in Bydgoszcz, including a Kampf-Organisation with 150 members.
Answer: True
Explanation: German records confirm the formation of paramilitary groups in Bydgoszcz, including a Kampf-Organisation with 150 members.
Polish police discovered evidence of pre-planned German diversionary activities in Bydgoszcz prior to the invasion.
Answer: True
Explanation: Polish police made arrests in Bydgoszcz before the invasion, finding explosives, armbands, and guns, which indicated pre-planned German diversionary activities.
German saboteurs attempted to create civilian panic by telling inhabitants to flee, claiming Poland had been defeated.
Answer: True
Explanation: German saboteurs, dressed in Polish uniforms, woke inhabitants and falsely claimed Poland had been defeated, causing panic and disrupting Polish military movements.
Documents from 2007 revealed that General Erwin Lahousen condemned the actions of German saboteurs in Bydgoszcz.
Answer: False
Explanation: Documents uncovered by 2007 revealed that General Erwin Lahousen praised the actions of German saboteurs in Bydgoszcz and organized supplies and medical help for them.
What was the initial trigger for the violence in Bydgoszcz on September 3, 1939?
Answer: An attack by German minority members and Abwehr agents on the Polish garrison
Explanation: The initial violence was triggered by members of the German minority, working with the Abwehr, attacking the Polish garrison.
According to Jochen Böhler, what organization were the German minority members working with when they attacked the Polish garrison in Bydgoszcz?
Answer: The Abwehr
Explanation: According to Jochen Böhler, German minority members were working with the Abwehr when they attacked the Polish garrison in Bydgoszcz.
What did Abwehr documents, specifically those prepared by General Erwin von Lahousen, report about German armed saboteurs in Bydgoszcz?
Answer: They suffered heavy losses during operations.
Explanation: Abwehr documents prepared by General Erwin von Lahousen reported that German armed saboteurs in Bydgoszcz suffered heavy losses during their operations.
Which German organization coordinated the operations of armed saboteur groups in Bydgoszcz, including setting fire to the German theater?
Answer: The Schutzstaffel (SS)
Explanation: Operations of armed saboteur groups, including setting fire to the German theater, were coordinated by the Schutzstaffel (SS).
What was one of the specific tasks of Sabotage-Organisationen Gruppe 12 in Bydgoszcz?
Answer: To disable a local power-plant.
Explanation: Sabotage-Organisationen Gruppe 12 was tasked with disabling a local power plant and cutting phone communications.
What did Polish police find in Bydgoszcz by the end of August 1939 that indicated pre-planned German diversionary activities?
Answer: Explosives, armbands, and guns.
Explanation: Polish police found explosives, armbands, and guns, indicating pre-planned German diversionary activities.
How did German saboteurs dressed in Polish uniforms create panic on the night of September 2-3?
Answer: By waking inhabitants and falsely claiming Poland had been defeated.
Explanation: German saboteurs, dressed in Polish uniforms, woke inhabitants and falsely claimed Poland had been defeated, causing panic.
What did documents uncovered by 2007 reveal about General Erwin Lahousen's actions regarding German saboteurs in Bydgoszcz?
Answer: He praised their actions and organized supplies and medical help for them.
Explanation: Documents uncovered by 2007 revealed that General Erwin Lahousen praised the actions of German saboteurs in Bydgoszcz and organized supplies and medical help for them.
Bloody Sunday (1939) primarily involved a series of peaceful protests by the German minority in Bydgoszcz against Polish authorities.
Answer: False
Explanation: Bloody Sunday involved violent events, including attacks by the German minority on the Polish garrison, not peaceful protests.
After the invasion began, the Polish government arrested ethnic Germans solely based on their ethnicity, without suspicion of disloyalty.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Polish government arrested ethnic Germans on suspicion of being loyal to Germany, not solely based on their ethnicity.
A British witness reported that Polish forces were attacked from a Jesuit church during the fighting in Bydgoszcz.
Answer: True
Explanation: A British witness reported that a retreating Polish artillery unit was shot at from a house and subsequently from a Jesuit church by Germans.
