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Lwów Uprising
Part of Operation Tempest in the Eastern Front of World War II
Polish soldiers fighting in the University of Technology area, a lookout ledge
Date 23–27 July 1944 Location Lviv Result Polish victory
Belligerents
Armia Krajowa	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Władysław Filipkowski	Josef Harpe

The Lwów Uprising (Polish: powstanie lwowskie) was an armed insurrection by the Home Army (Polish: Armia Krajowa) underground forces of the Polish resistance movement in World War II against the Nazi German occupation of the city of Lviv in the latter stages of World War II. It began on 23 July 1944 as part of a secret plan to launch the countrywide all-national uprising codenamed Operation Tempest ahead of the Soviet advance on the Eastern Front. The Lwów uprising lasted until 27 July. Shortly afterwards, the Polish troops were disarmed, officers were arrested by the Soviet NKVD and ordinary soldiers either arrested or conscripted into the Soviet-created and controlled People’s Army of Poland (LWP) under Red Army command (and strict NKVD political control). Some were forced to join the Red Army, others sent to the Gulag camps. The city itself was occupied by the Soviet Union.

Background

In late December 1943, the Red Army initiated yet another offensive upon the 1939 territory of Poland. Already on 4 January 1944, the first Soviet units crossed the pre-war Polish border in Volhynia. By the end of March, most of Tarnopol Voivodeship lay in their hands, with the Germans preparing to retreat behind the Bug River. Under such circumstances, the Home Army devised a plan of a gradual uprising that was to break out before the advancing Soviets, defeat the withdrawing German troops, and allow the underground Polish authorities to appear in newly liberated areas as their legitimate governors. The plan, code-named Operation Tempest, was put into action. By early July 1944, the local Lwów Home Army division of the Jazłowiec Uhlans (Ułani Jazłowieccy) prepared specific orders for all Polish partisan units in the area.

According to the order of 5 July 1944, the forces of the Home Army within the city were divided into five districts, each with its own centre of mobilization and different tasks. On 18 July the German civilian authorities and Nazi-organized Ukrainian Auxiliary Police withdrew from the city. The following day, the forces of the Wehrmacht left Lwów, leaving only a token force. This left large parts of the town practically in Polish hands. However, at the same time, several new divisions of the Wehrmacht appeared at the city's outskirts, causing the Polish headquarters to postpone the uprising. It was not until the afternoon of 21 July that the first reconnaissance units of the Red Army arrived at the area.

The uprising

Part of a series on the
Polish Underground State
History of Poland 1939–1945
Authorities Government Administration Parliament Courts
Political organizations Major parties Polish Socialist Party People's Party National Party Labour Party Minor parties Camp of National Unity Democratic Party Jewish Labour Bund Hashomer Hatzair Betar (Zionist youth) Opposition National Radical Camp Polish Workers' Party
Military organizations Home Army (AK) Service for Poland's Victory (SZP) Armed Resistance (ZWZ) Gray Ranks National Security Corps (PKB) Mostly integrated with Armed Resistance and Home Army Gwardia Ludowa WRN Peasant Battalions Partially integrated with Armed Resistance and Home Army National Military Organization National Armed Forces Camp of Fighting Poland Pomeranian Griffin Confederation of the Nation Non-integrated but recognizing authority of Armed Resistance and Home Army Jewish Combat Organization Jewish Military Union Opposition Armia Ludowa
Related topics Cultural activities Education History of Poland during 1939–1945
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Soviet 29th Tank Brigade of the 4th Tank Army under Lt. Gen. Lelushenko reached the city's limits on 22 July 1944. At that moment, the Polish Home Army decided to commence the battle against German fortified outposts throughout Lwów.

The German forces relocated from the outskirts of the city's and fortified themselves in the city centre. In the early hours of the following day, what started as a series of skirmishes resulted in an outbreak of heavy urban warfare. The first to join the fight was the 14th Home Army Uhlan Regiment of foot, clearing the suburb of Łyczaków and pushing towards the old town along Zielona and Łyczakowska streets. In the western area, the Polish forces outnumbered the Germans and were able to capture the Main Train Station terminal. The southern area was almost abandoned by the Germans and the Polish forces were able to capture the 19th century citadel with large military supply depots. This success allowed the supply of the Polish troops with badly needed arms.

