REMEMBERING HISTORY: End Of Warsaw Uprising (2 Oct 1944)

Warsaw, the capital of Poland, destroyed by German Nazis, January 1945.
Public Domain (Wikipedia)

On 2 October 1944 the Warsaw Uprising came to an end with the surrender of surviving Polish rebels to German forces. The uprising began two months earlier when the Red Army was approaching Warsaw. The rebels supported the Polish government-in-exile and hoped to gain control of the city before the Soviets arrived. They did not want the Russians to gain the city and establish a communist regime in Poland.

While the rebels had initial gains, they were poorly supplied. Hitler sent reinforcements and the rebels and German soldiers engaged in brutal street fights. The Red Army did take a suburb of Warsaw but proceeded no further. Stalin ordered the Red Army not to assist the rebels and denied a request to use their airbases to supply the rebels. This would be remembered down the road by the Polish people. Both Churchill and Roosevelt asked for his assistance. Churchill, without Soviet approval, had supplies dropped by the RAF, the South African Air Force, and the Polish Air Force. Stalin finally relented and gave air clearance for the U.S. Army Air Force to make supply drops. However, it was too late by the time the supplies came.

Out of arms, supplies and food, there was no choice. After 63 days, they had no choice but to surrender. In retaliation for this uprising, the remaining population of Warsaw was deported. The Polish people were always meant to be eradicated as were the Jews. Plans had been drawn up before the war to turn Poland into a German colony. Warsaw was to be Germanized. Once the remaining population was deported, German destruction of Warsaw was sped up. They had started after the earlier Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Using flamethrowers and explosives, special teams went to work destroying whole neighborhoods, historical monuments, archives, and any place of interest.

By January 1945, 85% of the buildings in Warsaw were gone. Approximately 25% was done during the Warsaw Uprising. The losses are staggering to consider:

10,455 buildings
923 historical buildings (94% of these were destroyed)
25 churches
14 libraries which includes the National Library
81 schools
64 high schools
The University of Warsaw and Warsaw University of Technology
Of course, prior to these all-Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues were seized, looted and destroyed as well.

Aftermath

The Soviets took the position that the rebels did not coordinate their plans with them. Of course, the chief reason they did not aid them is that they supported the democratic Polish government-in-exile in London. And Stalin was not interested in supporting them. His goal had been before the war to allow the west to fight themselves to exhaustion allowing for the Soviet Union to expand in their direction. Those that led the uprising and members of the Home Army were persecuted by the Soviets after the war. They were arrested, tried, and deported to Soviet gulags. They had a show trial, not unlike ones during the Great Purge, where confessions were introduced to show they were actually in league with the Germans!

Warsaw Uprising Monument
Source: Dhirad 2004

Fortunately, those captured by the Germans and freed by American-British forces were spared this. Stalin and his propaganda machine twisted the facts to show the failings of the Home Army and the Polish government-in-exile. All criticism of the Red Army and Soviet Union by Polish people were forbidden. All references to the Home Army were censored, all books and movies on the Warsaw Uprising were either banned or edited out the Home Army. When that did not work, they made the Home Army soldiers into heroes that were betrayed by their corrupt officers. This would remain in effect until the 1980’s with the rise of Solidarity that challenged the Soviet backed regime. It was not until 1989 that a monument was built in Poland.

In the West, stories of the heroism of the Home Army were told. They were valiant heroes fighting against the Germans. The Soviets were criticized for their non-involvement and that it helped them get rid of partisans that would have opposed them. Despite all the official censorship that existed, many Poles knew what happened and led to growing anti-Soviet sentiment that manifested into the Polish labor movement Solidarity. This peaceful movement in the 1980’s would effect change in Poland and later, as the days of the Soviet Union waned, Poland would gain back the freedom it had lost in 1939.

Sources:

Happy Sunday and Remember the victims of Hurricane Ian

October has finally arrived and autumn is making its appearance. Sadly for those in Florida, they got hit with Hurricane Ian and have suffered some grievous loss of life and damage. It will take a while to rebuild and, if you can, please contribute to a charity that can provide assistance to those in need. Here are some suggestions courtesy of WUSF:

Florida Disaster Fund: This is the state’s official private fund, established to provide financial assistance. To contribute, you can give through the website, by check, or text DISASTER to 20222.

Ian Response Fund: Several organizations across the state — including the Florida Immigration Coalition and Faith in Florida — are combining efforts to assist. According to the fund’s website, the organizations raised more than $2 million through more than 38 organizations to assist the victims of Hurricane Irma in 2017. Donations can be made from the website, including an option to give one time or monthly.

