The Secret State Series #5
Story of a Secret State stands as one of the most poignant and inspiring memoirs of World War II and the Holocaust. With elements of a spy thriller, documenting his experiences in the Polish Underground, and as one of the first accounts of the systematic slaughter of the Jews by the German Nazis, this volume is a remarkable testimony of one man's courage and a nation's struggle for resistance against overwhelming oppression.
Karski was a brilliant young diplomat when war broke out in 1939 with Hitler's invasion of Poland. Taken prisoner by the Soviet Red Army, which had simultaneously invaded from the East, Karski narrowly escaped the subsequent Katyn Forest Massacre. He became a member of the Polish Underground, the most significant resistance movement in occupied Europe, acting as a liaison and courier between the Underground and the Polish government-in-exile. He was twice smuggled into the Warsaw Ghetto, and entered the Nazi's Izbica transit camp disguised as a guard, witnessing first-hand the horrors of the Holocaust.
Karski's courage and testimony, conveyed in a breathtaking manner in Story of a Secret State, offer the narrative of one of the world's greatest eyewitnesses and an inspiration for all of humanity, emboldening each of us to rise to the challenge of standing up against evil and for human rights. This definitive edition—which includes a foreword by Madeleine Albright, a biographical essay by Yale historian Timothy Snyder, an afterword by Zbigniew Brzezinski, previously unpublished photos, notes, further reading, and a glossary—is an apt legacy for this hero of conscience during the most fraught and fragile moment in modern history.
Karski was a brilliant young diplomat when war broke out in 1939 with Hitler's invasion of Poland. Taken prisoner by the Soviet Red Army, which had simultaneously invaded from the East, Karski narrowly escaped the subsequent Katyn Forest Massacre. He became a member of the Polish Underground, the most significant resistance movement in occupied Europe, acting as a liaison and courier between the Underground and the Polish government-in-exile. He was twice smuggled into the Warsaw Ghetto, and entered the Nazi's Izbica transit camp disguised as a guard, witnessing first-hand the horrors of the Holocaust.
Karski's courage and testimony, conveyed in a breathtaking manner in Story of a Secret State, offer the narrative of one of the world's greatest eyewitnesses and an inspiration for all of humanity, emboldening each of us to rise to the challenge of standing up against evil and for human rights. This definitive edition—which includes a foreword by Madeleine Albright, a biographical essay by Yale historian Timothy Snyder, an afterword by Zbigniew Brzezinski, previously unpublished photos, notes, further reading, and a glossary—is an apt legacy for this hero of conscience during the most fraught and fragile moment in modern history.
Jan Karski was born in ód , Poland, in 1914.
He received a degree in Law and Diplomatic Science in 1935 and served as a liaison officer of the Polish Underground during World War II. He carried the first eyewitness report of the Holocaust to a mostly unbelieving West, meeting with President Roosevelt in 1943 to plead for Allied intervention. Story of a Secret State was originally published in 1944, becoming a bestseller and Book of the Month Club selection. After the war, Karski earned his PhD at Georgetown University, where he served as a distinguished professor in the School of Foreign Service for forty years. He died in Washington, DC, in 2000. Karski has been recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem. In 2012, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by our President.
"His wartime saga as officer, as Soviet prisoner, as escapee, in the hands of the Gestapo, and as a Polish Underground activist and courier, is beyond remarkable. In a world today where words such as 'courage' and 'heroism' have been so overused—applied freely from sports to entertainment to politics as to be rendered practically meaningless—Jan Karski was the rare human being who embodied both."
He received a degree in Law and Diplomatic Science in 1935 and served as a liaison officer of the Polish Underground during World War II. He carried the first eyewitness report of the Holocaust to a mostly unbelieving West, meeting with President Roosevelt in 1943 to plead for Allied intervention. Story of a Secret State was originally published in 1944, becoming a bestseller and Book of the Month Club selection. After the war, Karski earned his PhD at Georgetown University, where he served as a distinguished professor in the School of Foreign Service for forty years. He died in Washington, DC, in 2000. Karski has been recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem. In 2012, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by our President.
