The Warsaw Uprising
Author: Artur Michalak
In 1944, faced with the approaching Soviet front, the Home Army command decided to engage in open armed combat in the capital. The aim of the operation was to combat German forces and seize power for Polish administrative structures when the Red Army entered.
At the same time, the Home Army command was not fully aware that the future fate of Poland had been decided during the Tehran Conference, where the Allies decided, without the participation of the Polish government in exile, that after liberation from Nazi occupation, Polish lands would fall into the sphere of influence of the USSR.
In 1944, faced with the approaching Soviet front, the Home Army command decided to engage in open armed combat in the capital. The aim of the operation was to combat German forces and seize power for Polish administrative structures when the Red Army entered.
At the same time, the Home Army command was not fully aware that the future fate of Poland had been decided during the Tehran Conference, where the Allies decided, without the participation of the Polish government in exile, that after liberation from Nazi occupation, Polish lands would fall into the sphere of influence of the USSR.
The uprising in numbers
On August 1, 1944, at 5:00 PM, the Warsaw Uprising broke out. Approximately 50,000 insurgents joined the fight. Unfortunately, they were very poorly armed, possessing only:
- 1,000 rifles
- 300 submachine guns
- 60 light machine guns
- 7 heavy machine guns
- 35 anti-tank rifles
- 1,700 pistols
- 25,000 grenades
Result of the fights
The enemy, with a total strength of approximately 50,000 soldiers, had a significant advantage in weaponry and equipment. They had at their disposal, among other things, tanks, aircraft, large quantities of machine guns, and ammunition. After two months of fierce fighting, and considering the overall situation, on October 1, 1944, the Home Army Headquarters initiated negotiations with the Germans regarding a ceasefire in Warsaw. The following day, the act of capitulation was signed.
Approximately 16,000 insurgents and approximately 150,000 civilians were killed or murdered in the fighting. Approximately 650,000 civilians were deported from Warsaw to a transit camp in Pruszków, and from there, 150,000 were sent to forced labor in Germany and 50,000 to concentration camps. After the Uprising's collapse, on Hitler's personal orders, the deserted city was plundered, systematically razed, and burned house by house by the Germans for three months. The uprising, planned to last only a few days, ultimately lasted 63 days, making it the largest such uprising for freedom in the history of World War II.
Approximately 16,000 insurgents and approximately 150,000 civilians were killed or murdered in the fighting. Approximately 650,000 civilians were deported from Warsaw to a transit camp in Pruszków, and from there, 150,000 were sent to forced labor in Germany and 50,000 to concentration camps. After the Uprising's collapse, on Hitler's personal orders, the deserted city was plundered, systematically razed, and burned house by house by the Germans for three months. The uprising, planned to last only a few days, ultimately lasted 63 days, making it the largest such uprising for freedom in the history of World War II.
Postcard
Postcard: "In Tribute to the Insurgents Warsaw, August 1, 1944 – 1994", 1994, MLPH 403
