Warsaw Uprising

[Jim O]

We talked in another thread about Konstanin Rokossovsky. His forces were the stopped on the other side of the Vistula from Warsaw at the time of the Warsaw uprising. This was the largest "partisan" battle of the war. We know that he was ordered not to intervene by Stalin, and that, at least at first, Stalin refused to allow Allied air drops to aid the rebels. The rebellion was put down finally by the Germans, and Warsaw was virtually levelled and emptied of civilians. In fact, the Germans planned to make a lake of the city after the war. The battle lasted 63 days.

The popular Western view was that Stalin intentionally stopped Rokossovsky's advance short of Warsaw so as to let the Germans deal with the AK (Polish Home Army), which of course was connected with the Polish Government-in-Exile in London. Stalin, as we know, planned to use Polish and Soviet forces under his control to impose a communist regime and turn Poland into a Soviet client state as part of his plan to create a buffer against future invasions (or "empire" in tsarist terms). Others argue that the AK had no chance, and anyway, why should Stalin assist an armed organization that opposed him and had actually shot at Soviet troops?

David Glantz, a prominent US historian on the Soviet-German War of 1941-1945, having reviewed a great deal of the source documents, believes that the Soviets were "at the end of their logistical tether" and were not in postition to take on a further advance. Operation Bagration had been a greater success than they had expected. But clearly, Stalin's refusal to allow the Western allies to help the rebels showed his true colors, though even with food and small arms, one has to wonder how much longer the AK could have actually held out against the "regular" army in urban warfare.

What's your view on all of this?

Uprising_bank_polski2.jpg
Bank Polski, in ruins after the uprising

Uprising_defender.jpg
AK insurgent

Warsaw_Uprising_boyscouts.jpg
Even children participated

428px-Tadeusz_Bor_Komorowski.jpg
General Count Tadeusz Komorowski (June 1, 1895 - August 24, 1966), better known by the name Bór-Komorowski, commander of the AK, and later Prime Minister of the Polish Government-in-Exile in London

[Lancer44]

Originally Posted by Jim O

David Glantz, a prominent US historian on the Soviet-German War of 1941-1945, having reviewed a great deal of the source documents, believes that the Soviets were "at the end of their logistical tether" and were not in postition to take on a further advance. Operation Bagration had been a greater success than they had expected. But clearly, Stalin's refusal to allow the Western allies to help the rebels showed his true colors, though even with food and small arms, one has to wonder how much longer the AK could have actually held out against the "regular" army in urban warfare.

What's your view on all of this?

Thanks for this post Jim!

David Glatz is partly right. Soviets had to stop. But when 1-st Polish Army under gen. Berling tried to help insurgents and landed in Czerniakow, soviets releaved him from command and replaced by Russian. Crossing of the Vistula by one only infantry regiment ended in massacre.
There are some relations that soviet artillery targeted insurgent strongpoints.
Soviets could extend Bagration and gain bridgehead in Warsaw.
It was easier to achieve than Warka-Magnuszew bridgehead which was established as start to prospevtive winter offensive.
Everything points that for Stalin destruction of Home Army in Warsaw was very convenient.

I don't think Home Army could hold for much longer if any longer. Most of Allied drops were intercepted by Germans. Soviets started limited drops in mid September.
They used PO-2 bi-planes to drop food and ammunition from low level - 50 m.
These drops were just frustration for insurgents. They did not have many Mosin rifles and PPsH-41 so soviet ammo was of little use. They needed mostly 9mm Parabellum for their Stens, Mp-38 and 40. plus rifle ammo for Mausers.
Additionally what was dropped from low level was mostly bent.

I don't want even mention lack of food and water, critical condition of wounded and growing frustration of remaining civilians.

[Jim O]

From my recollection, most of Allied drops were intercepted by Germans because by the time Stalin allowed them the insurgents were confined to small areas. Had the drops started earlier, when insurgents held more of the city, they may have been more effective. But again, without real military support, an insurgency like this was unlikely to succeed in these conditions.