Warsaw Rising 1944

The Warsaw Rising was a major event during World War II in

Eastern Europe. It was about the citizens of Warsaw freeing the
city from the hands of the Nazi Reich.
The reasons why the Rising began were as follow: The
encouragement of communist radios from the U.S.S.R, the
heroism and a demand for freedom of the people and also the
perspective of welcoming the Soviets as a free city.
There were many preparations for the Rising. The whole Polish
Home Army was waiting for a signal form the headquarters in
London and finally they got it. The 1st of August 1944. At 5pm
the rising was going to commence. This was known was Hour
W. Thousands of people mostly young men and women at the
late teen ages rose up to fight and unfair battle against the
whole empire.
In the beginning the Polish forces surprised the Germans and
unexpectedly took over most of Warsaw along the east bank of
Vistula. The rising was planned just to last a few days, but it
didnt go that well for the rebels around the end of the first
week the Germans started to win back territory due to the
forces that were sent in from outside of the cities. This was the
beginning of first mass murders by the Germans, on the 5 th day
of the uprising around 40 thousand civils were killed. The Poles
were waiting from the help of the Soviets who were just on the
west bank of the Vistula but the reinforcements never came.
The rebels were lacking food and ammunition however they
continued the fight. Some air drops from the UK and Polish
exiled forces helped a little in the fights but it wasnt enough.
On the 1st of September the Polish Home Army lost Old Town
and were forced to evacuate to the downtown through canals.
The Soviets sent in Polish soldiers in the uniforms of the Soviet
Union as reinforcements which was no help at all because they
were all mostly farmers that never saw a big city and didnt
know how to fight there so they were wiped out by the Nazis
very quickly. Soon the ordinary population of Warsaw began to
turn against the rebels because of the devastations of the city
and mass murders made by the Nazis. Eventually the Poles had
to give up and at the 3rd of October general Br-Komorowski
signed the surrender act. They fought for 63 days proving that
they are a proud nation. 63 days of glory as many of the
insurgents said.

Warsaw Rising 1944

The scouts played a major role in the rising known as the Grey
Ranks they fought alongside soldiers and ordinary volunteers,
divided into three groups the oldest scouts were known as the
assault groups where they fought the Nazis. The younger
boys aged 15-17 were placed into Combat Schools where they
learned how they should battle and also took care of
propaganda spreading out patriotic poster and painting heroic
pictures on walls of the city. The youngest group of the scouts
were called Zawiszacy they organized a post service during
the uprising, they also delivered ammunition and food to the
soldiers fighting.
Even the girls played a part in the rising setting up the Clover
Order they were also involved into spreading propaganda,
creating newspapers in the underground and giving out rations
of food to the men on the battle field
The Zoska battalion had one of the hardest war paths during
the uprising they began fighting in the Old Town when the line
of defense collapsed they were the only group that managed to
break their way to the Downtown towards the end of the rising
they were fused with the battalion Parasol due to low
numbers of men in both of the battalions. They received the
Silver Cross Virtuti Militari which is one of the highest medals
in the army.
The Parasol battalion was hugely involved in the rising
fighting on over 4 districts of Warsaw. Their cryptonym name
was changed numerous because several members were of the
battalion were captured by the Nazis. They also received the
Silver Cross Virtuti Militari. Over 200 soldiers were killed in the
fights.
Antoni Godlewski was part of the Hawk battalion he died on
the 8th day of the rising and became a symbol for the rebels in
the rising. Today he is known as one of the legends of the rising.
Zbigniew Banas was the first postman in the uprising he
delivered the letters in the most dangerous areas surrounded
by German soldiers and the SS police. He died during delivering
the letters near the Red Cross hospital he is also known as one
of the legends of the uprising.
The rising had severe consequences the whole Warsaw was
burned down to the ground by the Nazis to revenge that the
rising even happened. Around 10 thousand Polish soldiers were

Warsaw Rising 1944

killed and around 180 thousand civilians lost their lives. 15
thousand soldiers were taken as prisoners of war and 600
thousand civilians were forced out of the city to concentration
camps or to work in Germany. Warsaw the city that was known
as Paris of east Europe was almost wiped of the map.