Seeing that the end was nigh for the Nazis, the Polish Home Guard, rose against them with the help of local Warsaw residents.

They assumed that the Russians, who were approaching from across the other side of the Vistula (river) would help. They were wrong.

After some initial success, the were overwhelmed by the Nazis, who levelled much of the city in the aftermath (only 15% of Warsaw was left standing by the end of the war).

Stalin claimed the troups were too exhausted and ill supplied to help. There is some suspicion, however, that Stalin was only too pleased to let the Nazis break the back of the Home Guard, who he regarded as a strong element of the Polish national identity.