How did the Warsaw Uprising begin? Most people will say August 1, 1944 at 5 p.m. Yes, that's when it officially began, although the first fights began at about 1:50 p.m. in Żoliborz. Couriers, on the other hand, began to spread the news about the decision to begin fighting made by Tadeusz Komorowski, the commander of the Home Army, on July 31 in the evening.
Why was it so important to notify the insurgents in advance? Even a fifteen-minute delay could result in incomplete mobilization, and consequently failure of the first strikes, which were the most important ones, as surprise was the greatest and most valuable weapon of the insurgents.
After learning about the upcoming Uprising, everyone tried to finish their business before the fight. The insurgents said goodbye to their families, packed their most important things, prepared their weapons, or simply ate to have the strength for what was about to come.
// source: https://twojahistoria.pl/2019/05/08/jak -wygladaly-ostatnie-godziny-przed-wybuchem -powstania-warszawskiego/#:~:text=This day %20do%20do%20doczyninia%20swoich, Czasu%20mia %C5%82y%20niedu%C5%BCo. //
Many insurgents, especially the young ones, did not know that they could lose their lives in a moment. They believed that the Uprising would last for a few days. Unfortunately, they were very wrong. In the first days of the Uprising, tens of thousands of Poles died, the vast majority of whom were not even insurgents.
// source: https://www.polskieradio.pl/39/156/artykul /3217903,powstanie-warszawskie-w-liczbach -infografika//
The outbreak of the Uprising had been planned since May 1944. From that time on, the Poles had the impression that the German occupier was losing confidence. There were fewer visible Nazi patrols on the streets, and those that appeared stuck together. The Germans had suffered numerous defeats at that time, and they no longer seemed like an invincible power.
The Nazis patrolling the streets of Warsaw seemed to walk as if crouched down, as if they were aware that their defeat was coming. In some parts of the city, Poles noticed the bodies of German soldiers. This meant that the uprising was approaching with great strides.
// source: https://histmag.org/powstanie-warszawskie-pierwsze-dni-13735 //
Children experienced the first days of the Uprising in a completely different way. Especially those whose older brothers, sisters, fathers or mothers had taken part in it. It was difficult to explain to the youngest children what was actually happening without causing them additional trauma, and it was even harder to stop teenagers from hanging around the army and the fighting.
Some children considered the Uprising to be a "playing war." They wanted to have their pictures taken with rifles, collect bullets, and often chat up the insurgents. You couldn't blame them, they were just kids who simply wanted to know what was going on.
The youngest often learned about the Uprising when it began. Few knew about it before. Children were surprised by the sudden fighting, some were fascinated, others were frightened. It was for them that the "Children's Journal" was created, a newspaper for the youngest, which was to inform about current events in a gentle way.
In this newspaper Zofia Wawrzyńska, Andrzej Nowicki, Zofia Bohuszewicz, Maria Kownacka and Janina Przeworska described, among other things, bombings, German weapons and Polish soldiers and their equipment. They explained to children how some equipment worked, how to avoid being shot, and transformed tragic events into stories or poems that were much easier for children to understand.
// source: Warsaw children 44 - Agnieszka Cubała //
In summary, the first days of the uprising were characterized by intense fighting, fierce defense by the insurgents, and German repression. It was an act of desperation and at the same time an expression of the determination of the people of Warsaw to fight for freedom. The uprising was the result of many years of preparations by the Home Army, and its goal was to surprise the Germans and establish an independent Poland before the Red Army entered.
The beginning of the uprising was surprising for the Germans, as it broke out unexpectedly during a nationwide plan against the Nazi occupiers. Young soldiers from the Home Army, Peasant Battalions and other formations took up the fight for the freedom of their city. The insurgents controlled several strategic points, but they lacked support from the Allies.
German forces, led by the SS and Wehrmacht, responded quickly to the uprising, introducing repression and bombing Warsaw districts. During the first days of fighting, there was extensive destruction of buildings and infrastructure, and civilian residents found themselves in a dramatic situation.
Despite the heroic defense of the insurgents, the lack of a unified command, weak weapons, and lack of external support made the situation increasingly difficult. Street fighting and bombing destroyed numerous buildings, and the German advantage in military equipment was overwhelming. As a result, the first days of the uprising were a period of fierce fighting and great determination on the part of the insurgents, but also a time of difficult losses and brutal repression on the part of the Germans. Unfortunately, the heroic resistance of the residents of Warsaw in the first days of the uprising did not bring the expected success.
// source: 1944.pl/