It was established by law on 3 July 1981 in order to honor the participants of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944.

The decoration was awarded to persons who took an active part in the Warsaw Uprising.

The Cross could also have been awarded to foreigners if they took part in the Uprising or contributed to the fighting in some major way.

Until 1989 the Cross was awarded by the Polish Council of State and later by the President of Poland, on the recommendation of: The first Warsaw Uprising Crosses were awarded on 1 August 1981 to 100 former soldiers of the Uprising, among others Gen. Jan Mazurkiewicz (Radosław) -–commander of the Home Army, Gen. Franciszek Kamiński – commander of the Bataliony Chłopskie, Col. Maria Wittek - commander of Military Women's Service, as well as Mieczysław Fogg and Lesław Bartelski.

On 16 October 1992, a law was passed which ended the awarding of the medal on 8 May 1999.