In the past of all nation there will be glorious and tragic moments. They do not request to be silenced – on the contrary, they must be remembered and learned. However, it is not good to effort to turn defeat into a “moral victory” after years, and its perpetrators are set as a function model. Unfortunately, we have specified an example in fresh past – this is the Warsaw Uprising 1944, after 2 months ended with the defeat and slaughter of Poles (and the demolition of their largest city). Years later there is no shortage of commentators who praise this rabble as needed and justified (!!!) seemingly they do not remember saying – false past is simply a master of false politics.
For who, why?
By mid-1944, the cards were already handed out. The war continued (and was to last almost a year), but its result in Europe was already established. The German Reich defended itself fiercely, but it was in constant defense, pressed from 3 sides. It has been retreating on the east front for a year (after the groundbreaking battles of Stalingrad and Kursk in 1943), since late there was besides a Western front, where Germany withdrew from the force of the Americans and the British (since the landing in Normandy in June 1944), and since 1943 there was besides an Italian front (known to Poles, among others, from the conflict of Monte Cassino in May 1944).
The Germans were simply weaker than the Allies (especially as already in 1943 the Italian ally fell out of the game), and had no chance of reversing the destiny of the war. In addition, east Europe (in this number and Poland) was sentenced to occupy by the USSR troops, and to post-war membership of the region of influence of that country. At the same time, Poles had the worst experience with the Stalinist government (to mention the killing of Polish prisoners in Katyn in 1940, or the exports of the Polish people of Kresów in the same year), so they should not have illusions about its intentions.
Until 1943, the AK was headed by an intelligent officer – S. Rowecki (Grot), a pre-war professional colonel, and a general in the conspiracy. This commander was a realistic military, declared anti-communist, and he would not have allowed a suicide brawl. Unfortunately, the end of June 1943 Gen. Grot was arrested on Ochota, and his successor in the function of commandant of the AK was Gen. Komorowski (Bór), who was able to do that function as small as possible.
Storm clouds over Poland
The insane thought of an uprising in Warsaw was born in the leadership of the AK as the russian army approached Poland. The uprising in the capital was to culminate in an armed movement across the country, known as Action Storm. This action, started in 1944 at the east Borders, would give the AK leaders quite a few thought. She would if reasoning was their strong suit. Unfortunately, it wasn't.
The storm in the east (especially in the Vilnius region) took a akin course – after the first period of cooperation against Germany, russian repressions were carried out in the AK – officers were arrested and exported, soldiers were forced into the red WP. The executions of the erstwhile AKs were besides rare. Only a naive man could imagine that in the capital and its surroundings the Russians would behave differently than in the Borderlands.
In the opinion of Gen. Komorowski (Bora) and others, the uprising in Warsaw, however, was to shake the world's opinion and give testimony. AKowski general seemingly imagined that in global politics the voice of conscience was determined. specified assumptions would possibly have a shadow of realism if the US or the Wlk were involved. Britain – Roosevelt's political future or Churchill's depended on the postwar vote of voters. Only that Stalin had the closest 1 to Poland (and since 1943 it was apparent that his army would enter us, sooner alternatively than later). How much is this "sojusznik" worth, it has already shown the ending episodes of the Storm Action. Well, General Komorowski knew better.
He was no better than Colonel Chruściel (Monter) and Gen. Okulti (The Bears) who imagined that he would emergence up ... force planet leaders to change the terms of the Tehran Conference.
No guns on the enemy
The AK in Warsaw had over 30,000 people sworn in. Like any conspiratorial army, she struggled with deficiency of weapons. There are estimates that firearms were adequate for 1/5 of future insurgents (there were respective 1000 pieces). Meanwhile, the German opponent was little numerous, but heavy armed. The Germans planned to defend against Russians on the Vistula line, and 1 of the main points of opposition was Warsaw.
To begin an uprising against a stronger occupier is reasonable only in 2 cases – either having a hard (mountain or swamp) area and the support of the population, or hoping to enter a strong ally. As the russian “sociuszic” army has acted, it has already spoken here. The uprising was so doomed to failure from the very beginning – it was known that Poles were besides weak to win themselves, the English and the Americans were besides far distant for effective help, and the Russians would not give emergence to support, due to the fact that it was not in their interest (unless this support was to look like Vilnius, i.e. it would end with exports of AKów to the east).
For starters, slaughter... and then no better.
The fact is that the population initially accepted the outbreak with enthusiasm (and it is hard to be surprised, after 5 years of business and German terror). The fact (less known) is besides that this enthusiasm was decreasing over time. The first day brought considerable losses to insurgents (and it is hard to be surprised, given the disparity in arms), and as time passed, it was only worse (and more bloody). The Home Army liberated respective districts in the left-hand corner of Warsaw (on the right bank, i.e. Prague, the uprising had minimal coverage), but it did not master the main institutions or the most crucial transport routes, so the opponent could decision freely around the city, and the insurgent districts were isolated “islands”.
After a fewer days the Germans committed a large war crime, known as the slaughter of Wola. In 3 days (5–7 August), the occupier murdered more than 30,000 people (this territory was lying at a strategical outlet to the west, and before the war it was considered a working area of the poor). The German slaughter (in 1 territory and week) was akin to the Stalinist crime in Katyn or Ukrainian in Volyn. In the shadow of the slaughter of Wola, akin events occurred on Ochota (today little known due to the fact that the number of casualties was less).
These crimes had not only full approval from the very top of the 3rd Reich, but were actually carried out on orders from there. Hitler himself initially ordered not to take prisoners and execution as he was doing – insurgents and civilians (and this is to intimidate another occupied regions). The head of SS Himmler, 1 of the top criminals in the service of the Fuhrer, openly called the uprising a blessing – announcing the slaughter of the Warsawers under the pretext of this rabble.
