On This Day In History: The Warsaw Uprising (Powstanie Warszawskie) Began – On August 1, 1944

MessageToEagle.com – On August 1, 1944, the Warsaw Uprising began and was part of a nationwide plan, the so-called Operation Tempest (referred in English as Operation Storm, with several other uprisings) when the Soviet Army approached Warsaw.

It was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army (Polish: Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany.

The Polish underground began an uprising against the occupying German army, as the Red Army approaches Warsaw.

The Uprising was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union’s Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces.

However, the Soviet advance stopped short, enabling the Germans to regroup and demolish the city while defeating the Polish resistance, which fought for 63 days with little outside support.

The revolt lasted two months before collapsing. US Air Force Groups dropped medicine and food to the Polish freedom fighters under heavy fire from German fighter planes.

The supply planes were also shot at by Soviet gunners. American dead were buried in the military cemetery at Poltava, Ukraine.

The uprising ended with the Nazis killing 250,000 people. During the 63-day uprising the insurgents, largely ill-armed teenagers, organized a postal service to help city residents get information to relatives.

The Uprising was the largest single military effort taken by any European resistance movement during World War II.

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