Warsaw 1944 Poland’s bid for freedom

by Forczyk, Robert; Dennis, Peter

• ISBN13: 9781846033520
• ISBN10: 1846033527
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-03-24
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Summary

Poland had lain dormant under the Nazi heel for nearly five years, suffering waves of genocidal round-ups, organized looting and brutal suppression of its culture. However, the Poles had formed an underground army, the Armia Krajowa, and waited for the moment when German weakness would offer the chance of a successful revolt. That moment seemed to have arrived in July 1944 as the Soviet armies began to advance into eastern Poland. The AK launched its revolt in Warsaw on 1 August 1944 but, though it achieved some initial successes, the Germans were able to retain both the bridges over the Vistula River and the airbase, which ultimately doomed the revolt to isolation, a crushing defeat and brutal retribution. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Dr Robert A. Forczyk has a PhD in International Relations and National Security from the University of Maryland and a strong background in European and Asian military history. He is currently a lieutenant colonel in the US Army Reserves and has served 18 years as an armor officer in the US 2nd and 4th Infantry Divisions and as an intelligence officer in the 29th Infantry Division (Light).

Table of Contents

Origins of the Campaign	p. 5
German and Soviet occupation, 1939-41
The Polish resistance forms, 1939-42
Armia Krajowa vs. the German occupation, 1942-44
Soviet-Polish political relations, 1939-44
The Eastern Front approaches, 1944
Chronology	p. 15
Opposing Leaders	p. 17
Polish
German
Opposing Forces	p. 22
Polish
German
Orders of battle, 1 August 1944
Opposing Plans	p. 33
Polish
German
Soviet
The Battle for Warsaw	p. 38
The first 96 hours
Guderian's counterattack, 1-5 August
The Wola Massacre, 5-6 August
Wola and Ochota are lost, 6-11 August
The Old Town, 8-19 August
London and Moscow, August 1944
The Old Town, 20 August-2 September
The city centre and the southern suburbs, 8 August-2 September
The city centre, 3-10 September
The Red Army, 10-14 September Allied air drops, September 1944
1st Polish Army (LWP) crossing, 15-23 September
Last stands in Mokotow and Zoliborz, 23-27 September
The surrender
Aftermath	p. 90
The Battlefield Today	p. 93
Bibliography	p. 94
Index	p. 95
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