70th ANNIVERSARY OF THE WARSAW UPRISING: A TIME TO REFLECT

At precisely 5:00 pm on August 1st, 2014,  Warsaw stops and holds its breath for a minute.  It is the 70th Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.  As every year, the Polish people pay their respects to their fallen heroes.  It is also a time for reflection.

The Warsaw Uprising was one of the most brutal, vicious battles of World War Two. Though historians often refer to it as urban warfare, this definition is grossly understated. The Warsaw Uprising was all-out war.

The Polish Underground had been planning this offensive since the outbreak of World War Two, and desperately relied on their alliance with Britain and the United States for their military intervention and war materiel. Churchill and Roosevelt responded amicably with abundant smiles and promises, but delivered too little too late. In the end Britain and the US betrayed their most valuable ally, Poland. Political expediency was the motivating factor, rather than the defence of democracy, honour and justice. Stalin was a political mastermind, and skillfully played Churchill and Roosevelt into bending to his will. Yalta was proof of that. The decades which ensued plunged the world into the Cold War, with Poland and many other nations trapped behind the Iron Curtain. The Warsaw Uprising was a catastrophic battle which lasted 63 days.

Tens of thousands of Polish Home Army soldiers were killed as well as 200,000 civilians. Nazi German armies barraged Warsaw night and day, airdropping bombs, launching heavy artillery, torching buildings, until much of Warsaw was reduced to a pile of smoldering rubble and ashes. All the while, the Red Army stood poised across the Vistula casually watching the destruction and waiting until the Nazi Germans finished their rampage. Then finally, the Russians entered Warsaw claiming to have "liberated" her.  It was really a hostile occupation under the guise of "liberation" ! Despite the heavy toll on the lives of Polish people, the events of the Warsaw Uprising is a testament to their fervent desire to be a free nation and people, and to their courage to fight against all odds. The Polish Armia Krajowa (Home Army) endured 63 days of fighting against the full military might of the Nazi Wehrmacht, while possessing few weapons and military equipment of their own.


The West still cannot fathom the devastating effects of the Warsaw Uprising, nor understand it. But the Polish people have not forgotten.  Citizens gather every August 1st at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw to honour the memory of the brave men, women, and even children, who fought so courageously against the invaders. The Warsaw Uprising is still very much in the collective memory of the Polish people. So too is the realization that even after 70 years, the West still remains indifferent.

Warsaw after Warsaw uprising  (00:06:48m)    

   

Recommended Links:  

Virtual Tour of Powązki Cemetery (images from 64th Anniverary)

http://www.360cities.net/image/cemetery-powazki---64-anniversary-of-warsaw-uprising-warsaw  Website of the Warsaw Uprising Museum http://www.1944.pl/en/ Warsaw Uprising 1944 http://www.warsawuprising.com/  History of War in Pictures - (a Special 70th Anniversary Presentation of rare photos of the Warsaw Uprising)

 Presented by Polish Greatness.com http://historyofwarinpictures.blogspot.ca/  

 

POLES FIGHT THE GERMAN DRAGON

September 2, 1939

In the second day of fighting German troops suffered heavy casualties as they clashed with Polish infantry. The German armies are relentless  unleashing a continuous barrage of artillery fire and gunfire on Polish units. In response eighteen Polish bombers attacked and destroyed German positions in the Radom-Piotrkow area southwest of Warsaw.

The town of Tczew was taken by the German 3rd Army.  In an attempt to stop German advancements across the Vistula, Polish units destroyed the city's vital bridge. When the German task force, Group Medem was unable to seize a crossing they called in Army Group North to effect crossings at Gniew and near Marianwerder. The German 3rd Army Corps kept the bridge under constant artillery fire while trying to fight off fierce Polish counter-attacks during it's advance toward Grudziaz.

Poles destroyed bridge at Tczew

Reports indicate that the Germany Army Group South has already crossed over the Warta River into western-central Poland.  The 8th, 10th, and 14th German armies have made rapid advancements in the frontier battles but with heavy casualties. Krakow is now near the front line. In the north the German 4th Army has just rendezvoused with the Third Army unit from East Prussia. Two Polish divisions were destroyed while attempting to retreat back through the Polish Corridor. They were stationed too forward and found themselves trapped in the rear of the German advance preventing any movement by the Polish Reserves. Communication lines were broken. The Luftwaffe is spreading chaos in the Polish rear, already having made 6 air raids on Warsaw.

Fighting continues at Westerplatte where German units are making renewed efforts to defeat the Polish fighters.  A massive  2-wave air raid of 60 Junkers JU 87 Stuka dive bombers took out the Polish mortars. A Polish guardhouse was completely destroyed after it was hit by a 500 kg bomb. A total of 26.5 tons of bombs were dropped on Westerplatte today, smoke being seen for miles around. At least 8 Polish soldiers were killed.

The town of Wielun in central Poland surrendered. German bombers destroyed most of the town center including a clearly marked hospital and the historic Gothic church. Three quarters of the town was destroyed.  Nearly 1,300 civilians were killed. No Polish military units were present at the time.

Wielun in the first hours after bombing

British anti-war protesters

British Parliament debated frantically today on how to oppose Germany. The majority of the House has openly voiced it's disapproval of the passive line taken so far by Prime Minister Chamberlain in dealing with Germany.  By evening a consensus was reached that Britain should send Germany an ultimatum.  At the same time, a National Service Act was passed allowing for the conscription of men between the ages of 19 and 41.


A fleet numbering 10 bomber squadrons of the British RAF Advanced Striking Force touched down on French soil today. The French Parliament has also convened an emergency session to deliberate on how to oppose Germany and fulfill it's obligation to Poland.  They will join Britain in sending Germany an ultimatum. 

Britains Bomber, the Armstrong Whitworth Whitely

A 5-power peace conference proposed by Mussolini several days ago was rejected by Hitler. Meanwhile the German government announced that Norwegian neutrality would be respected provided that Britain and France do the same. The governments of Italy and Ireland both declared neutrality while Switzerland has ordered a general mobilization.

Mussolini and HItler

L-R: Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler, Mussolini and Ciano (Munich Agreement 1938)