"His wartime saga as officer, as Soviet prisoner, as escapee, in the hands of the Gestapo, and as a Polish Underground activist and courier, is beyond remarkable. In a world today where words such as 'courage' and 'heroism' have been so overused—applied freely from sports to entertainment to politics as to be rendered practically meaningless—Jan Karski was the rare human being who embodied both."
"In the words of James Russell Lowell's rousing hymn:
'Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide, in the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side.' Perhaps more than most of us, Jan Karski faced such a choice in the starkest of possible terms, and made his decision as courageously as one could. . . . Jan Karski was a patriot and a truth teller; may his words always be read and his legacy never forgotten.
"Secret State is an indispensable and compelling historical document of World War II and the Holocaust, written by a supremely courageous humanitarian."
"Secret State is an indispensable and compelling historical document of World War II and the Holocaust, written by a supremely courageous humanitarian."
The Secret State Series #5:
The Secret State #5 “Forbidden to Die”
by Jan Karski: Highlights and excerpts by PL Sturgis:
by Jan Karski: Highlights and excerpts by PL Sturgis:
The Secret state Series 1: “The Underground” by Jan Karski:
Introduction: During my four and a half months absence while captured by the Russians and the the Germans, Conditions in Poland had changed considerably. The first few conversations made me conscious of the fact that the consolidation of the underground had practically been achieved. The movement had crystallized into the major organization: The coalition of the four largest political parties;
1) The Peasants
2) The Socialist
3) The Christian Labor
4) The Nationalist.
This was the official military organization which had been recognized by the government as a military unit enjoying equal rights with the Polish Army in France. The most important need for that third party was to unite and agree on a chief delegate. The government was not interested in the personality of the candidate, nor his political affiliation, nor was he to become involved in party representation. The government would confirm the appointment of any individual who possessed authority and had the confidence of the population.
(hmmmm? 1940 sounds familiar in 2017)
The Polish underground State to which Karski belonged was under the authority of the Polish government in London. He admitted that besides this organization there were other organizations carrying on their activities under the direct influence of Moscow. Being the first active member of the Polish Underground and in the fortunate position to publish some aspect of its story, he hoped that it would encourage others to relate their experiences and that out of such narratives the free people all over the world would be able to form an objective opinion as to how the Polish people reacted during the years of German conquest.
Daily Bites of The Secret State Series #5:
“Forbidden to Die”
Bites #6-10,France Surrenders:
#7: Deep Despair:
#8) Germany’s Fake News:
#9) Forced to Leave the Hospital:
#10) Back in the Prison Cell:
by Jan Karski :
Although the Slovakian doctors and nurses were kind to me and considerate of all my needs and wants, I was still wary of conversing with them. the eternal presence of the Gestapo guards did nothing to inspire my desire for any exchange of confidences. I had an unconscious resentment against the doctor who would not allow me to die, but as the days passed I could see that the doctors and nurses were sincere in their effort to try to help me. To my astonishment it developed that everyone in the hospital had heard of me. The patients frequently expressed their sympathy by sending little gifts of chocolates and oranges. The Gestapo agents who were assigned to guard my room did little to disturb me. with the complacency of the overfed watch dog guards, they spent most of their time dozing in their chairs propped against the wall in the corridor. On the fifth day lying in bed became intolerable. When the nun who had held the thermometer in my mouth that first day came into my room again, I implored her to get me a newspaper. She gave me a warning glance but finally consented. Before too long she returned with a neatly folded copy of a Slovakian newspaper. The headlines in huge black letters exploded in my brain like a bomb. “France Surrenders!” Word for word I read the account beneath the headlines. I read it over and over as if repetition might change what I thought was a lie fed to me by the SS Nazi Lieutenant. The report was brief. French resistance has crumbled in absolute obedience. Germany has mastered Western Europe.
