|
H8: Jewish Resistance Page 2 -Active
Issue Navigation:
Site Navigation:
By Topic:
|
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
"The dream of my life has risen to become fact.
These words were written just a few days before
The Jews of Warsaw had been forced to live within ghetto walls in horrific circumstances for a number of years before it became apparent that they were destined to end up in one of the Nazi death camps. With each Nazi 'Action' (NB an 'Action' was the name given to the periodic round-up and deportation of the Jews from the ghetto) more Jews were taken from the ghetto and many people began to advocate armed resistance against the Nazis. With this in mind, Anielewicz helped to establish the Jewish Fighting Organisation in preparation for battle - they dug tunnels, prepared bunkers, and bought or stole arms.
When the Nazis opened their liquidation 'Action' on the eve of Pesach on 19 April 1943, no Jew was to be found above ground. Each time the Nazis tried to enter the ghetto, they were met by a rain of fire from well-camouflaged positions. Eventually the Nazis committed a well-armed military force to the ghetto battle, but were unable to break the resistance of the fighters. The uprising was costing the Germans heavily in casualties killed and wounded. They therefore decided to burn down, pump gas, and destroy every building in the ghetto. The main bunker of the Jewish Fighting Organisation eventually fell on 8 May - amongst the dozens killed was Mordecai Anielewicz.
Escape From Sobibor
Sobibor was one of the Nazi's death camps. From its initial stages it was organised in a manner that made escape almost impossible. One of the problems that faced the Jews planning any escape was the belt of mines around the camp, and the escape plan had to find a way for fleeing prisoners to pass through the minefield.
An operation was devised in September 1943 that would make it possible for all camp inmates to escape. When one Jew had previously tried to escape and been caught, the Nazis killed him together with another 72 Jewish men. The plan was to kill the SS men (who led the Nazis) who would be invited to various parts of the camp, to be followed by a mass escape. The rebels planned to cut the telephone and electricity lines, put the motor transport out of action, and capture weapons in the guard-rooms.
The plan went into action on 14 October. Everything went as planned up to a certain stage. Eleven SS men were killed without a shot being fired, including the camp commandant, Neimann. Other parts of the plan were also carried out. At this stage there was an unforeseen mishap. An SS driver came across one of his comrades who had been killed, and opened fire on the Jews, who were now supposedly gathering for a role-call (but really for the escape). Instead of an orderly march, there was a frantic rush to the fences. Many ran on to the mined area and were killed by the explosions. The group under the leaders of the revolt made its way towards the fence in the vicinity of the SS quarters, on the assumption that this sector was not mined. In this they were proved correct.
Out of 600 prisoners, 200 succeeded in breaking out and making their escape, most of whom joined the partisans and fought in their ranks. Of these a number fell in battle or were caught later, but about fifty of those who broke out of Sobibor succeeded in escaping and survived the war.
|
||
|
|||
The Warsaw Ghetto revolt was the first urban uprising in Occupied Europe. Its special character is that it was a general revolt in which all inhabitants of the ghetto took part, some actively, others passively. In this way the Warsaw Jewish Ghetto became a fighting fortress which defended itself and held out against the Nazi forces for over three weeks - the entire country of Poland had held out for three days.