Don't look at the Soviet troops successfully broke through the two lines of defense of the German army, but due to the long fighting, the casualties of the troops were heavy, and the commanders and fighters also became extremely tired, and the attack they carried out was already the end of the crossbow.

The German commander soon found that the Soviets were no longer able to advance after reaching the North Prague district, so they immediately organized their troops and, under the cover of tanks, launched a counterattack against the Soviets. The Soviet army, which had not yet gained a stable foothold, faced the frantic attack of the German army, although it put up stubborn resistance, and finally fought and left, and withdrew from the city again.

Receiving the news of the defeat of the 48th Army, Rokossovsky did not get angry, but sat at the table, holding his head in his hands, and pondered bitterly: In real history, it was not until 1945 that the Soviet army occupied the city of Warsaw, which had long been in ruins.

Zhukov saw Rokossovsky's painful expression on the side, and thought that he was annoyed by the failure of the offensive of the 48th Army, and comforted him: "Comrade Rokossovsky, you don't have to be sad, you must know that General Romanenko also tried his best. Our troops, having gone through the Belarusian campaign, did not receive any rest and replenishment at all, and fought directly on the territory of Poland. In order to stop our army's offensive, the German army also drew reinforcements from China and other regions, and formed an advantage in troops and equipment for us in some areas. ”

Rokossovsky knew very well that if the fighting in Warsaw continued, it would still be possible to liberate Warsaw before the end of the year. But he was very worried that the attack on Warsaw would have to be stopped because of political factors, so he cautiously asked Zhukov: "Comrade Marshal, do you wonder what progress has been made in the negotiations between the Moscow side and the delegation of the Polish government-in-exile?" ”

"Progress?! What progress can be made? Hearing this, Zhukov snorted heavily, and then continued: "Yesterday I spoke with Comrade Molotov on the phone and tactfully asked about the status of the negotiations. He said that the members of the delegation were extremely stubborn and repeatedly stressed that the government-in-exile in London was the legitimate government of Poland. And the Polish National Liberation Council, which was friendly to us, was banned by them. ……”

After listening to Zhukov's briefing on the Moscow negotiations, Rokossovsky's heart became even more uneasy, and he feared that such an attitude of the Polish delegation would anger Stalin. As soon as the Supreme Commander ordered the cessation of the attack on Warsaw, the rebels and citizens in Warsaw would be reduced to meat on a cutting board and left to be slaughtered by the Germans.

Rokossovsky was about to ask Zhukov again about the intentions of the Supreme High Command and see if they intended to stop the attack on Warsaw, when Malinin walked briskly with a telegram. With a look of anger on his face, he said: "Comrade commander, something has happened in the city of Warsaw. ”

"What's wrong?" With Rokossovsky's understanding of Malinin, if it weren't for something wrong, his expression would not have been so embarrassed, and he hurriedly asked: "Could it be that the enemy has reinforcements entering the city of Warsaw again?" ”

"Not reinforcements from the Germans, but it's about the same." Malinin handed over the telegram in his hand and said, "Comrade Commander, look at the telegram sent by General Vakin. Out of nowhere, Komorowski announced to everyone that the Lyudov army was a rebel army and called on everyone to rise up and destroy them. At the same time he himself colluded with the Germans......"

"Bastard, what a bastard." After reading the contents of the telegram, Rokossovsky could not help but be furious, he handed the telegram to Zhukov, and at the same time said angrily: "Under the mediation of Komorowsky, the German army and the Krajov army reached an agreement, and from now on, the two sides will cease fire indefinitely and concentrate their forces against our two divisions in the city, as well as the rebel army that supports us, as well as the citizens of Warsaw." ”

"Hell, who gave him the guts to dare to do such a thing." After reading the telegram, Zhukov's emotions also became agitated: "It seems that we need to intensify our offensive against Warsaw and try to take the city into our hands as soon as possible." ”

"But Comrade Marshal, what shall we do?" Although Rokossovsky wanted to attack the city of Warsaw as soon as possible, he had limited forces at his disposal at the moment, so he said helplessly: "Our forces have been used to the limit, and we simply cannot draw more troops to strengthen the attack in the direction of Warsaw." ”

