The Secret State Series #10
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Albright, a biographical essay by Yale historian Timothy Snyder, an afterword by Zbigniew Brzezinski, previously unpublished photos, notes, further reading, and a glossary—is an apt legacy for this hero of conscience during the most fraught and fragile moment in modern history.
Jan Karski was born in ód , Poland, in 1914. 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.
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."
"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 #10:
“How the War was Won” The Atlantic Charter: Declaration of War:
by Jan Karski:
Highlights and excerpts by PL Sturgis:
Reference Collier's Encyclopedia: Book 2 page 431:
Highlights PL Sturgis:
A Declaration was made in a joint statement issued August 14,1941, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill, following a meeting held aboard the USS somewhere in the North Atlantic August 9 through 12. The charter sets forth the principles of the United States and the United Kingdom propose to shape their national policies ---DURING THE PERIOD OF WORLD WAR 2 AND THE POST WAR PERIOD!
The text of the statement follows:
The President of the United States of America and the Prime Minister Winston Churchill, representing His majesty’s government in United Kingdom, being met together deem it right to make known certain in the national policies of their respective countries, on which they base their hopes for a better future for the world.
1. Our countries seek no increase in power: territorial or other:
2. Our country's desire to see no territorial changes that do not accord with the fully expressed wishes of the people concerned.
3. Our countries respect the right of all people to choose the form of government under which they will live. They wish to see sovereign rights and self government restored to those who have been deprived of them.
4. Our countries will endeavor with due respect for their existing obligations to further the enjoyment by all States, great or small, victor or vanquished, of access on equal terms to the trade and the raw materials of the world which are needed for their economic prosperity.
5. All countries deserve to bring about the fullest collaboration in the economic field with the object of security for all improved labor standards, economic advancement, and social security.
6. After the final destruction of the Nazi tyranny we hope to see established a peace which will afford to all nations the meaning of dwelling in safety within our own boundaries, and which will afford assurance that all people in all Lands may live out their lives in freedom from fear and want.
7. such a peace should enable all people to travel the high seas and oceans without hindrance.
8. Our countries believe that all nations of the world, for realistic as well as spiritual reasons, must come to the abandonment of the use of force. Since no future peace can be maintained if land, sea, or air, armaments continued to be employed by nations which threaten aggression outside of their frontiers, our countries believe, pending the system of general security, the destruction of such national regimes is essential. This will likewise aid and encourage all other people of their crushing burden of armaments. Declaration of War:
Daily Bites of The Secret State Series #10:
How the War was Won:
“The Atlantic Charter” by Roosevelt and Churchill”
Bites #16-20,The Old Spaniard:
#17) Landing in Barcelona:
#18) Reaching my Contact:
#19) Meeting the Consul General:
#20) Receiving the Necessary Certificates:
#18) Reaching my Contact:
#19) Meeting the Consul General:
#20) Receiving the Necessary Certificates:
by Jan Karski :
#16) The Old Spaniard:
My guide returned to the cave in obvious gloom. His friend’s brother had informed him that our contact had been arrested. Now it was impossible to board the train to get to the border. We sat there in the cave wracking our brains to try to make plans for our next move when we saw two figures coming toward us carrying knapsacks. It was too late to hide. Anyway, they seemed as frightened as we were. My guide hailed to them. “Are you from France?” the old man asked in a shaky voice. The man said he was a french Officer with his teenage son. I invited them to join us and they gladly accepted. We decided to conquer the mountains. As we walked a few yards ahead of the man and his son we came upon a clump of trees and were startled by a voice addressing us on the side of a road. A little investigation revealed an old Spaniard sitting with his daughter in a little clearing. A lively conversation ensued between him and my guide as the rest of us waited. At one stage of their dialogue I heard my guide shout surprisingly, “BARCELONA?” The old man was a bitter anti fascist. He invited us all to his house to take shelter and naturally, we accepted. The old Spaniard was the most hospitable of hosts. We washed, shaved, got presentable clothes, a hot meal, a sociable conversation in the parlor, and a peaceful night’s rest. The next morning the old Spaniard informed us that he had plans to help us get to Barcelona. He sat out for the village and returned about noon just beaming. We were as excited as a group of schoolboys. “Everything is taken care of,” he said. “You have nothing to worry about.”
#17) Landing in Barcelona:
The old Spaniard disclosed his plan. We would proceed to the railroad station, buy our tickets for Barcelona and get on the train. Once we were on the train the conductor would take excellent care of us and show us what to do. The conductor would be told all about us by the fireman who was a bosom friend of the old Spaniard. The only thing we needed to do was trust them and obey instructions and join the French Army. We all thanked him but we held a worried conversation. Then again, what other opportunity was presented? None. We sat out at dawn the next day. We followed all the instructions. The train car we boarded was empty except for one sleepy looking guy with a basket in one corner and two women in the other corner. Our important contact told us to get off the train one stop before Barcelona. He unlocked the door and disappeared waving farewell. As the train ground slowly to stop we leaped off the train and scurried away. We knew the only sensible thing would be to play a lone hand. I was on a little path cutting through the trees and proceeding parallel to the railroad tracks. Dusk was falling and in the distance I could see the hazy glare of a city. Barcelona, no doubt. The walk to Barcelona lasted several hours. I was tired and hungry. I walked till it was well passed dawn hoping to run into my contact’s street. When people started leaving their houses to go to work I asked someone where I could find the street. An old gentlemen informed me with signs and a few French words. I thanked him and continued on my way.
