Siege of Warsaw (1939)

Siege of Warsaw
Part of the Invasion of Poland of World War II
Burning Warsaw Royal Castle in September 1939. The air strikes caused by the Luftwaffe destroyed many significant monuments and structures.
Date 8–28 September 1939 (21 days) Location Warsaw, Poland Result German victory German occupation until 1945. Warsaw Uprising in 1944.
Belligerents
Germany	Poland
Commanders and leaders
Johannes Blaskowitz Georg von Küchler Werner von Fritsch † Walter Petzel	Walerian Czuma Juliusz Zulauf (POW) Juliusz Rómmel (POW) Marian Porwit (POW) Tadeusz Kutrzeba
Units involved
4th Panzer Division Luftwaffe	Warsaw Army Prussian Army Supported by: Polish Air Force
Strength
175,000 soldiers 1,000 artillery pieces 1,200 aircraft 220 tanks	Peak strength: 124,000 soldiers (excluding volunteers) 86 anti-aircraft guns 64 artillery pieces 33 tanks Pursuit Brigade: 54 aircraft
Casualties and losses
5,000 killed 13,000 wounded 80 tanks 63 aircraft	140,000 killed or captured[1]: 78  38 aircraft
18,000 civilians killed[1]: 78

The siege of Warsaw in 1939 was fought between the Polish Warsaw Army (Polish: Armia Warszawska) garrisoned and entrenched in Warsaw and the invading German Army.^{[1]: 70–78}

It began with huge aerial bombardments initiated by the Luftwaffe starting on September 1, 1939 following the German invasion of Poland. Land fighting started on September 8, when the first German armored units reached the Wola district and south-western suburbs of the city. Despite German radio broadcasts claiming to have captured Warsaw, the initial enemy attack was repelled and soon afterwards Warsaw was placed under siege. The siege lasted until September 28, when the Polish garrison, commanded under General Walerian Czuma, officially capitulated. The following day approximately 140,000 Polish troops left the city and were taken as prisoners of war. On October 1 the Wehrmacht entered Warsaw, which started a period of German occupation that lasted until the devastating Warsaw Uprising^[a] and later until January 17, 1945, when the Wehrmacht troops abandoned the city due to the advance of Soviet forces.

Around 18,000 civilians of Warsaw perished during the siege. As a result of the air bombardments, 10% of the city's buildings were entirely destroyed and further 40% were heavily damaged.^[1]: 78

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