Quite possibly the biggest WW2 battle you've never heard of.
On August 1, 1944 the Poles in Warsaw staged a revolt against their German overlords when the Soviet Army neared the city. Believing the battle to be short and assistance from the Soviets soon forthcoming, they were ultimately crushed as they received virtually no foreign support.
The Soviets were (allegedly) unwilling to assist because they wanted to secure authority in Poland without allowing the government-in-exile legitimacy because of a successful revolt. The Allies didn't want to help because they feared angering the Soviets (who also forbade the use of their airports to the Allies who wished to drop supplies).
After about a month, the resistance was forced to surrender. The entire civilian population was transferred out of the city and the buildings were burned. In total, about 85% of the city was destroyed by January 1945.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Uprising
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