The Secret State Series #3
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Albright, a biographical essay by Yale historian Timothy Snyder, an afterword by Zbigniew Brzezinski, previously unpublished photos, notes, further reading, and a glossary—is an apt legacy for this hero of conscience during the most fraught and fragile moment in modern history.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 #3:
The Secret State #3 “Open Contact”
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 #3:
“Open Contact”
Bites #6-10,The New Plan:
by Jan Karski :
The Professor, for all his unopposing and eccentric appearance, was known to be an able underground leader. Evidently he had good reason for taking every possible precaution against showing his hand prematurely. It was even possible that another courier (messenger) had arrived before me and changed the pass word. It was extremely important to convince him of my authenticity for he was the leading figure in the civil underground and consequently indispensable in the task of carrying out the new plan. One of the reasons, perhaps, that he was able to accomplish so much, was just this extreme caution and the advantage of his innocent and unimpressive exterior. He was a small, thin, bird-like man, gray haired, wistful in expression, with narrow blinking eyes of a curious hazel color. “Professor,” I began, “I have just come from Warsaw. The underground there...” He had been gazing at me with a pretended indifference while I began to speak. At the word “underground” he edged away from me, assumed an expression of utter blankness, walked absent mindedly to the window, and stood there gazing outside as though he had completely forgotten that I was in the room. “The underground have instructed me to inform you of the new plan.” I continued lamelessly with no better success than before. I ceased to ponder for a moment and then I advanced to the window and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around sharply and glared at me angrily! “Don’t you recognize one of your former pupils?” I asked smiling. “Don’t you remember asking me to come back and look you up when I was about to go abroad in 1935?” ---- “Yes! I recognize you!” He blinked at me. I could see he was still uncertain. He had been very fond of me but he had no way of knowing who I was at present. “I am very busy now.” he said. “You can meet me in the park in two hours. I must go now to give my lecture.
#7)Two Different Worlds:
I met the Professor at the park between the older and smaller of the two Lwow University buildings. The building of this institute was humble compared to the other which was housed in a palace during the Austrian occupation in the 18th Century. I began to explain the plans and desires of the Polish authorities in Warsaw. He was in instant sympathy with most of the ideas. In fact, he was quite ready to cooperate in the realization of the system of organization that been outlined to me. There seemed to be some holding back on his part; the nature and the cause of which, I had made an unsuccessful effort to have him reveal. Instead of explaining his hesitations he questioned me closely about the prevailing conditions in Warsaw, the strength of our organization and the methods it employed. “There is one thing you must understand and tell the men in Warsaw,” he began. “The Gestapo and the GPU are two entirely different organizations. The men of the Russian Secret Police are more clever and better trained. Their police methods are more superior. They are less crude and more scientific and systematic. Many of the ruses and practices which work well in Warsaw will not do as well in Lwow. Very often the various branches of the underground can not take the risk of contacting each other because of the difficulty of eluding the GPU agents and even knowing who they are.” ----- I had not realized things were so difficult here but they really are Two different worlds.
#8)Trust Not in a Brother:
The Professor was poised, sure, and spoke with a calm voice. Every question he had asked me had revealed an unusual insight. His whole conversation indicated a resourcefulness; an ability to calculate shrewdly, a level headed tenacity that was difficult to associate with this short bird-like figure in this ridiculously long jacket. I wondered how much of this costume was deliberately deceptive? I remembered he had much the same manner in the days when I had been his pupil. It seemed to me that it was exaggerated for protective purposes. “However,” he continued. “I would like you to inform the others in Warsaw that I am in complete accord with their principles. I will do my utmost to help carry out their plan. They must understand our difficulties and do their best to help us and be tolerant of our shortcomings.” -- I told him I was certain they would understand and together we would be able to work out methods to overcome the obstacles. After our official discussion was over we sat and talked about old times. He suggested that I stay in a hotel and not come to his home; to talk to as few people as possible, and be inconspicuous. I asked to see the Professor again. He suggested the park would be the best place.
#9Escaping from Lwow:
The next day I decided to see the major figure of the underground, on whom the success of my mission depended. He was the owner of a clothing store in the center of the business district of Lwow. He was the head of the military division of the Lwow underground. I entered the store and found him alone. “What can I do for you?” he asked. “Greetings from Antoine.” I whispered. “I have a message for you.” .... again, a suspicious glance. I remembered what the Professor had told me about the Russian Police. I wracked my brain for some formula to convince him of the authenticity of my mission. It also occurred to me how I, in turn, could be sure of the identity of my customer. This curiosity was soon satisfied. “Come into the back room.” he said curtly. I went willingly, convinced that I had the right man. “I am from Warsaw.” I said. “I have information to give you.” ... “I don’t know anyone in Warsaw except one or two relatives!” he snapped! I told him my name is John Karski and my mission is to improve underground relations between Lwow and Warsaw and I wanted to inform him of our new plan for the organization. I saw him measuring me carefully. I reasoned that he probably had never heard of my name. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” he asked. There was nothing further to be done. Later on that day I met the Professor and described what had occurred. He informed me that the man normally who decided not to talk had good grounds for his silence. many had fallen into the clutches of the police by trusting human nature. The Professor said the message would be given wide circulation in Lwow underground. After familiarizing myself with the underground problems I returned to Warsaw using the same channel as I had previously used.
