Warsaw uprising

Soldiers of Zóska batalion in Wola during the Warsaw Uprising

The Warsaw Uprising (In Polish Powstanie warszawskie) Was an armed struggle during the WWII in which the Armia Krajowa ( Polish clandestine army ) tried to free Warsaw control of Nazi Germany.

Started in August 1 of 1944 At 17 hours as part of a national revolt , the "Operation Storm", And should only last a few days until the Soviet Army came to town. However, the Soviet advance was halted,but the Polish resistance continued for 63 days, until his surrender to German forces in October 2.

The offensive began when the Soviet Army approached Warsaw. The main objectives of the Poles were to keep the Germans occupied and help the war effort against Germany and Axis Powers. Among the political objectives were the release side of the city before the arrival of the Soviets, thus earning their right to sovereignty and undoing the division of Central Europe into spheres of influence under the powers allies. Insurgents waiting to reinstall the authorities of his country before the Polski Komitet Wyzwolenia Narodowego (Committee of National Liberation Soviet Polish) take control.

Poles initially isolated substantial areas of the city, but the Soviets did not approach its surrounding mid-September. Inside, a fierce struggle between Germans and Poles continued. In September 16, Soviet forces captured territory a few meters from the shores of the Polish positions Vistula, and did not advance further during the remaining duration of the Uprising . It led to accusations that the Soviet leader Josef Stalin expected by the failure of the insurrection that he might well occupy Poland so undeniable.

Although the exact number of casualties remains unknown, it is estimated that approximately 16,000 members of Polish resistance were killed and 6,000 wounded. Between 150,000 and 200,000 civilians died, most victims of massacres conducted by Axis troops. German losses amounted to approximately 16,000 soldiers killed and 9,000 wounded. During urban combat, nearly 25% of buildings of Warsaw was destroyed. After the surrender of Polish forces , German troops systematically destroyed, block the quarter, 35% of the city. Along with the damage caused by Invasion of Poland in 1939 and the Warsaw Ghetto uprising in 1943. Over 85% of the city were destroyed in 1945, when the Soviets finally surpassed its borders.