What was the German name for the violent events known as Bloody Sunday (1939)?
Answer: Bromberger Blutsonntag
Explanation: Bloody Sunday is known in German as Bromberger Blutsonntag.
In which Polish city did Bloody Sunday (1939) occur?
Answer: Bydgoszcz
Explanation: Bloody Sunday refers to violent events that took place in Bydgoszcz, a Polish city.
After armed conflict began on September 1, 1939, how many ethnic Germans were arrested by the Polish government on suspicion of disloyalty?
Answer: Ten to fifteen thousand
Explanation: After armed conflict began, the Polish government arrested ten to fifteen thousand ethnic Germans on suspicion of being loyal to Germany.
Which Polish Army formation included the 9th, 15th, and 27th Infantry Divisions that were attacked by German irregulars in Bydgoszcz?
Answer: Army Pomorze
Explanation: Army Pomorze's 9th, 15th, and 27th Infantry Divisions were attacked by German irregulars while withdrawing through Bydgoszcz.
What did a British witness report about the attack on a retreating Polish artillery unit in Bydgoszcz?
Answer: They were shot at from a house and then a Jesuit church.
Explanation: A British witness reported that a retreating Polish artillery unit was shot at from a house and then a Jesuit church.
What was the immediate consequence for captured German non-uniformed armed insurgents during the fighting in Bydgoszcz?
Answer: They were executed on the spot.
Explanation: Captured German non-uniformed armed insurgents were executed on the spot during the fighting.
A 2004 Polish investigation concluded that more Poles were killed during Bloody Sunday than Germans.
Answer: False
Explanation: A 2004 Polish investigation estimated 40–50 Poles and 100–300 Germans were killed, indicating more German casualties.
Nazi propaganda deliberately exaggerated German casualties during Bloody Sunday to portray Polish barbarism.
Answer: True
Explanation: Nazi propaganda explicitly used and exaggerated the term 'Bloody Sunday' and inflated casualty figures to portray Polish barbarism against Germans.
Nazi propaganda initially claimed 5,400 Germans were killed in the 'September Murders,' a figure later multiplied to 58,000.
Answer: True
Explanation: Nazi propaganda initially claimed 5,400 German deaths in the 'September Murders,' including 'Bromberg Bloody Sunday,' and this figure was later inflated to 58,000 on Hitler's instructions.
Reliable estimates suggest that around 40,000 ethnic Germans were killed in Poland during this period.
Answer: False
Explanation: Reliable estimates indicate that approximately 4,000 ethnic Germans were killed in Poland during this period, not 40,000.
The Wehrmacht War Crimes Bureau concluded that the events in Bydgoszcz were primarily a result of planned Polish aggression.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Wehrmacht War Crimes Bureau concluded that the events in Bydgoszcz were a result of panic and confusion among Polish troops, not planned Polish aggression.
According to a 2004 Polish investigation, what was the estimated range of Polish casualties during Bloody Sunday?
Answer: 40–50 Poles
Explanation: A 2004 Polish investigation concluded that approximately 40–50 Poles were killed during Bloody Sunday.
What was the primary goal of Nazi propaganda in applying the term 'Bloody Sunday' to the events?
Answer: To portray Polish barbarism against Germans.
Explanation: Nazi propaganda explicitly aimed to portray Polish barbarism against Germans by continuously underlining the term 'Bloody Sunday' and exaggerating casualties.
What was the exaggerated figure for German dead in the 'September Murders' and 'Bromberg Bloody Sunday' that Hitler reportedly instructed to be used in February 1940?
Answer: 58,000
Explanation: In February 1940, the figure for German dead in the 'September Murders' and 'Bromberg Bloody Sunday' was inflated to 58,000, reportedly on Hitler's instructions.
What do reliable estimates indicate about the total number of ethnic Germans killed in Poland during this period, including outrages, forced marches, bombing, and shelling?
Answer: Around 4,000
Explanation: Reliable estimates place the total number of ethnic Germans killed in Poland during this period at around 4,000.
Which Polish historian estimated ethnic German deaths during Bloody Sunday at about 300?
