Battle of Warsaw

In late July 1944 even though the Russian army was only about 10 miles away from Warsaw and the Germans were retreating, the citizens of the city decided to take matters in their own hands and stage an uprising. They were encouraged by the "London Poles" in exile who would have preferred the Allied forces, rather than the Soviet Army to liberate Warsaw. The uprising, led by the Polish "Home Army" lasted 10 weeks. After exactly 63 days it was defeated by the Germans and at Hitler's insistence Warsaw was systematically destroyed. A few months later on the 17th of January 1945 the Soviet Army entered the city