Gleiwitz incident: Nazi false-flag operation used to justify WWII

The Gleiwitz incident was a staged false-flag operation conducted by Nazi Germany on August 31, 1939, to provide a pretext for the invasion of Poland. Part of a broader strategy known as ‘Operation Himmler,’ the event was overseen by SS leader Heinrich Himmler and involved diversionary groups designed to frame Poland as the aggressor.

Led by SS officer Alfred Naujocks, a group of saboteurs attacked the Gleiwitz radio station. Using the signal ‘Grandmother is dead,’ the group entered the facility, terrorized the staff, and attempted to broadcast a propaganda message in Polish to simulate a Polish takeover of the station. During the attack, a pre-selected victim was killed to further the illusion of Polish aggression.

While the attackers intended to broadcast a full appeal, technical difficulties or staff intervention meant only a brief fragment—‘Attention, this is Gleiwitz! The radio station is in Polish hands...’—was reportedly emitted. This manufactured provocation was used by Adolf Hitler to justify the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, marking the beginning of World War II.