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Westerplatte is the peninsula at the mouth of the Dead Vistula where World War II began. On 1 September 1939, the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire on the small Polish garrison here, marking the first military engagement of the conflict. Today, a monument and memorial park honor the 182 Polish soldiers who held out for seven days against overwhelming odds.
The Polish Military Transit Depot at Westerplatte was established under the Treaty of Versailles. On 1 September 1939, the 182-man garrison resisted for seven days against 3,400 German troops with naval and air support before surrendering.