#10Mission to France:
It was winter when I took the train from Warsaw to Zakopane, the official starting point to my route to France: Zakopane is a village about five miles before the Polish/Czech border in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains. It was rather well known as a resort for winter vacations. It was good territory for ski enthusiasts. In a cabin on the outskirts of the village I met my guide, and two other men, who were to accompany us across the border as far as Kosice, a Czech city which had been incorporated into Hungary after the partition in 1939. We were to pretend to be a simple skiing party. We were excellent skiers and my guide was a former ski instructor. At dawn the next day we set out through then Slovakian Mountains. It was cold and in my ski outfit I felt a sense of luxury in my close fitting woolen pull over and my thick socks and well made boots. We began in high spirits, with a sense of exhilaration, as though we were about to go on an excursion in normal times, rather than a serious and possibly dangerous adventure. The guide seemed a trifle bored by the whole affair and warned us to restrain ourselves and to conserve our energy. We had a long trip ahead of us. We passed our nights in mountain caves or huge dug outs made by the shepherds. On one occasion, climbing on a high snowy ledge, we saw figures moving, far down below us, near a group of tiny huts. We continued on our way. On the Hungarian frontier our party split up. The three of us continued on to France by a different route than mine.
I met the Professor at the park between the older and smaller of the two Lwow University buildings. The building of this institute was humble compared to the other which was housed in a palace during the Austrian occupation in the 18th Century. I began to explain the plans and desires of the Polish authorities in Warsaw. He was in instant sympathy with most of the ideas. In fact, he was quite ready to cooperate in the realization of the system of organization that been outlined to me. There seemed to be some holding back on his part; the nature and the cause of which, I had made an unsuccessful effort to have him reveal. Instead of explaining his hesitations he questioned me closely about the prevailing conditions in Warsaw, the strength of our organization and the methods it employed. “There is one thing you must understand and tell the men in Warsaw,” he began. “The Gestapo and the GPU are two entirely different organizations. The men of the Russian Secret Police are more clever and better trained. Their police methods are more superior. They are less crude and more scientific and systematic. Many of the ruses and practices which work well in Warsaw will not do as well in Lwow. Very often the various branches of the underground can not take the risk of contacting each other because of the difficulty of eluding the GPU agents and even knowing who they are.” ----- I had not realized things were so difficult here but they really are Two different worlds.
#8)Trust Not in a Brother:
The Professor was poised, sure, and spoke with a calm voice. Every question he had asked me had revealed an unusual insight. His whole conversation indicated a resourcefulness; an ability to calculate shrewdly, a level headed tenacity that was difficult to associate with this short bird-like figure in this ridiculously long jacket. I wondered how much of this costume was deliberately deceptive? I remembered he had much the same manner in the days when I had been his pupil. It seemed to me that it was exaggerated for protective purposes. “However,” he continued. “I would like you to inform the others in Warsaw that I am in complete accord with their principles. I will do my utmost to help carry out their plan. They must understand our difficulties and do their best to help us and be tolerant of our shortcomings.” -- I told him I was certain they would understand and together we would be able to work out methods to overcome the obstacles. After our official discussion was over we sat and talked about old times. He suggested that I stay in a hotel and not come to his home; to talk to as few people as possible, and be inconspicuous. I asked to see the Professor again. He suggested the park would be the best place.
#9Escaping from Lwow:
The next day I decided to see the major figure of the underground, on whom the success of my mission depended. He was the owner of a clothing store in the center of the business district of Lwow. He was the head of the military division of the Lwow underground. I entered the store and found him alone. “What can I do for you?” he asked. “Greetings from Antoine.” I whispered. “I have a message for you.” .... again, a suspicious glance. I remembered what the Professor had told me about the Russian Police. I wracked my brain for some formula to convince him of the authenticity of my mission. It also occurred to me how I, in turn, could be sure of the identity of my customer. This curiosity was soon satisfied. “Come into the back room.” he said curtly. I went willingly, convinced that I had the right man. “I am from Warsaw.” I said. “I have information to give you.” ... “I don’t know anyone in Warsaw except one or two relatives!” he snapped! I told him my name is John Karski and my mission is to improve underground relations between Lwow and Warsaw and I wanted to inform him of our new plan for the organization. I saw him measuring me carefully. I reasoned that he probably had never heard of my name. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” he asked. There was nothing further to be done. Later on that day I met the Professor and described what had occurred. He informed me that the man normally who decided not to talk had good grounds for his silence. many had fallen into the clutches of the police by trusting human nature. The Professor said the message would be given wide circulation in Lwow underground. After familiarizing myself with the underground problems I returned to Warsaw using the same channel as I had previously used.
