How did they avoid it?

You have it backwards. Poland didn't avoid death, death avoided Poland. Death rolls up on road East of Germany, smug off just scooping up a 153x team kill from a monastery, crosses the Polish border. A hard chill runs up his spine, looks left, looks right.. backs up to see the tree shrouded sign P..O..L..A.. (00). Nope.. I'll catch this place in 1943.