American Red Cross: Those interested can donate through the website, or by phone at 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669). Checks can be mailed to:

American Red Cross
PO Box 37839
Boone, Iowa, 50037-0839

Salvation Army: The organization has created a website for donations that can directly assist victims of both Hurricanes Ian and Fiona in Florida and Puerto Rico, including food, shelter, and emotional and spiritual care. One-time donations can be made on the Salvation Army website or by texting STORM to 51555. It also has established mobile feeding units that can prepare around 1,500 meals a day in the affected areas.

Metropolitan Ministries: Through Oct. 2, Metropolitan Ministries is accepting donations of nonperishable food boxes, food donations at locations in Tampa (2002 N. Florida Avenue) and Holiday (3214 US Highway N). The organization is also assisting Chef José Andrés and the World Central Kitchen team, which hopes to prepare 15,000 hot meals and 10,000 cold meals every day using Metropolitan Ministries’ commercial kitchen as its main distribution hub. The organization’s website also has information on how to volunteer, or donate good and money.

Feeding Tampa Bay: Donations can be made through the organization’s website, or by texting FTBFYI to 833-530-3663.

God of hope and mercy, we lift up to you all victims of natural disasters and those responding with assistance and aid. Protect all who are in any form of danger; provide practical help to those in need; strengthen the weary, console the grieving, heal the suffering; and bless those engaged in disaster relief efforts with safety and courage. Help all people of good will respond with compassion and generous hearts. Amen. (Catholic Charities)

Elvis Presley was a great singer who entertained millions with his music. He also sang a lot of Gospel music early in career which is still quite popular. Here is How Great Thou Art from a concert in 1972. Have a great Sunday everyone.

Wreck of SS Mesaba Found

The only picture of the Marconi radio room onboard the Titanic. Harold Bride is seated at his station. Photo was taken by Father Francis Browne, SJ, while aboard Titanic.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

The ship that sent the iceberg warning to Titanic has been located according to the BBC. The SS Mesaba was crossing the Atlantic Ocean on April 1912 and sent a wireless message to the Titanic about the ice it had spotted. The warning never reached the bridge. The SS Mesaba was sunk by a German torpedo in World War I and her remains in the Irish Sea were not located until recently. “ Now using state-of-the art multibeam sonar, Bangor University researchers have been able to identify the Mesaba’s wreck and pinpoint her final resting place.”

Source:

Titanic: Ship that sent iceberg warning found in Irish Sea
BBC, 27 Sept 2022


Welcome to October

Photo:David Wagner(publicdomainpictures.net)

October is the 10th month on the Gregorian and Julian calendars. Under the old Roman calendar this was the eighth month and retained its name. October in the Northern Hemisphere begins the full transition to Autumn while in the Southern Hemisphere it is Spring.

Autumn harvests are underway this month with apples, artichokes, cranberries, pears, and pumpkins becoming widely available in many areas. Pumpkins are important this time of year as decorations and the source for pumpkin pie and delicious roasted pumpkin seeds. Octoberfest is a major event in Munich, Germany but has spread into Europe, the United States and South America. It began in 1810 to honor a Bavarian royal wedding and now is in many places like a carnival with rides, lots of German themed food and of course beer. Beer of all kinds, especially craft beers find their ways to such events to be judged. Oktoberfest usually goes from mid-September to October (it used to end on the first Sunday in October) but it usually goes on later these days. One figure estimates the consumption of beer to be around 1.85 million gallons (7 million liters) of beer. Now that is a lot of beer!

Daylight Savings Time comes to an end in Australia and Europe this month. In the United States, that will occur for the last time on the first Sunday in November. Beginning next spring, the United States will stay on permanent daylight savings time year-round from that time on to avoid the switching back and forth. This was done once before many years ago to conserve energy. It was dropped when parents and others complained that year-round daylight savings time means that in some months, you have darkness when kids are going to school.

Of course, the big event in October is Halloween or more properly All Hallows Eve on October 31. What used to be a day to prepare for the feast of All Saints Day now has morphed into an event primarily for children to put on masks and ask neighbors for a treat. Haunted House exhibits are open, hayrides through a haunted landscape, and of course scary movies to watch. We get the obligatory Halloween themed commercials and lots of scary themed promos. Many parents opt to have simpler old fashioned celebration with friends and children assembling for food, entertainment, and of course hearing very spooky stories.