On this day, 72 years ago, the single largest anti-Nazi military operation led by a resistance movement began.

The Warsaw uprising, led by the Polish resistance Home Army movement, raged from August 1 to October 2, 1944. The goal of the operation was to liberate the Polish capital, with the help of an advancing Soviet column.

However, the Soviets ultimately stopped their advance short and left the Home Army to deal with a renewed Nazi offensive against the city alone. Ultimately, the Nazis crushed the uprising and razed approximately 95% of the city in revenge.

This photo of the Warsaw uprising, colorized by Marina Amaral, depicts two members of the Home Army, Henryk Ożarek (left) and Tadeusz Przybyszewski (right), battling against the Nazi occupation of the city.