#10Mission to France:
It was winter when I took the train from Warsaw to Zakopane, the official starting point to my route to France: Zakopane is a village about five miles before the Polish/Czech border in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains. It was rather well known as a resort for winter vacations. It was good territory for ski enthusiasts. In a cabin on the outskirts of the village I met my guide, and two other men, who were to accompany us across the border as far as Kosice, a Czech city which had been incorporated into Hungary after the partition in 1939. We were to pretend to be a simple skiing party. We were excellent skiers and my guide was a former ski instructor. At dawn the next day we set out through then Slovakian Mountains. It was cold and in my ski outfit I felt a sense of luxury in my close fitting woolen pull over and my thick socks and well made boots. We began in high spirits, with a sense of exhilaration, as though we were about to go on an excursion in normal times, rather than a serious and possibly dangerous adventure. The guide seemed a trifle bored by the whole affair and warned us to restrain ourselves and to conserve our energy. We had a long trip ahead of us. We passed our nights in mountain caves or huge dug outs made by the shepherds. On one occasion, climbing on a high snowy ledge, we saw figures moving, far down below us, near a group of tiny huts. We continued on our way. On the Hungarian frontier our party split up. The three of us continued on to France by a different route than mine.
(to be continued) ....
(To be continued )
Daily Bites of The Secret State Series #3 “Open Contacts:
Bite #11-15, Border Meetings:
#12) My Light Afflictions:
#13) Meeting the Top Contact:
#14) Recovering in Budapest:
#15) German Deception Leads to Slavery:
#13) Meeting the Top Contact:
#14) Recovering in Budapest:
#15) German Deception Leads to Slavery:
by Jan Karski 1944 :
“From The Secret State”
The Secret State: Series 3:
#1 A Worthwhile Task:
#2) By the Light of the Moon:
#3) Through Forests and Fields:
#4) Across the German Border:
#5) The Next Train Out:
#6) The New Plan:
#7) Two Different Worlds:
#8) Trust not in a Brother:
#9) Escaping from Lwow:
#10) Mission to France:
#11) Border Meetings:
#12) My Light Afflictions:
#13) Meeting the Top Contact:
#14) Recovering in Budapest:
#15) German Deception Leads to Slavery:
#16) Coping with German Spies:
#17) On the Train to Paris:
#18) No Turning Back:
#19) The Phony War in Paris:
#20) Leaving for Angers:
#21) Creating a Free Militia:
#22) Unfortunate Pre- War Rulers:
#23) Post War Poland:
#24) Remember the History of Poland:
#25) Not an Ordinary War:
#26) The Doctrine of the Polish Underground:
#27) Creating a Third Branch:
#28) Selecting Chief Delegates:
#29) The Fatal Error:
#30) Manifesto 0f Walnosc (Liberty)
#1 A Worthwhile Task:
#2) By the Light of the Moon:
#3) Through Forests and Fields:
#4) Across the German Border:
#5) The Next Train Out:
#6) The New Plan:
#7) Two Different Worlds:
#8) Trust not in a Brother:
#9) Escaping from Lwow:
#10) Mission to France:
#11) Border Meetings:
#12) My Light Afflictions:
#13) Meeting the Top Contact:
#14) Recovering in Budapest:
#15) German Deception Leads to Slavery:
#16) Coping with German Spies:
#17) On the Train to Paris:
#18) No Turning Back:
#19) The Phony War in Paris:
#20) Leaving for Angers:
#21) Creating a Free Militia:
#22) Unfortunate Pre- War Rulers:
#23) Post War Poland:
#24) Remember the History of Poland:
#25) Not an Ordinary War:
#26) The Doctrine of the Polish Underground:
#27) Creating a Third Branch:
#28) Selecting Chief Delegates:
#29) The Fatal Error:
#30) Manifesto 0f Walnosc (Liberty)
LibertygroupFreedom
https://redd.it/6y400k
To be Continued in the Next Daily Bites of “The Secret State Series #3”
"FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM AND LIBERTY"
Stand Up To Government Corruption and Hypocrisy
NEVER FORGET THE SACRIFICES
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