Tadeusz Komorowski was born in 1895 in Galicia, a region then ruled by the
Austrians, and he served in the Austro-Hungarian Army in the First World War.
Poland regained its independence in 1918, and Komorowski fought against the
Russians in the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921.
When Germany invaded
Poland in 1939, Komorowski was the commander of units defending the Vistula
River, but he was pushed eastwards by the fierce advance. Despite being
surrounded by German forces, he escaped to Cracow. Although he planned to escape
to the West, he was ordered to stay and start a resistance movement. He stayed
in Cracow until the summer of 1941, when he sent to Warsaw. The legend of ‘Bór’
was about to begin.
Komorowski was appointed to lead the Home Army in
June 1943. The Polish Resistance carried out sabotage and vital intelligence for
the Allies, but their main task was to prepare for an uprising when the Nazis
were in retreat to help liberate the country. The Polish Government-in-Exile
gave the order to commence on 1st August 1944. Tragically, Stalin had plans for
Poland after the war: Soviet troops sat outside Warsaw and left the Poles to
their fate. The Resistance lasted, incredibly, 63 days. Komorowski was sentenced
to death by Hitler, but the order was rescinded. The tale of Bór and the
Uprising is the story of a proud nation and their fight against enemies and
betrayal by allies.