Zhukov thought for a moment, and then said: "Didn't the Supreme Command transfer two group armies from your front army some time ago as reserves for the base camp? As far as I know, Comrade Stalin intends to transfer these troops to the Ukrainian regions in a short time in order to intensify the offensive there. ”

Rokossovsky was also a smart man, and when he heard Zhukov say this, he immediately understood what he was going to express, and hurriedly and carefully asked: "Comrade Marshal, what do you mean, let us make a request to the Supreme High Command on the grounds of liberating Warsaw as soon as possible, so that they can return the two army groups that were siphoned out to us first. That's what it means, right? ”

After listening to Rokossovsky, Zhukov smiled, and then said: "You guessed it yourself, I didn't say anything." ”

"Yes, yes," Rokossovsky nodded, "Comrade Marshal, I understand that it is my personal idea to find the Supreme High Command to return those two army groups, and it has nothing to do with anyone. ”

Just as Rokossovsky ordered the head of the communications corps, Maximenko, to take over the phone from Moscow, the high-frequency telephone on the table rang. Zhukov, who was closest to the phone, grabbed the microphone and put it to his ear and said loudly: "I'm Zhukov, where are you?" ”

As soon as he finished asking this sentence, he heard Stalin's voice from the earpiece: "Comrade Zhukov, I am Stalin. I feel the need to talk to you. ”

Hearing that the caller was Stalin, Zhukov quickly got up from his seat and said respectfully: "Hello, Comrade Stalin! ”

I heard that the person who was talking to Zhukov was actually Stalin. The originally noisy command headquarters suddenly became quiet, and the commanders sitting around also stood up one after another, staring intently at Zhukov who was on the phone, as if they could understand the content of the conversation between the two just by looking at it.

"Comrade Zhukov," said Stalin on the phone, slowly, "after the study of the Supreme High Command decided that this is not the best time to attack Warsaw, our troops are too tired and have not been adequately replenished. We intend for the units of the 1st Belorussian Front to temporarily suspend all combat operations in the Vistula basin and move to the defense on the spot. ”

Hearing that Stalin intended to transfer the troops to the defense, Zhukov could not help but be shocked, and he hurriedly said: "Comrade Stalin, although the First Belorussian Front has suffered serious attrition in the early stage of its troops and has also shown signs of a shortage of ammunition, judging from their current situation, there should be no problem in liberating Warsaw in September or a little later. ”

"Comrade Zhukov," Stalin said in a fixed tone after listening to Zhukov's words, without any fluctuations in his mood: "We will not be able to provide sufficient supplies to Rokossovsky's troops for at least half a month. Do you think their existing weapons, ammunition and supplies can last more than half a month? ”

When Zhukov heard Stalin say this, he couldn't help but turn his head and look at Rokossovsky, who was standing next to him, and then sighed and replied: "I don't think they can hold out for half a month." ”

"Progress?! What progress can be made? Hearing this, Zhukov snorted heavily, and then continued: "Yesterday I spoke with Comrade Molotov on the phone and tactfully asked about the status of the negotiations. He said that the members of the delegation were extremely stubborn and repeatedly stressed that the government-in-exile in London was the legitimate government of Poland. And the Polish National Liberation Council, which was friendly to us, was banned by them. ……”

After listening to Zhukov's briefing on the Moscow negotiations, Rokossovsky's heart became even more uneasy, and he feared that such an attitude of the Polish delegation would anger Stalin. As soon as the Supreme Commander ordered the cessation of the attack on Warsaw, the rebels and citizens in Warsaw would be reduced to meat on a cutting board and left to be slaughtered by the Germans.

Rokossovsky was about to ask Zhukov again about the intentions of the Supreme High Command and see if they intended to stop the attack on Warsaw, when Malinin walked briskly with a telegram. With a look of anger on his face, he said: "Comrade commander, something has happened in the city of Warsaw. ”

"What's wrong?" With Rokossovsky's understanding of Malinin, if it weren't for something wrong, his expression would not have been so embarrassed, and he hurriedly asked: "Could it be that the enemy has reinforcements entering the city of Warsaw again?" ”

"Not reinforcements from the Germans, but it's about the same." Malinin handed over the telegram in his hand and said, "Comrade Commander, look at the telegram sent by General Vakin. Out of nowhere, Komorowski announced to everyone that the Lyudov army was a rebel army and called on everyone to rise up and destroy them. At the same time he himself colluded with the Germans......"

