Could Warsaw be saved?

The seldom noticed thing about this uprising was that AK wanted to have the cake and eat it too. They wanted to seize Warsaw before Soviets would and gain bargain chip while expecting Soviet army to aid them in doing it.

Not a good plan and assessment of situation, if you ask me.
 
Originally posted by aktarian
The seldom noticed thing about this uprising was that AK wanted to have the cake and eat it too. They wanted to seize Warsaw before Soviets would and gain bargain chip while expecting Soviet army to aid them in doing it.
Not a good plan and assessment of situation, if you ask me.
Not a good plan, indeed, but AK leaders were desperate. When Red Army entered pre-war Poland, Polish resistance started Operation "Burza" ("Tempest"). Polish guerillas attacked withdrawing Germans, in some situations they actively helped the Soviets in fighting - like in Vilnius. And then... Guerillas units were surrounded by NKVD forces, officers were arrested and sent to gulags (or murdered), while the rest was forced to join Polish Army controlled by the communists and Soviets.
Western allies coudn't do much, besides they weren't even particularly trying to. Soviet propaganda kept accusing Home Army (AK) of collaboration with the Germans and lack of will to fight. Liberation of Warsaw by the AK was supposed to be a grand gesture which great powers wouldn't be able to ignore. As I said, a desperate move.
Also, Polish commanders miscalculated Soviet advance. The order to start the uprising was given because of the reports that Soviet tanks had reached outskirts of Warsaw and Germans had started withdrawing. In fact, it had been only a small group of tanks that had wandered far behind German lines and had been quickly and easily destroyed. AK commander even tried to call it all off, but it was too late - the orders were sent and there was no time to send others.
 
Also, Polish commanders miscalculated Soviet advance. The order to start the uprising was given because of the reports that Soviet tanks had reached outskirts of Warsaw and Germans had started withdrawing. In fact, it had been only a small group of tanks that had wandered far behind German lines and had been quickly and easily destroyed. AK commander even tried to call it all off, but it was too late - the orders were sent and there was no time to send others.

The Soviets overestimated their advance rate.
This communique from Pravda dated 2nd August 1944 -
'On to Warsaw! In an offensive there is a moment when the military operation reaches its culminating point and, having acquired its necessary pressure and impetus, goes ahead without any doubt as to what will happen next. At such a time when the full strength of the offensive comes into motion, it starts advancing in great strides, and then no power can stop its victorious forward march.'
Then there were talks to Rokossovsky whether he was going to capture Warsaw on the 9th or the 10th.

But in reality, the advance petered out on August 1st. The 2nd Tank Army was attacked by 4 Panzer Divisions and 1 infantry and pushed out of Praga. Some forces did reach the suburbs, but as Seraphim said, only a few confused units did.

The Soviets did give a 'skim' barrage on September 10th 1944, and dropped supplies on September 14th onwards. This last bit was said by Churchill.
 
Top