That was news to me. The more well-known is the 1943 ghetto uprising, a brief history:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Ghetto_Uprising

There was a second uprising in August 1944, this one organized by the resistance. I learned about it by reading "Uprising '44, The Battle for Warsaw" by Norman Davies.

https://www.amazon.com/Rising-...670032840/ref=sr_1_1

In 600 pages of text and 100 more of appendices, the author goes into extreme detail, starting with the history of eastern Europe and then the very complicated relationships between the Allied powers during WWII. It is a very good - though long - read. A brief history of the 1944 uprising:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Uprising

Mrs. Sigmund and I are visiting Warsaw this summer with Viking, I'm certain our guides will bring up both uprisings. I hope to visit some of the locations.

Looking forward to reading the book myself.

World War II may seem like ancient history even for the very few who know even the barest facts about the conflict, but so much of what related to the war from long before it started until long after it was over could have lessons for us today.

I toured the Resistance Museum while there last year, very fascinating.


I will read both of these books too


I would think a trip to Auschwitz/Birkenau is in order as well, both places made this grown man angry cry

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:

...I would think a trip to Auschwitz/Birkenau is in order as well, both places made this grown man angry cry.

Viking is taking us to Auschwitz/Birkenau plus the Museum of the History of Polish Jews and the adjacent Memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

The memorial to the 1944 uprising is a few blocks away, we'll find it on our own if we have to:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/p...aw-uprising-monument

If I recall correctly, the Russians paused before entering Warsaw so the Germans could crush the uprising - killing many of the Polish patriots who might oppose a Communist takeover.

quote:

Originally posted by Blackmore:
If I recall correctly, the Russians paused before entering Warsaw so the Germans could crush the uprising - killing many of the Polish patriots who might oppose a Communist takeover.

Yes. In addition, IIRC, they prevented the Allies from air dropping supplies to the Polish resistance.

quote:

World War II may seem like ancient history even for the very few who know even the barest facts about the conflict, but so much of what related to the war from long before it started until long after it was over could have lessons for us today.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I spoke with an Army veteran. He had never heard of Iwo Jima. Ridicuilous. Marines seem to know their history.

I've been there a few times, the first time at Auschwitz around the time they were filming Schindler's List. Last time I was there, we went to the Oskar Schindler Factory Museum, which had little to do with Oskar Schindler, but was fascinating, nonetheless. Must get tix well in advance. Seriously awesome museum on the occupation and resistance.

I visited Warsaw and Auschwitz in 2012 while on a Holocaust travel study with my alma mater. Out of all the memorials and stories from around Warsaw, the one at Mila 18 was the one that moved me the most.

In the last room of the tour at Auschwitz there are mugshot like photos of victims all over the walls. One that got to me and I remember to this day is of a young girl named Krystyna. She had tears in her eyes as they took her photos. She didn't last a year.