"Bastard, what a bastard." After reading the contents of the telegram, Rokossovsky could not help but be furious, he handed the telegram to Zhukov, and at the same time said angrily: "Under the mediation of Komorowsky, the German army and the Krajov army reached an agreement, and from now on, the two sides will cease fire indefinitely and concentrate their forces against our two divisions in the city, as well as the rebel army that supports us, as well as the citizens of Warsaw." ”

"Hell, who gave him the guts to dare to do such a thing." After reading the telegram, Zhukov's emotions also became agitated: "It seems that we need to intensify our offensive against Warsaw and try to take the city into our hands as soon as possible." ”

"But Comrade Marshal, what shall we do?" Although Rokossovsky wanted to attack the city of Warsaw as soon as possible, he had limited forces at his disposal at the moment, so he said helplessly: "Our forces have been used to the limit, and we simply cannot draw more troops to strengthen the attack in the direction of Warsaw." ”

Zhukov thought for a moment, and then said: "Didn't the Supreme Command transfer two group armies from your front army some time ago as reserves for the base camp? As far as I know, Comrade Stalin intends to transfer these troops to the Ukrainian regions in a short time in order to intensify the offensive there. ”

Rokossovsky was also a smart man, and when he heard Zhukov say this, he immediately understood what he was going to express, and hurriedly and carefully asked: "Comrade Marshal, what do you mean, let us make a request to the Supreme High Command on the grounds of liberating Warsaw as soon as possible, so that they can return the two army groups that were siphoned out to us first. That's what it means, right? ”

After listening to Rokossovsky, Zhukov smiled, and then said: "You guessed it yourself, I didn't say anything." ”

"Yes, yes," Rokossovsky nodded, "Comrade Marshal, I understand that it is my personal idea to find the Supreme High Command to return those two army groups, and it has nothing to do with anyone. ”

Just as Rokossovsky ordered the head of the communications corps, Maximenko, to take over the phone from Moscow, the high-frequency telephone on the table rang. Zhukov, who was closest to the phone, grabbed the microphone and put it to his ear and said loudly: "I'm Zhukov, where are you?" ”

As soon as he finished asking this sentence, he heard Stalin's voice from the earpiece: "Comrade Zhukov, I am Stalin. I feel the need to talk to you. ”

Hearing that the caller was Stalin, Zhukov quickly got up from his seat and said respectfully: "Hello, Comrade Stalin! ”

I heard that the person who was talking to Zhukov was actually Stalin. The originally noisy command headquarters suddenly became quiet, and the commanders sitting around also stood up one after another, staring intently at Zhukov who was on the phone, as if they could understand the content of the conversation between the two just by looking at it.

"Comrade Zhukov," said Stalin on the phone, slowly, "after the study of the Supreme High Command decided that this is not the best time to attack Warsaw, our troops are too tired and have not been adequately replenished. We intend for the units of the 1st Belorussian Front to temporarily suspend all combat operations in the Vistula basin and move to the defense on the spot. ”

Hearing that Stalin intended to transfer the troops to the defense, Zhukov could not help but be shocked, and he hurriedly said: "Comrade Stalin, although the First Belorussian Front has suffered serious attrition in the early stage of its troops and has also shown signs of a shortage of ammunition, judging from their current situation, there should be no problem in liberating Warsaw in September or a little later. ”

"Comrade Zhukov," Stalin said in a fixed tone after listening to Zhukov's words, without any fluctuations in his mood: "We will not be able to provide sufficient supplies to Rokossovsky's troops for at least half a month. Do you think their existing weapons, ammunition and supplies can last more than half a month? ”

When Zhukov heard Stalin say this, he couldn't help but turn his head and look at Rokossovsky, who was standing next to him, and then sighed and replied: "I don't think they can hold out for half a month." ”