As antony beevor cast new light on the battle of stalingrad, alexandra richie here unearths the traumatic story of one of the last major battles of world war ii, in which the poles fought off german troops, street by street, for sixtythree days. Over the past few years, a series of books has brought to the attention of englishspeaking readers the morally challenging, historically important and often overlooked or forgotten story of the polish contribution to the allied war effort in world war ii, and of the terrible fate of the poles under german rule. The uprising infuriated german leaders, who decided to destroy the city as retribution. One cannot fail to be moved at the atrocities that litter the book throughout, as the germans slaughter and rape their way.
With her book on the warsaw uprising of 1944 against german occupation richie has created both a real masterpiece and a more than deserved literary monument to the heroic and suffering people of warsaw at that time. A year later, they threatened to complete the citys destruction by deporting its remaining residents. Polish home army was about equal in number as the forces germans had in warsaw. The warsaw uprising of 1944 dramatically tells the largely unknown story of the warsaw resistance movement during world war ii. Hitler, himmler, and the warsaw uprising is a book with significant strengths and weaknesses. The uprisings failure allowed the prosoviet polish administration, rather than the polish governmentinexile in. Jun 03, 2014 the warsaw uprising of 1944 was surely one of the most tragic events of the second world war. Betraying warsaw reprinted from july 25, 2004 the new york time august 2004 will mark the 60th anniversary of the warsaw uprising, when 40,000 members of the polish underground home army spilled into the streets to liberate the city from its nazi occupiers. Warsaw uprising simple english wikipedia, the free. The fateful uprising book online at best prices in india on.
Warsaw 1944 tells the story of this brave, and errant calculation. The warsaw uprising lasted from august 1944 to october 1944. This is the first account to recall the tragedy from both. In 1943, the nazis liquidated warsaws jewish ghetto.
Taking advantage of german disarray and seeking to forestall the absorption of their country into the. They also wanted to free warsaw before the soviets arrived. The uprising was timed to coincide with the retreat of the german forces from poland ahead of the. For those who are well versed or particularly interested in the subject of the warsaw uprising, i can reassure you that this book does make a legitimate contribution to the body of englishlanguage literature on the. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The warsaw uprising of august 1944 was a shocking event in a hideous war.
However, please do persevere with this book as it is an excellent record of the uprising coming up to its 70th anniversary as well as the duplicity of. Despite the thousands of books that have been written by western historians about world war ii a proportionately small number deal with those countries poland, ukraine and belarus that bore the brunt of german and soviet savagery. The warsaw uprising, led by general tadeusz bor komorowski, failed for a variety of reasons but it remains an inspirational story for a people under the rule of the nazis since the invasion of poland in 1939 and whom had suffered greatly as a result of the holocaust. This book is not about the warsaw ghetto uprising of 1943, but the 1944 uprising led by polish fighters against the ss. With the soviet army seemingly about to capture the prewar polish capital and the nazis seemingly on the point of total defeat the underground home army armia krajowa, or ak rose in revolt. The warsaw uprising of 1944 a heroic and tragic 63day struggle to liberate world war 2 warsaw from nazigerman occupation. The goals of the polish resistance were to push the german troops out of the city. Warsaw 1944 tells the story of one of historys bravest revolts and of how this errant calculation ended in one of its greatest crimes.
Hitler, himmler, and the warsaw uprising by alexandria richie. The warsaw uprising was also the site of largest single battlefield massacre of world war 2 and the details of this massacre and the treatment of the civilian population are most harrowing. A book like this, a detailed account of the warsaw uprising is something fresh and new. May 23, 2014 warsaw 1944 the fateful uprising by alexandra richie william collins. The warsaw air bridge memorial, which reads in tribute to the 250 men of britain, the commonwealth and poland who sacrificed their young lives in desperate attempts to fly from distant raf bases in italy with essential supplies for the front line city of warsaw during the 1944 uprising laurence goff friends of newark cemetery. Sadly, the us title seems to imply that in the us, hitler sells or people dont. This is the first account to recall the tragedy from both german and polish perspectives and asks why, when the war was nearly lost and resources were so urgently needed in the fatherland, hitler and himmler decided to return to warsaw bent on murder, deportation, and. Special attention is drawn to the phenomenon of the 63 days of fighting during the warsaw rising and the price, which warsaw and poland paid. When these two realities were brought together, in the warsaw revolt of 1944, doom beckoned. Pamietnik z powstania warszawskiego by miron bialoszewski, warsaw 1944. Oct 24, 20 the warsaw uprising of august 1944 was a shocking event in a hideous war.
