Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki paid tribute to the insurgents early in the day, saying “there wouldn’t be a free Poland” if not for their heroic struggle.
“[They] were defending humanity,” Morawiecki said. “They were not only defending their chances of surviving, not only their honour; they were fighting not only for the future of the nation. They fought for fundamental principles and values such as love of their country, fidelity, honour and truth.”
He added that “the Warsaw insurgents are the foremost figures in our national pantheon of heroes.”
Official events were expected to continue throughout the day to commemorate the 63-day revolt, which started at 5 p.m. on August 1, 1944, and which was eventually overpowered by the better-armed Germans.
At 5 p.m. on Thursday the Polish capital was expected to mark the moment with a minute-long silence, with traffic coming to a halt and sirens wailing across the city.
The goal of the bold but ultimately ill-fated operation was to prevent the installation of a pro-Soviet administration after the liberation of Warsaw.
The uprising was the largest military operation by any resistance movement in Europe against the continent's Nazi German occupiers during World War II.
The insurgency resulted in the death of some 18,000 Polish fighters and 200,000 civilians.
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Source: PAP