On 23 July the heaviest fighting ensued in the city centre and the northern district, where the Poles were able to capture only the Gas Works, preventing their demolition by the German troops. In the city centre, the partisans were aided by the entire Soviet 10th Tank Corps, which was gradually joining the fight. The Soviets advanced in three wedges. One of them aimed at the southern area, already cleared from any German resistance by the Polish units. The two others reinforced the Polish units attacking along the Zielona and Łyczakowska streets. By the end of the day, the last column reached the Old Town Square and the Poles captured the Old Town Market.

Afterwards, the civil and military authorities were summoned for a meeting with Red Army commanders and captured by the NKVD with guarantees of safety for all attendees provided. Despite these guarantees, the Soviets arrested some 5000 Polish soldiers who were sent to "Miedniki" gulag. The remaining forces of Col. Władysław Filipkowski were forcibly conscripted to the Red Army, sent to the Gulag or escaped to rejoin the underground.

Notes

1. Polish and Soviet forces together capture Lwów, afterwards Polish forces imprisoned by the Soviets

References

1. Jerzy Jan Lerski, Piotr Wróbel, Richard J. Kozicki, Historical Dictionary of Poland, 966-1945. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996, ISBN 0-313-26007-9, Google Print, p. 404.
2. ^ Jerzy Węgierski (1989), W lwowskiej Armii Krajowej PAX, Warszawa; ISBN 83-211-1044-4 via Google Books.
3. Tarnobrzeski Klub Kawaleryjski, Historia 14 Pułku Ułanów Jazłowieckich (History of the Jazlowce Uhlans). Internet Archive.

• Bolesław Tomaszewski; Jerzy Węgierski (1987). Zarys historii lwowskiego obszaru ZWZ-AK. Warsaw: Pokolenie. p. 38.

v t e Polish uprisings
Kingdom of Poland	1038 Peasant Uprising Lizard Union Prussian Confederation Chicken War
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth	17th-century Zebrzydowski (1609) Khmelnytsky (1648–1657) Kostka-Napierski (1651) Tyszowce Confederation (1655) Lubomirski (1665–1666) 18th-century Słuck Confederation Radom Confederation Bar Confederation Targowica Confederation Kościuszko Uprising Warsaw Uprising 1794 Greater Poland uprising
After the partitions	Denisko uprising 1806 Greater Poland uprising November Uprising 1846 Greater Poland uprising Kraków uprising Galician slaughter 1848 Greater Poland uprising January Uprising Baikal insurrection 1866 Łódź insurrection Kingdom of Poland (1905–1907)
Second Republic	Battle of Lemberg (1918) Greater Poland uprising (1918–1919) Sejny Uprising Silesian Uprisings
World War II	Czortków uprising Zamość uprising Ghetto uprisings Warsaw Białystok Częstochowa Operation Tempest Operation Ostra Brama Lwów Uprising Warsaw Uprising Kraków Uprising

