THE WARSAW UPRISING
       May 8, 1943, a day of desperation, a day of little hope for the Jewish in the Warsaw ghetto. The day began like so many others with hunger, sickness, and confusion. Many of the ghetto inhabitants had been preparing for an uprising. for weeks a group of ghetto youths calling themselves Z.O.B. (Jewish fighting organization of the Warsaw ghetto) were having meetings inside of ghetto buildings planning a revolt against the Germans.

       The horror began for the Jewish People on november 16, 1940 when the Germans sealed the warsaw ghetto. 1/3 of a million Jews lived in the ghetto. The Jews had no idea that Hitler would later kill them. When the murders started some still didn't believe it would happen to them 
        Many of the people in the ghetto started forming organizations that they called youth groups later to be known as Z.O.B. This group was the beginning of the underground resistance movement. One of the leaders of this group was Yitzhak Zuckerman. In a speech to Jewish followers before the uprising Zuckerman stated, "The masses did not believe us. There are no arms, and it seems we will not get any. We have no strength to start anew. The people are being exterminated. Our honor trampled. This small group can still save it. Let us go out tomorrow into the streets. let us put fire to the ghetto and stab the Germans with knives. We will die. It is our duty to die, and our honor will have been saved. Days will come and it will be told: This poor nation had youth which saved it's honor as best it could." 
        Another Z.O.B leader during the uprising was Mordechai Aniclewicz. Just before the battle Aniclewicz gave a speech in which he said "The last wish of my life has been fulfilled. Jewish self defense has become a fact. Jewish resistance and revenge have become actualities. I am happy to have been one of the first Jewish fighters in the ghetto.” Anielewicz fell in battle on May 8, 1943. 

       That day the battle began.

        800 Jews attacked the Germans who were holding them hostage in the ghetto. Armed with only torches, knives, and homemade weapons the jewish fought as best they could. The German soldiers were armed with rifles and submachine guns.

        When the uprising ended no building in the ghetto was intact.
Jewish Losses                    German losses
 56,065 caught and killed     16 killed
                                          85 wounded
                                          17 unspecified losses 

    Many Jewish were killed in fires that they could not escape. Some of those captured didn't participate in the uprising. Following the uprising hundreds of survivors were sent to Treblinka.
 

 
        The Germans expected it to last for 3 days the uprising lasted for 4 weeks non-stop.

        In the end hundreds of Jews were still hungry, dirty, and confused.

 
Researched by
Austin S.
CLICKHERE