#7) Deep Despair:
It took me a few minutes to read and grasp the facts. “France surrenders to absolute obedience. Germany has mastered Western Europe: For hundreds of years we, at Poland, have been bound by cultural and historical ties that made France more than a country. France is another motherland to us and we love her with a deep increasing love and we love her as much as we love Poland. Moreover, we had based the hope for Poland’s freedom on a French victory. After reading this I could see no hope. Then I realized the article contained no information on the fate of Great Britain. I searched the pages feverishly until I came to the word “England.” I read further----”England Commits Suicide!” Then I thought: “This is really the end!” But finishing reading the article my whole world changed: “England continues to resist!” I wanted to rise up so I could kneel and pray because it read: “England will surely commit suicide by her continued resistance!” I suppose I prayed the way all free people were praying in those days, but I prayed with a passion that was known only by those who had once been defeated. I prayed that God would give Churchill strength for the trials he was undergoing. I prayed for the steadfast and stubborn resistance for Britain’s fighting men. I prayed they would never admit defeat and I prayed for the courage of all those who did not back down in this struggle. Everything else became secondary to the prime fact that England did not back down. They refuse to surrender. With that strong hope I let the newspaper slide to the floor and closed my eyes.
#8) Germany’s Fake News:
Each day when the doctor came to my room to examine me I would beg him for further news about England. Often he could not talk because the Gestapo guards were near. Sometimes while bending over me he managed to whisper a few words in my ear. He told me about Dunkirk; about the bombing of England; the coming German invasion; the low civilian morale in England and strife within the British Government. The news was bad and he was pessimistic. He said Germany was invincible and England would have to surrender within a few days. I was not dismayed. I had the feeling his information had been gleaned from German sources and I know about their ability to twist into the fabric of truth any fancies which suited the Nazi purposes. I made no comment. I knew England. I had been there in 1937 and 38. There were things I disliked in their national character. Many did not care to understand continental Europe, but they were also stubborn, strong, and realistic. A Frenchmen or a Polish citizen may commit suicide for a lost cause but England? Never! They will not gamble recklessly with a worthless hand. If they still resist it is because they have calculated and have seen a chance of winning. I was not interested in their idealism. I have seen the Nazis crush idealism. I pinned all my hopes on British common sense alone.
Each day when the doctor came to my room to examine me I would beg him for further news about England. Often he could not talk because the Gestapo guards were near. Sometimes while bending over me he managed to whisper a few words in my ear. He told me about Dunkirk; about the bombing of England; the coming German invasion; the low civilian morale in England and strife within the British Government. The news was bad and he was pessimistic. He said Germany was invincible and England would have to surrender within a few days. I was not dismayed. I had the feeling his information had been gleaned from German sources and I know about their ability to twist into the fabric of truth any fancies which suited the Nazi purposes. I made no comment. I knew England. I had been there in 1937 and 38. There were things I disliked in their national character. Many did not care to understand continental Europe, but they were also stubborn, strong, and realistic. A Frenchmen or a Polish citizen may commit suicide for a lost cause but England? Never! They will not gamble recklessly with a worthless hand. If they still resist it is because they have calculated and have seen a chance of winning. I was not interested in their idealism. I have seen the Nazis crush idealism. I pinned all my hopes on British common sense alone.
#9) Forced to Leave the Hospital:
On the seventh day, early in the morning, two Gestapo guards stamped into my room. One flung a bundle of clothes on my bed and turned to his companion ordering him to get me dressed. The shorter scrawny guard swaggered to my bed. I said nothing. I lay there with my eyes closed, feigning weakness. His face reddened with anger. “Get up you Polish Swine!” he roared. His roar was heard by the doctor who hurried indignantly into the room. “What do you mean by trying to get him out of bed?” he snapped at them. “He is very sick man. He can not be moved! “Oh, can’t he?” The tall guard sneered. “You take care of your pills doctor, and leave our prisoner to us!” The doctor was livid with suppressed rage. He jerked the clothes from the short guard’s hand. “I will help him dress!” he said curtly. Then the two Gestapo guards sat down and lit their cigarettes. While the doctor buttoned my shirt he whispered in my ear: “Act as sick as you can. I will telephone.” I nodded, signifying my comprehension. We walked through the dimly lit corridor, the Gestapo guards holding me up. My arms were still encased with splints and had to be held stiffly at a distance from my body. As soon as we emerged from the hospital I pretended to be on the verge of collapsing. I staggered and reeled in the blinding sunlight. They put their arms around my body and swearing under their breath, shoved me into a sleek automobile that was waiting in front of the hospital. We drove off.