Answer: Czesław Madajczyk
Explanation: Polish historian Czesław Madajczyk estimated ethnic German deaths during Bloody Sunday at about 300.
What was the purpose of the photograph featuring Wehrmacht soldiers and journalists with German victims of Bloody Sunday?
Answer: To serve as a piece of Nazi propaganda.
Explanation: The photograph featuring Wehrmacht soldiers and journalists with German victims of Bloody Sunday was utilized by the Nazi press as a piece of propaganda.
After Bydgoszcz fell, approximately 50 Polish prisoners of war were executed after being accused of participating in Bloody Sunday.
Answer: True
Explanation: Fifty Polish prisoners of war from Bydgoszcz were accused by Nazi summary courts of participating in 'Bloody Sunday' and subsequently shot.
The Citizen Watch in Bydgoszcz received assurances from General Eccard von Gablenz that they would be treated as POWs, and these assurances were honored.
Answer: False
Explanation: While General Eccard von Gablenz initially assured the Citizen Watch members of POW treatment, these assurances were not honored, and they were subjected to fatal beatings and executions.
Hitler's secret decree of October 4, 1939, ordered the prosecution of all Germans who committed crimes between September 1 and October 4, 1939.
Answer: False
Explanation: Hitler's secret decree of October 4, 1939, granted impunity for crimes committed by Germans between September 1 and October 4, 1939, rather than ordering their prosecution.
German reprisals following Bloody Sunday included mass executions of Polish civilians carried out by various German military units.
Answer: True
Explanation: The events of Bloody Sunday were followed by German reprisals and mass executions of Polish civilians, carried out by units including the Einsatzgruppen, Waffen SS, and Wehrmacht.
General Walter Braemer ordered the execution of 80 Polish hostages based on confirmed reports of Polish sniper attacks.
Answer: False
Explanation: General Walter Braemer ordered the execution of 80 Polish hostages based on a German version claiming Polish sniper attacks, which Polish sources and witnesses do not confirm.
By December 1939, approximately 5,000 Polish civilians from Bydgoszcz County had been killed by Germans, including the mayor.
Answer: True
Explanation: By December 1939, 5,000 Polish civilians from Bydgoszcz County, including Mayor Leon Barciszewski, had been killed by German forces.
More than 20,000 Polish citizens of Bydgoszcz died during the German occupation, representing 14% of the city's population.
Answer: True
Explanation: More than 20,000 Polish citizens of Bydgoszcz, which constituted 14% of the city's population, were either shot or died in concentration camps during the German occupation.
The image of an ethnic German identifying a Pole during 'Bloody Sunday' implies that those identified were typically released after questioning.
Answer: False
Explanation: The image depicting an ethnic German identifying a Pole during 'Bloody Sunday' notes that individuals denounced in this manner were typically executed immediately.
How many Polish prisoners of war from Bydgoszcz were accused by Nazi summary courts of participating in 'Bloody Sunday' and subsequently shot?
Answer: Fifty
Explanation: Fifty Polish prisoners of war from Bydgoszcz were accused by Nazi summary courts of participating in 'Bloody Sunday' and subsequently shot.
Who was the commander of the Kampfgruppe 'Netze' who initially assured the Citizen Watch members of POW treatment?
Answer: General Eccard von Gablenz
Explanation: General Eccard von Gablenz, commander of the Kampfgruppe 'Netze', initially assured the Citizen Watch members of POW treatment.
What was the effect of Hitler's secret decree of October 4, 1939?
Answer: It granted impunity for crimes committed by Germans between Sept 1 and Oct 4, 1939.
Explanation: Hitler's secret decree of October 4, 1939, granted impunity for crimes committed by Germans between September 1 and October 4, 1939.
Which German military units were involved in the reprisals and mass executions of Polish civilians following Bloody Sunday?
Answer: Einsatzgruppen, Waffen SS, and Wehrmacht.
Explanation: German military units, including the Einsatzgruppen, Waffen SS, and Wehrmacht, carried out reprisals and mass executions of Polish civilians.
