August 1, 1944 is one of the most important days in Polish history. On this day at 5 p.m. (the so-called “W hour”) the Warsaw Uprising broke out. Its aim was to liberate the Polish capital from German occupation before the entry of the Red Army and to reveal the new legal power of the independent Poland. The clashes lasted 63 days until October 3. As a result, around 16 to 18 thousand Home Army soldiers and approximately 180 thousand civilians were killed. After the capitulation, Warsaw was completely destroyed by the Germans.
Though, the Warsaw Uprising ended with a military defeat, it was a twist in terms of politics. Poles, despite the danger and threat to life, joined the insurgent ranks to fight for their dream – an independent country.

According to data provided by the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), the daily number of insurgent troops ranged from 25 up to 28 thousand people. Collected materials for the “Great Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Warsaw Uprising” include information on 48 183 soldiers of the uprising (not all of them were involved in the Uprising at the same time). It is worth mentioning that 14 percent of the soldiers of the uprising were women. The youngest participant of the insurgencies Jerzy Szulc, with a pseudonym Tiger, was just 10 years old (the participation of children and youth in the uprising is commemorated by the monument of the “Little Insurrectionist”, unveiled in 1983).

On the day of the Uprising, the soldiers had only 2500 guns, 1475 rifles, 420 machine pistols, 94 machine guns and 20 heavy machine guns. Self-made guns were also produced: flame throwers, incendiary bottles, “lightning” pistols, grenades (“sidolówki” and “filipinki”). It was possible to equip only a few thousand soldiers.

“The Warsaw Uprising was first and foremost a spurt of young people. Most of the soldiers entered adulthood during the occupation. Minors also were involved in fights. The younger members of the Gray Ranks served in the Scout Field Post and, just as several-year-old girls were liaisons and paramedics, the elders fought with weapons in their hands on the front line. Only 40 percent insurgents underwent full combat training. The majority, because of their young age (65% of insurgents were under 25 years old), did not have time to undergo military training before the outbreak of the war. Those who completed the training could not always use the acquired skills, because the fight in the city set different requirements than maneuvers on the training grounds or the 1939 campaign. The level of military training was varied. “- we learn from the IPN brochure Warsaw Insurgents.

On August, at ”W hour” (5 p.m.) sirens will wail commemorating this day and the heroes of the Uprising. Tribute to the fallen will also be given in cemeteries, under commemorative plaques or monuments. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, the Warsaw Uprising Museum together with the film producer Oto Film published a moving spot “Linking values“:
Check the program of the events:
– in Warsaw,
– in Lublin.

Sources:
1. https://ipn.gov.pl/pl/aktualnosci/41192,Powstanie-Warszawskie-boj-o-wolna-Polske.html
2. https://www.1944.pl/