On the seventh day, early in the morning, two Gestapo guards stamped into my room. One flung a bundle of clothes on my bed and turned to his companion ordering him to get me dressed. The shorter scrawny guard swaggered to my bed. I said nothing. I lay there with my eyes closed, feigning weakness. His face reddened with anger. “Get up you Polish Swine!” he roared. His roar was heard by the doctor who hurried indignantly into the room. “What do you mean by trying to get him out of bed?” he snapped at them. “He is very sick man. He can not be moved! “Oh, can’t he?” The tall guard sneered. “You take care of your pills doctor, and leave our prisoner to us!” The doctor was livid with suppressed rage. He jerked the clothes from the short guard’s hand. “I will help him dress!” he said curtly. Then the two Gestapo guards sat down and lit their cigarettes. While the doctor buttoned my shirt he whispered in my ear: “Act as sick as you can. I will telephone.” I nodded, signifying my comprehension. We walked through the dimly lit corridor, the Gestapo guards holding me up. My arms were still encased with splints and had to be held stiffly at a distance from my body. As soon as we emerged from the hospital I pretended to be on the verge of collapsing. I staggered and reeled in the blinding sunlight. They put their arms around my body and swearing under their breath, shoved me into a sleek automobile that was waiting in front of the hospital. We drove off.
#10) Back in the Prison Cell:
The keen air coming from the window of the car revived me. I kept drawing deep breaths but with each breath I could feel the eyes of the Gestapo guards upon me. I displayed new symptoms. My actions must have been convincing. the tall guard who dominated the other guard demanded the driver to slow down. “We don’t want this bird to hemorrhage. We must deliver him in good shape.” He said this with a mocking evil grin. We approached the prison gate. the gray walls loomed up before me, grim, dreadful, and utterly devoid of hope. I cast about wildly for a chance to hurl myself out of the car but before I could reach a decision the wheels were grinding to a halt. The short guard nudged me. “Get out Darling. We are home.” he mocked idiotically. I peered at them as if I had lost all control of my volition and sat there rigid and unresponsive. The tall guard opened the door and stepped out. The other guard spun me around and pushed me through the door into the arms of his waiting colleague. They drug me forward through the door of the prison office. As we crossed the threshold I caught a glimpse of one of the former inquisitors. Then I stumbled deliberately, pretending to collapse, and sagged to the floor in a heap. the youthful Gestapo official prompted them ironically: “How long are you going to stare at him? He won’t float up to his cell! If it isn’t asking too much, please take him to his cell and give the man some water!” Muttering under their breath they lifted me up.
(to be continued) ....
(To be continued )
Daily Bites of The Secret State Series #5
“Forbidden to Die”
#12) The Kind Slovakian Guard:
#13) When Death is a Privilege:
#14) Help from the Enemy:
#15) Back in the Hospital:
#13) When Death is a Privilege:
#14) Help from the Enemy:
#15) Back in the Hospital:
by Jan Karski 1944 :
“From The Secret State”
#1) Attempting Suicide:
#2) In a Slovakian Hospital:
#3) Unwanted Blood Transfusion:
#4) Planning a Second attempt to Die:
#5) Mingled Emotions:
#6) France Surrenders:
#7: Deep Despair:
#8) Germany’s Fake News:
#9) Forced to Leave the Hospital:
#10) Back in the Prison Cell:
#11) Beloved Mother Land:
#12) The Kind Slovakian Guard:
#13) When Death is a Privilege:
#14) Help from the Enemy:
#15) Back in the Hospital:
#16) The Message in the Roses:
#17) The Deceivers are Deceived:
#18) Back to Where I Started:
#19) Beloved Mother Land:
#20) Doctor’s Orders:
#21) Requesting a Priest:
#22) Risking Everything:
#23) A Small Break Through:
#24) A Taste of Liberty:
#25) A Feeling of Security:
#26) Path to Freedom:
#27) Now or Never:
#28) Freedom is not Free:
#29) Hearts of Gold:
#30) A Free Man Once Again:
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