So after a week it was clear what was going on – the AK defended itself in respective isolated districts, The Germans smoked and murdered on a wholesale scale, and the Russians stopped at the front line. So the Polish command remained only to call for the aid of the large Britain, but this was necessarily limited (and this is due to distance). It is notable that the east "sojusznik" did not let the landing of British aircraft on the "liberated" (Polish) terrain between Vistula and Bug. And this 1 fact (like many others) verifies the thesis about the "soul" and "release".
No aid from anywhere.
After a period of bloody fighting, it was clear that the uprising was doomed to failure, and the city to demolition (in the beginning of September there were inactive 3 isolated districts – Śródmieście, Mokotów and Żoliborz). Neither aid came from the country (the assistance of the AK unit's capital was broken up by the Germans), nor from abroad, nor from beyond the east front. 1 political accomplishment was the British request to recognise the insurgents as a fighting organization (at last accepted by the Germans). This was of large importance to the AKs going into captivity due to the fact that they were not immediately executed, and the prisoner camp (where nevertheless any chance of endurance existed).
Few people know that there were secret talks on September 9-11 of the Uprising. Any intelligent commander, (without any chance of victory, and knowing of the commandant rights provided for the prisoners) would at this point end the fight to save blood transfer. Everyone but Gen. Komorowski (Bór). After all, he had to proceed to “give witness” as if 40 days were not enough. The reason for breaking negotiations (by the Polish side !!!) was the news of the russian offensive. Apparently, General Bór believed that the Russians listened to the voice of conscience and changed their customs under the influence of the uprising. Thus, 20 days of additional agony and thousands of further victims were given to the city, as part of “the witnessing.” The russian Army took the right bank of the capital (Prague) on 14 September and stopped again. What a surprise.
The decision to proceed the fight after 11 September exposes Komorowski as worst censorship as possible, most likely not more than the order of the outbreak. Even assuming the vague presumption of "giving testimony" and "shaking the conscience of the world," these goals were fulfilled to an excess in August (and brought nothing, let us add). But General Bór wanted to show himself to the planet as a brave knight, to the end fighting evil. He simply forgot that he was sacrificing not his own life and property, but thousands of people in the capital.
It wasn't worth it.
At the end of September, the last insurgent bastions (Mokotów and Żoliborz) died, and only Midtown defended itself. General Komorowski (Bór) until then realized that he would not win this fight, and on 2 October signed a surrender in Ożarów.
As a consequence of the uprising, more than 10 1000 AKowce and more than 150 1000 civilians were killed (about 1500-2000 people lost to Germans). In the course of the two-month battles, more than 25% of the construction of left-coast Warsaw was destroyed, and after their completion (on Fuhrer's individual command) another so much was destroyed. With the losses of 1939 (defence of the capital in the September campaign) and 1943 (destruction of the ghetto), this meant the ruin of 80% of the capital's construction on the another bank. More than 500,000 Warsawists were driven out of the city, and for respective months the Polish capital became “a ghost town” – a deserted heap of rubble.
The Warsaw Uprising brought large losses to Poles (and tiny enemies) and did not accomplish any goal, and this should be clearly said. What is possibly the worst, it is the creation of UŁATWIŁO after the war of Stalinisation of Poland (obviously against the intentions of its leaders, but in politics there is simply a biblical regulation – after fruits you will know them). J.Stalin got free of thousands of possible opponents (Polish patriots from the AK), this time with another people's hands – they were murdered by the dying but inactive dangerous German Reich. Had it not been for 2 months of slaughter in the summertime of 1944, the ranks of post-war “soldiers cursed” would have been more many and more effective. And besides after 1954 (i.e. after the fall of Stalinism) there would be more patriots who would be more useful to Poland alive.
She did not pass the exam or the concept of “certification” (in her own way, rather naive). The planet war was a global conflict, and the local conflict (and specified was the uprising) could attract the attention of the planet so max. for a week. And then another episodes came, in the eyes of planet leaders more crucial – as early as August 1944, the Paris uprising and the coup in Romania, or in September 1944 the Slovakia uprising and the Bulgaria coup. 2 months after the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising, fewer people in the planet remembered it. For Bor's naivety or Montera paid Poland – the price was the capital and life of tens of thousands of people.
Another (and inactive felt) effect of the uprising was the post-war appearance of the capital – turned by the Germans into a pile of rubble, after the war it was rebuilt in a socialist style. Warsaw is not 1 of the most beautiful cities to this day (so-called), where it belongs to Prague, Budapest or Krakow and Toruń.
The Curse of Reality
There were no shortages of Poles, both then (gen.Anders) and now (R.A.Ziemkiewicz, J.Korwin Mikke, P.Zychowicz), who called the uprising by name – disaster and madness. However, it is hard not to get the sad impression that specified a conscious position is inactive in Poland in a minority. Long to mention the insane thesis of the various commentators (unfortunately mainly from the right), as this uprising was "needed", "right" and proved to be a "moral victory". Presumably the most necky explanation was that the uprising delayed the march of the russian army west (!!!) The author of this unusual thought did not uncover how the uprising (in August and September, over a dimension of respective km) stopped the Russians until January 1945, 600 km from the Baltic to the Carpathians.
After years, it must be said that the Warsaw Uprising was a disaster and a serious mistake for Poland. Respecting the courage of the AKovists and the victim of the civilian population, rational reasoning condemns the leaders of the AK – Komorowski, Okulicki and Khrushiel. These people have streets and monuments in Poland, and they would find their way into the waste of history. Their decision to emergence led to thousands of human dramas, measured by the failure of life, wellness or property (all 3 leaders survived the war and so on). Remember the uprising, but just as it was – an unnecessary slaughterhouse of the Polish capital.
Michał Wirtel
