17. The Germans attempted to raze Warsaw in full view of the Red Army
While the Red Army continued to rest its units near the Vistula and the Germans prepared for their winter assault through the Ardennes on the Western Front, German troops set about leveling the ancient city of Warsaw. The complete destruction of Warsaw had been a part of long-term Nazi planning since before the war began, with one proposal suggesting the creation of a lake by damming the Vistula, and the aftermath of the Warsaw Uprising was the impetus for the destruction of the city. The destruction of the city was carried out by German troops using munitions and flamethrowers, supported by tanks and heavy construction equipment.
The Germans were instructed to ensure that monuments to Polish history and culture were destroyed first, followed by buildings and homes, in effect erasing the city and any evidence of its previous existence from the earth. The Germans destroyed almost 85% of the city through three stages; the 1939 invasion, the Warsaw Uprising itself, and the deliberate destruction in its aftermath. While they were systematically destroying the city the offensive in the Ardennes failed, the Americans and British began their final drive towards Germany’s heartland, and the Red Army began once again to move forward, entering a Warsaw which had for all intents and purposes ceased to exist.
