 A Polish Academic Information Center Exhibit
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| The 1994 Warsaw Uprising - An assertion of sovereignty and hope. |
IntroductionThe Warsaw Uprising of 1944 commenced on August 1. It was on that date that the Polish underground, the Armia Krajowa (Home Army), aware that the Soviet Army had reached the eastern bank of the Vistula River, sought to "liberate" Warsaw much as the French resistance "liberated" Paris as the Allied Armies fanned out across France. Because the last thing the Soviets wanted to deal with was an armed and victorious Polish non-communist military force, they halted their offensive. They remained on the opposite bank of the river but provided no assistance or aid to the Uprising. Instead they gave the Germans free reign to suppress it. It is estimated that during the ensuing 63 days, 250,000 perished in the ruins of Warsaw. Eventually, the Home Army surrendered to the Germans. After the Germans forced all the surviving civilian population to also leave the city, Hitler ordered that any buildings left standing be dynamited. In the end, 98% of buildings in Warsaw were destroyed.
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