#18) Reaching my Contact:
I found quite easily, the butcher shop for which I had been told to look . I had been told it did not open till noon. The shutters were drawn so I wrapped on the shutters with my fist. “Who’s there?” I heard a soft voice answer from behind the shutters in a French accent. I gave him the pass word. “I am from Perpignan. Fernando sent me. Honest people will find their hearts.” The shop door opened and a tiny man with rosy cheeks stood there. Inside the shop the little man asked me to sit down at a well polished oak table. I felt tired and hungry but relaxed and successful. I had made it to Barcelona. here I sat under a friendly roof. He brought me a bottle of wine and some hot spicy Spanish food. He showed not the slightest trace of excitement and apparently was quite used to customers like myself. He did not ask a single question about my long, unbearable, and rough trip. Instead he talked about the war and politics. He launched into a series of fierce complaints about the fascists. I asked him if many people in the country shared his opinions. He assured me that everyone did and the only support the German regime had came from the Army and the Police. In the afternoon, after having slept awhile on a hard bench in the back room of the shop, and making myself presentable, I went off to search out this friendly country.
#19) Meeting the Consul General:
As I walked into the French Government Office it was crowded with clients. It was mostly young men whispering to each other. I went to a desk where a pretty young girl sat. “What can I do for you” she asked. “I would like to have a personal interview with the Consul General.” I said. She looked at me closely. “What is your name?” I gave her the name that had been used in the radio message about me. Then I added, “This is extremely urgent!” She left and returned in about ten minutes to let me know that the Consul General would see me. The room into which she ushered me was spacious and well furnished. Behind the desk sat an elderly looking man. He scrutinized me carefully and then inquired : “Do you speak Spanish?” --- “Unfortunately not,” I said. “Do you speak English?” --- “Yes!” -- “Where do you come from?” ----”I came to see Aunt Sophie.” --- “What is your name?” I gave him the name again. “Have you any identification papers?” I was under the impression that my words would be my identification. ---- “All is well, Mr. Karski. We welcome you here. You are almost on allied soil. I hope you will feel at home among us. I wish to express my appreciation, not only to you but, to all your comrades in Poland who have contributed to our victory. The conversation that followed was pleasant and to the point. We discussed living conditions in occupied Europe, the methods of domination used by the Germans; and the means of resistance used by those they attempted to dominate. (to be continued) Receiving the Necessary Certificates:
#20) Receiving the Necessary Certificates:
The Consul General provided me with the necessary certificates and papers and turned me over to a clerk who was to help me buy a decent outfit. As I was about to leave I asked him, if in the event of my arrest, if they would be able to prove that my stay in this country was legal. His answering smile was subtle and charming. “Young man, there have been many changes in the past two years. Then, you might have been thrown into prison or extradited. Now, the worst that can happen is that you may be held over for a day or two until we can intervene.” The clerk escorted me to a sleek limousine bearing the initials “CD” Corp Diplomatique on the license plate. We drove for about eight hours and came to a halt in Madrid before a handsome private Villa in the diplomatic section. My host was an hospitable,cultured, middle aged man, whose general occupation I could not determine. He spoke every European language fluently. After three very pleasant days, during which a message arrived from my government assuring me they were aware of my movements, my host informed me that I was to leave for Algeria. That evening I was to have papers and a certificate identifying me as a Spaniard on a visit to his family. Two Spaniards would accompany me. On the train he cautioned me to pretend I was sleepy when I handed over my papers. “If you are questioned an arrest will follow.” he warned. Don’t worry, if you should be arrested because your body guards will report it to us.
(to be continued) ....
(To be continued )
Daily Bites of The Secret State Series #10
How the War was Won:
“The Atlantic Charter” by Roosevelt and Churchill”
Bites #21-25, Through Algeria to London:
#22) Two Days of Preliminary Reports:
#23) Reporting to Poland’s Underground Leader:
#24) General Sikorski’s Report to United Nations:
#25) A Friend and a Commander in Chief:
Bites #21-25, Through Algeria to London:
#22) Two Days of Preliminary Reports:
#23) Reporting to Poland’s Underground Leader:
#24) General Sikorski’s Report to United Nations:
#25) A Friend and a Commander in Chief:
by Jan Karski 1944 :
“From The Secret State”
The Secret State: Series 10:
#2) Escaping the Death Camp:
#3) Recovering from a Living Nightmare:
#4) The Farewell Party:
#5) The Sacred Ceremony:
#6) From Warsaw to Berlin:
#7) An Unnecessary Risk:
#8) Visiting old Friends:
#9) Friends of my Enemies:
#10) Brainwashing the Youth:
#11) From Berlin to Brussels to Paris:
#12) Contacting the French Underground:
#13) True to form “Warbird”
#14) Destination: Allied Authorities:
#15) Journey to the Border:
#16) The Old Spaniard:
#17) Landing in Barcelona:
#18) Reaching my Contact:
#19) Meeting the Consul General:
#20) Receiving the Necessary Certificates:
#21) Through Algeria to London:
#22) Two Days of Preliminary Reports:
#23) Reporting to Poland’s Underground Leader:
#24) General Sikorski’s Report to United Nations:
#25) A Friend and a Commander in Chief:
#26) Awarded the Cross of Virtuti Militari:
#27) My Report to United Nations for Poland:
#28) My Report to United Nations War Crimes Commission:
#29) Last Day with General Sikorski:
#30) Crossing the Finish Line: (the end)
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To be Continued in the Next Daily Bites of “The Secret State Series #10”
How the War was Won:“The Atlantic Charter” by Roosevelt and Churchill”
"FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM AND LIBERTY"
Stand Up To Government Corruption and Hypocrisy
NEVER FORGET THE SACRIFICES
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