Operation Tannenberg

Significance

Operation Tannenberg was one of the first systematic extermination actions carried out by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland, beginning in September 1939 and continuing through January 1940. Conducted using the Sonderfahndungsbuch Polen — a pre-compiled proscription list targeting more than 61,000 members of the Polish elite — the operation aimed to destroy the political, intellectual, and social leadership of the Second Polish Republic. By arresting, interning, or shooting those named on the list, Nazi Germany sought to eliminate the organized capacity for Polish resistance and governance from the outset of the occupation.