In1942,Hitlerdecidedtoliquidatetheghettosand,within18

months,hadthemorethantwomillionJewswhod
survivedtheghettosdeportedtodeathcamps.
TheGermansorderedtheJewishpoliceintheWarsaw
ghettotorounduppeoplefordeportation.Approximately
300,000men,women,andchildrenwerepackedincattlecars
andtransportedtotheTreblinkadeathcampwheretheywere
murdered.ThisleftaJewishpopulationofbetween55,000and
60,000intheghetto.
InApril1943,theJewslearnedtheGermansplannedto
deportallthepeoplewhoremainedintheWarsawghetto
toTreblinka.Agroupofmostlyyoungpeopleformedan
organizationcalledtheZ.O.B.(forthePolishname,
ZydowskaOrganizacjaBojowa,whichmeansJewish
FightingOrganization).TheZ.O.B.,ledby23yearold
MordecaiAnielewicz,issuedaproclamationcallingforthe
Jewishpeopletoresistgoingtotherailroadcars.
InJanuary1943,WarsawghettofightersfireduponGerman
troopsastheytriedtoroundupanothergroupofghetto
inhabitantsfordeportation.Fightersusedasmallsupplyof
weaponsthathadbeensmuggledintotheghetto.Afterafew
days,thetroopsretreated.Thissmallvictoryinspiredthe
ghettofighterstoprepareforfutureresistance.
Theimpactontheghettoresidentsisdescribedinthe
EncyclopediaoftheHolocaust:
TheJewsintheghettobelievedthatwhathadhappenedin
Januarywasproofthatbyofferingresistanceitwaspossibleto
forcetheGermanstodesistfromtheirplans.Manythought
thattheGermanswouldpersistinunrestrainedmass
deportationsonlysolongastheJewswerepassive,butthatin

thefaceofresistanceandarmedconfrontationtheywould
thinktwicebeforeembarkinguponyetanotherAktion.The
Germanswouldalsohavetotakeintoaccountthepossibility
thattheoutbreakoffightingintheghettomightleadtothe
rebellionspreadingtothePolishpopulationandmightcreatea
stateofinsecurityinallofoccupiedPoland.These
considerationsledthecivilianpopulationoftheghetto,inthe
finalphaseofitsexistence,toapproveofresistanceandgive
itssupporttothepreparationsfortheuprising.The
populationalsousedtheintervaltoprepareandequipa
networkofsubterraneanrefugesandhidingplaces,where
theycouldholdoutforanextendedperiodevenifthey
werecutofffromoneanother.Intheend,everyJewinthe
ghettohadhisownspotinoneoftheshelterssetupinthe
centralpartoftheghetto.Thecivilianpopulationandthe
fightersnowsharedacommoninterestbasedonthehopethat,
undertheexistingcircumstances,fightingtheGermansmight
beawaytorescue.
AftertheJanuarybattle,theJewsspentthefollowingweeks
training,acquiringweapons,andmakingplanstodefendofthe
ghetto.TheGermansalsopreparedforthepossibilityofa
fight.Ontheeveofthefinaldeportation,HeinrichHimmler
replacedthechiefoftheSSandpoliceintheWarsawdistrict,
ObergruppenfuhrerFerdinandvonSammernFrankenegg,with
SSundPolizeifuhrer(SSandPoliceLeader)JurgenStroop,an
officerwhohadexperiencefightingpartisans.
Theghettofighterswerewarnedofthetimingofthefinal
deportationandtheentireJewishpopulationwentintohiding.
OnthemorningofApril19,1943,theWarsawghettouprising
beganafterGermantroopsandpoliceenteredtheghettoto

deportitssurvivinginhabitants.Sevenhundredandfifty
fightersarmedwithahandfulofpistols,17rifles,andMolotov
cocktailsfacedmorethan2,000heavilyarmedandwell
trainedGermantroopssupportedbytanksandflamethrowers..
AftertheGermanswereforcedtowithdrawfromtheghetto,
theyreturnedwithmoreandmorefirepower.Afterseveral
dayswithoutquellingtheuprising,theGermancommander,
GeneralJrgenStroop,orderedtheghettoburnedtothe
groundbuildingbybuilding.Still,theJewsheldoutagainst
theoverwhelmingforcefor27days.OnMay8,the
headquartersbunkeroftheZOBat18MilaStreetwas
captured.MordecaiAnielewiczandalargenumberofhis
colleagueswerekilledinthefighting,butseveraldozen
fightersescapedthroughthesewers.
OnMay16,Stroopannouncedthefightingwasover.Hesaid
hisforceshadcaptured56,065Jewsandannouncedthathe
wasgoingtoblowuptheGreatSynagogueonTlomackStreet
(whichwasoutsidetheghetto)asasymbolofvictoryandof
thefactthattheJewishquarterofWarsawnolongerexists.
Approximately300Germansand7,000Jewswerekilledin
theuprising,andanother7,000Jewsweredeportedto
Treblinka.Theoutcomewaspreordained,butthedramaticact
ofresistancehelpedraisethemoraleofJewseverywhere,if
onlybriefly.