Looking right at you is Zofia Dąbrowska, 19, medic in the Home Army "Zośka" Battalion, photographed three days before she suffered wounds that would kill her within twenty-four hours.

Looking right at you is Zofia Dąbrowska, 19, medic in the Home Army "Zośka" Battalion, photographed three days before she suffered wounds that would kill her within twenty-four hours.

➡ The Warsaw Uprising, which broke out 1 August 1944, was the Polish Underground’s effort to liberate the capital city from the Germans, and to show the approaching Soviets that we'd taken it, we had it, and we’d keep it. No need to bring us a government cause we already have one, thank you very much.

➡ 50,000 people fought, many more helped; 16,000 to 18,000 underground soldiers perished, and at least ten times that number of civilians lost their lives. 17,000 combatants went into POW camps, up to 450,000 non-combatants into concentration and work camps. 

➡ The city was razed to the ground, most of it after the Uprising. On Hitler’s express orders, Brandkommandos, flamethrower operators, and Sprengkommandos, explosives teams, went street after street and block after block. In addition to thousands residential buildings, they levelled 80% of museums, 90% of historic buildings and 100% of train stations and bridges.

➡ The Uprising failed to become a number of things.

➡ First of all, it didn’t turn out a military success it had aimed for, with the German troops thrown out and thousands of their POWs with hands in the air. 

➡ It wasn’t the best plan ever. Nor was it perfectly executed. Nor had the preparations been adequate or timing right. 

➡ It was hard on non-combatants. Thousands of them died in the fights or German executions, suffered injuries or lost relatives; the survivors were put in camps or thrown out of the city.

➡ Yet, it certainly was other things.

➡ It was Polish Resistance trying to end the German occupation – which had lasted way too long and had cost the country way too much.

➡ It was a shot at payback – for countless massacres, concentration and death camps, broken lives, wiped-out families and ruined dreams.

➡ It was a demonstration of power to the advancing Soviets: they’d either liberate the Polish capital or find it liberated. Appearances always matter.

➡ It was a joint effort of several underground groups; next to the Home Army fought socialists, right-ring National Armed Forces, Jews and pro-Soviet People’s Army.

➡ But most of all, it was these young people who pitted their inadequate training and scarce firearms against the other side’s experience, excellent weapons and hardened killers. That took courage – and a whole generation had it and showed it.

 

➡ Thousands of teenagers and 20-year-olds like Zofia Dąbrowska didn’t hesitate to risk the remaining decades of their lives for the simple concept: we take back what’s ours. You may take it from us, you may even have it for a while, but you certainly won't keep it.

➡ So, today, forget imperfect plans, inadequate weaponry or bad timing, and remember these young people who were the Warsaw Uprising.

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Photo by Jerzy Tomaszewski colorized by Mikołaj Kaczmarek - Kolor Historii  

See more of them in the IPN downloadable exhibit on the Warsaw Uprising: https://bit.ly/2ZnMoC5