The First Battle of World War Two Lasted 15 Hours — And Nobody Was Supposed to Know Who Fought It

Added: 2026-05-15

[00:00:00]On the first day of World War II, 56 people inside a Polish post office decided they were not [music] going to let the war begin without a fight. They were postal workers who had hidden weapons in case this moment came. When SS troops attacked at dawn, they expected a quick takeover. Instead, they walked into a defense that lasted 15 hours. The Poles repelled the first assault, then a second, then a third backed by armored cars and artillery.

[00:00:22]The Germans brought heavy guns and still could not break in. They pumped gasoline into the basement and lit it on fire.

[00:00:28]When survivors surrendered, waving flag, the Germans shot the man holding it. The defenders were tried as illegal combatants and executed. 52 postal workers shot and buried in a mass grave.

[00:00:38]Their only crime was defending a building that belonged to Poland.

[00:00:41]History remembers generals and [music] tank divisions, but the war began in a post office held by people whose only job had been to deliver letters. [music]