Popular warsaw uprising 1944 books meet your next favorite book. The resistance wanted to free warsaw from nazi germany the attack happened at the same time as the soviet unions red army got close to the east of the city and the german forces retreated. The battle for warsaw by norman davies lr february 20 issue richard overy unknown soldiers the eagle unbowed. William collins the warsaw uprising of august 1944 was a shocking event in a hideous war. However, please do persevere with this book as it is an excellent record of the. Prueba prime hola, identificate cuenta y listas identificate cuenta y listas devoluciones y pedidos. The warsaw uprising of 1944 was surely one of the most tragic events of the second world war. The destruction of warsaw was nazi germanys substantiallyeffected razing of the city in late 1944, after the 1944 warsaw uprising of the polish resistance not to be confused with the warsaw ghetto uprising carried out by jewish poles. The warsaw uprising began on 1 august 1944, and the reasons for this are complex. The traumatic story of one of the last major battles of world war ii, in which the poles fought off german troops and police, street by street, for sixtythree days. Undertaken by the home army armia krajowa, ak, the polish resistance movement, at the time allied troops were breaking through the normandy defenses and the red army was standing at the line of the vistula river. Includes bibliographical references pages 657715 and index.
Warschauer aufstand was a major world war ii operation, in the summer of 1944, by the polish underground resistance, led by the home army polish. The full untold story of how one of historys bravest revolts ended in. The nazis quickly noticed, however, that the mass killings only seemed to strengthen the resolve of the polish resistance fighters and changed their strategy to focus on the military operation to take back the city, street by street, house by house. It was part of a big plan, operation tempest, which started when the soviet army got near warsaw. As soviet soldiers turned back the nazi invasion of russia and began pressing west, the underground polish home army rose to fight and to liberate the city of warsaw for themselves. No dictator, no leader, no party and no class had inspired this decision. It is an account of the terrible suffering the poles had to endure at the hands of the nazis and hoping that stalin would step in and help them.
The nation had made it spontaneously and unanimously. Hitler, himmler, and the warsaw uprising goodreads. Dec 11, 2014 the warsaw uprising was also the site of largest single battlefield massacre of world war 2 and the details of this massacre and the treatment of the civilian population are most harrowing. The uprisings failure allowed the prosoviet polish administration. Alexandra richie in autumn 1944, german troops and police entered warsaw to deport its inhabitants. The author openly states that the desperate courage of the jews fighting in the ghetto with improvised weaponry was a matchless demonstration of heroism and the second uprising is not to be considered its equal. The fateful uprising by richie, alexandra and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Alexandra richie in 1943, the nazis liquidated warsaws jewish ghetto.
Hitler, himmler, and the warsaw uprising by alexandra richie farrar, strauss and giroux, new york, 20. Alexandra richie is the author of fausts metropolis, a good book on berlin, and lives in warsaw with her polish husband. Armia krajowa, to liberate warsaw from german occupation. This is the first account to recall the tragedy from both german and polish perspectives and asks why, when the war was nearly lost and resources were so urgently. The warsaw uprising of 1944 was a shocking event in a hideous war. For more than sixty days, the polish fighters took over large parts of the city and held off the sss most brutal forces. As soviet soldiers turned back the nazi invasion of russia and began pressing west, the underground polish home army decided to act. I have read many a book on the warsaw uprising, ranging from norman davies rising 44. Warsaw 1944 the fateful uprising by alexandra richie william collins.
Warsaw uprising, augustoctober 1944, insurrection in warsaw during world war ii by which poles unsuccessfully tried to oust the german army and seize control of the city before it was occupied by the advancing soviet army. Warsaw uprising simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Poland and the poles in the second world war by halik kochanski lr november 20 issue richard overy between stalin and hitler warsaw 1944. This is the first account to recall the tragedy from both german and polish perspectives and asks why, when the war was nearly lost and resources were so urgently needed in the fatherland, hitler and himmler decided to return to warsaw bent on murder, deportation, and destruction. This would help the polish underground state to take control of the. Warsaw 1944 alexandra richie bok 9780007180417 bokus. The poles had always planned to rise up against the germans but warsaw had deliberately been excluded from these plans in march 1944 as general borkomorowski, commander of the polish underground, feared the damage it would do to the city and its inhabitants. Though the war was now all but lost, the demolition of warsaw remained part of the nazi racial plan of cleansing. Oct 01, 20 this book is not about the warsaw ghetto uprising of 1943, but the 1944 uprising led by polish fighters against the ss. May 18, 2015 the warsaw uprising lasted from august 1944 to october 1944. In the first fifth of the book, richie convincingly lays out how these decisions, experiences, and perceptions strongly influenced the course of the warsaw uprising. A good history of poland for the layperson rick steves.