By December 1939, approximately how many Polish civilians from Bydgoszcz County had been killed by the Germans?
Answer: 5,000
Explanation: By December 1939, 5,000 Polish civilians from Bydgoszcz County had been killed by the Germans.
What was the name of the large-scale anti-Polish extermination action related to many killings in Bydgoszcz, including in the 'Valley of Death'?
Answer: Operation Tannenberg
Explanation: Many killings in Bydgoszcz, including in the 'Valley of Death,' were broadly related to Operation Tannenberg, a large-scale anti-Polish extermination action.
What percentage of Bydgoszcz's population died during the German occupation?
Answer: 14%
Explanation: More than 20,000 Polish citizens of Bydgoszcz, constituting 14% of the city's population, died during the German occupation.
What does the image depicting an ethnic German identifying a Pole during 'Bloody Sunday' imply about the fate of the identified individuals?
Answer: They were typically executed immediately.
Explanation: The image depicting an ethnic German identifying a Pole during 'Bloody Sunday' notes that individuals denounced in this manner were typically executed immediately.
What does the image titled 'Polish teachers from Bydgoszcz are led for execution in Death Valley, November 1, 1939' illustrate?
Answer: The targeted extermination of Polish intelligentsia.
Explanation: The image illustrates the targeted extermination of Polish intelligentsia as part of broader German atrocities like Operation Tannenberg.
Jochen Böhler's research, based on recently unearthed German documents, confirmed that the violence in Bydgoszcz was sparked by Polish soldiers attacking German civilians.
Answer: False
Explanation: Jochen Böhler's research, based on new German documents, confirmed that the violence was sparked when Polish soldiers were attacked by Abwehr agents and members of the German minority.
Early German historiography regarding the Bydgoszcz events was noted by Hans-Erich Volkmann as being entirely objective and unaffected by the Nazi era.
Answer: False
Explanation: German historian Hans-Erich Volkmann noted that early post-war German historiography was unreliable due to being significantly affected by the Nazi era and political use.
Modern Polish historians generally agree that Bloody Sunday was an attack on the Polish population and military by German militia.
Answer: True
Explanation: The modern consensus among Polish historians is that Bloody Sunday constituted an attack on the Polish population and military by German militia.
Tomasz Chinciński's 2004 publication confirmed that historians largely agree on an 'insurrection' by German agents and inhabitants in Bydgoszcz.
Answer: True
Explanation: Tomasz Chinciński's 2004 publication confirmed that the majority of historians agree that an 'insurrection' by agents from the Third Reich and some German inhabitants of Bydgoszcz took place.
Jochen Böhler's 2006 publication, based on new German archival documents, proved that Polish soldiers were attacked by Abwehr agents and members of the German minority in Bydgoszcz.
Answer: True
Explanation: Jochen Böhler's 2006 publication, based on new German archival documents, proved that Polish soldiers were attacked by Abwehr agents and members of the German minority in Bydgoszcz.
What did investigations of German archives confirm regarding the 'fifth column' debate in Bydgoszcz?
Answer: The existence of several German diversion and saboteur groups.
Explanation: Investigations of German archives confirmed the existence of several German diversion and saboteur groups in Bydgoszcz, resolving the 'fifth column' debate.
What is the modern consensus among Polish historians regarding the events of Bloody Sunday?
Answer: It constituted an attack on the Polish population and military by German militia.
Explanation: The modern consensus among Polish historians is that Bloody Sunday constituted an attack on the Polish population and military by German militia.
What new evidence did Tomasz Chinciński present in his work detailing German diversionary activity in September 1939?
Answer: Previously unpublished reports of the Polish Army Pomorze.
Explanation: Tomasz Chinciński presented previously unpublished reports of the Polish Army Pomorze, detailing German diversionary activity in September 1939.
What did German historian Hans-Erich Volkmann note about early post-war German historiography concerning the Bydgoszcz events?
Answer: Its unreliability due to being affected by the Nazi era and political use.
Explanation: Hans-Erich Volkmann noted the unreliability of early post-war German historiography due to its being affected by the Nazi era and political use.