Prelude to the Warsaw Uprising

The Warsaw Uprising occurred at a stage of the Second World War when it was becoming clear that Nazi Germany was likely to lose. The Uprising ended in capitulation, the deaths of over 250,000 civilians, and only 15% of Warsaw intact; with the benefit of hindsight, many people have argued that it should never have been started. Others have argued that it was inevitable and even crucial for Poland to prove its commitment to the Allied cause. Although Stalin was later to describe it as a "criminal enterprise", just two days prior to its initiation, Radio Moscow had called for the Polish people to rise in arms.

Research in the circumstances that led up to the initiation of the Uprising is difficult because the facts are not always fully available: there are still some sources of information, such as the British and Soviet archives, which remain closed as of 2004. Therefore, analysis of the Uprising must also incorporate the speculation, past and present, concerning the time prior to the uprising.