When did the Warsaw Uprising begin and end?
The Warsaw Uprising began on the 1st of August 1944 and ended with the Home Army's surrender on the 2nd of October 1944, lasting 63 days in total.
Questions about Warsaw Uprising
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How many people died in the Warsaw Uprising?
Approximately 16,000 members of the Polish resistance were killed and about 6,000 were badly wounded. Between 150,000 and 200,000 Polish civilians also died, mostly in mass executions. The Germans lost around 16,000 men.
Why did the Soviet Red Army not help the Polish resistance?
Historians debate this. Polish and Western historians argue Stalin deliberately halted his forces to exhaust the Home Army and enable a pro-Soviet government to take over Poland. Declassified Soviet documents show Stalin ordered on the 23rd of August 1944 that Home Army units be prevented from reaching Warsaw and disarmed. Some historians, such as David Glantz, argue the Red Army also faced genuine military obstacles. Modern Russian historians generally blame the Home Army leadership for launching the Uprising prematurely.
What was the Wola massacre?
From the 5th of August onward, SS and police units under the command of Heinz Reinefarth carried out mass killings of civilians in the Wola and Ochota districts on Heinrich Himmler's orders. Estimates of those killed range from 20,000 to 50,000, with some sources placing the Wola toll alone at 40,000 by the 8th of August. The main perpetrators were Oskar Dirlewanger and Bronislav Kaminski.
What outside support did the uprising receive?
The RAF flew 223 sorties and lost 34 aircraft delivering supplies. South African and Polish Air Force units also flew from bases in Italy. On the 18th of September, 107 U.S. B-17 Flying Fortresses flew one supply mission, dropping 100 tons, most of which landed in German territory. The only external ground force to reach the uprising was a small landing by General Berling's 1st Polish Army in mid-September, which sustained heavy losses and ultimately withdrew.
What were the long-term political consequences?
The defeat of the Home Army allowed the pro-Soviet Polish Committee of National Liberation to take control of Poland rather than the London-based government-in-exile. Poland remained part of the Soviet-aligned Eastern Bloc throughout the Cold War until 1989. Some scholars regard the two-month period of the Warsaw Uprising as an early step toward the Cold War.