v t e Home Army (Armia Krajowa)
Main articles Polish resistance movement in World War II Polish Underground State
v t e Operations Uprisings and battles Warsaw Uprising Zamość uprising Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Lwów uprising Murowana Oszmianka Osuchy Ostra Brama Tempest Underground, field, and espionage Arsenal Heads Kutschera Project Big Ben Bürkl Most III Operation Belt V-1 and V-2 Wieniec Propaganda Biuletyn Informacyjny Operation N Operation Antyk Directorates Civil Resistance Covert Resistance Underground Resistance Political Republic of Pińczów v t e Personnel, emblems and decorations Commanders Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski Stefan Rowecki Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski Leopold Okulicki Senior officers and prominent members J. Aleksandrowicz J.Arkusz K. K. Baczyński W. Bartoszewski J. Batory R. Białous S. Bittner F. Błażej A. Bohdziewicz J. Bokszczanin S. Braun T. Gajcy H. Lederman S. Jankowski S. Karpiel K. Kierzkowski B. Kostrzewska H. Krahelska A. Krzyżanowski L. Kulej J. J. Lerski J. Mazurkiewicz W. Micuta K. Moczarski A. Nadolski T. Pełczyński A. Pilch W. Pilecki R. Reiff Z. Romanowiczowa Z. Rumel J. Rutkowski D. Smoleński A. Stelmachowski R. Syski J. Szczepański Z. Szendzielarz A. Szklarski H. Szwarc E. Umińska J. Zabłocki A. Zakrzewska W. Zalewski J. Zamoyski T. Zawadzki T. Żenczykowski M. Żuławski T. Żychiewicz Membership lists Armia Krajowa members Warsaw Uprising insurgents Emblems and decorations Armia Krajowa Cross Kotwica Krzyż Powstania Warszawskiego v t e Units, affiliates, and predecessors Headquarters and Directorates Information and Propaganda Kedyw Civil Resistance Covert Resistance Underground Resistance Combat units 2nd Legions Infantry Division 27th Volhynian Division 104th Company of Syndicalists Battalion Parasol Battalion Zośka Żaglowiec Group Żbik Group Żmija Group Żniwiarz Group Żyrafa Group Warsaw commands I Śródmieście Żoliborz III Wola IV Ochota V Mokotów VI Praga VII Warsaw suburbs Other Błyskawica radiostation Little Andrews (Jędrusie) Underground Police (PKB) Secret Military Printing Works (TWZW) Silent Unseen (Cichociemni) Wachlarz Predecessors Service for Poland's Victory (SZP) Union of Armed Struggle (ZWZ) Affiliates Peasants' Battalions (BCh) Confederation of the Nation (KN) Leśni (Forest Soldiers) National Military Association (NOW) (split) National Armed Forces (NSZ-AK) (faction) Camp of Fighting Poland (OPW) Grey Ranks (Szare Szeregi - Boy Scouts) Secret Polish Army (TAP) Socialist Party People's Guard (GL-WRN) Union of Retaliation (ZO) Successors Independence (NIE) Freedom and Independence (WiN) v t e Opponents and rivals Opponents Nazi Germany Ukrainian Insurgent Army Ukrainian Auxiliary Police Lithuanian Security Police Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force Rivals AL Armia Ludowa (People's Army) Soviet partisans
Related articles The Holocaust in Poland Warsaw Uprising Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

v t e Lviv
History	Timeline Armenian Statute Dormition Brotherhood Jesuit Collegium Siege by Cossacks (1648) Siege by Cossacks (1655) Lwów Oath Siege by Turks (1675) Leopolis Triplex Stauropegion Institute Stauropegion Press Ossolineum Galician Rada Halytsko-Ruska Matytsia Prosvita Ruthenian Triad Ruthenian National House Hutsul Secession Batiars Lwów Eaglets Battle (1918) Pogrom (1918) Battle (1920) Secret Ukrainian University Lwów–Warsaw school of logic Lwów School of Mathematics Battle (1939) Massacre of Lwów professors Lviv pogroms (1941) Lwów Ghetto Lwów Uprising Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive (1944) Sknyliv air show disaster
Religion	Armenian Cathedral Cathedral of St. George Boim Chapel Bernardine Church Bridgettine Convent Carmelite Church Convent of Benedictines Church of St. Anne Church of John the Baptist Church of Mary of Snow Church of St. Elizabeth Church of St. Mary Magdalene Monastery and church of St. Onuphrius Church of the Dormition Church of the Purification, Lviv Church of the Transfiguration Dominican Church Jesuit Church Latin Cathedral
Attractions	Arena Lviv Arsenal Museum Bandinelli Palace Black Kamienica Catholic University Cemetery of the Defenders of Lwów Forum Lviv Freedom Boulevard Government House King Cross Leopolis Korniakt Palace Lviv High Castle Lviv University Lychakivskiy Cemetery Market Square Mickiewicz Square National Museum Polytechnic University Lubomirski Palace Metropolitan Palace Old Town Pharmacy Museum Potocki Palace Sapieha Palace Scottish Café Shevchenkivskyi Hai Theatre of Opera and Ballet Skarbek Theatre Town Hall Ukraina Stadium Union of Lublin Mound
Districts	Frankivskyi Halytskyi Lychakivskyi Shevchenkivskyi Sykhivskyi Zaliznychnyi
City Council	Vynnyky Briukhovychi Rudne
Transport	Tramway Trolleybus Bus Intercity bus station Airport Main railway station Suburban railway station Pidzamche railway station
Category

• Conflicts in 1944
• 1944 in Poland
• Lwów in World War II
• Battles of Operation Tempest
• Military operations involving the Home Army
• Political repression in the Soviet Union
• Uprisings during World War II
• General Government