The Secret State Series #8
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Albright, a biographical essay by Yale historian Timothy Snyder, an afterword by Zbigniew Brzezinski, previously unpublished photos, notes, further reading, and a glossary—is an apt legacy for this hero of conscience during the most fraught and fragile moment in modern history.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 #8:
The Secret State #8 “Underground Schools”
Top Officer in WW2 to German Slave
by Jan Karski: Highlights and excerpts by PL Sturgis:
Top Officer in WW2 to German Slave
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 #8:
Top Officer in WW2 to German Slave
“Underground Schools”
Bites #1-5,Demoralizing the Polish Youth:
#2) A Mother’s Concern:
#3) A Family Tradition:
#4) Tad’s First Lesson:
#5) Tough Love:
by Jan Karski :
#1) Demoralizing the Polish Youth:
Jan Karski: It had been necessary for me to secure the services of a liaison boy. (one who delivers messages in the underground) I turned up with a boy named Tad Lisowski. In a strange way, I knew his family before the war. They were then very wealthy people who owned an estate and received rent from two apartment houses in Warsaw. Mrs. Lisowski was a small dark haired lady who had the energy of a dynamo. She kept perfect order in her home that was always filled with visitors. She managed affairs of her family, attended church faithfully, and found time for charity and social work. Mr. Lisowski though would go on a spree and disappear for weeks. After the war the Lisowski’s finances rapidly deteriorated and their estate was confiscated. The children were rapidly succumbing to the influence of shiftless companions and the invidious German propaganda which aimed at the utter demoralization of Polish youth by encouraging their interest in pornagraphic books. Tad was only one of the many youths of Poland which constituted a tragic problem to the underground authorities in education. Since our educational facilities were extremely limited, moral and material assistance was extended only to those whose character and patriotism most deserved that advantage. We had to educate, first of all, that section of Polish youth which would provide us with suitable candidates for underground work, We were compelled to ignore those which stood in the greatest need for attention. Once boys and girls had compromised themselves by yielding to the Nazi blandishment, or if they showed evidence to irregular habits, the path to underground education became irrevokably closed. This was tragic for them. What made the situation even more pathetic was the fact that they were shunned by the majority of the people.
#2) A Mother’s Concern:
Tad Lisowski was a boy whose outstanding characteristics were his intense pride and high spirits. He suffered greatly from the coolness and hostility from his former companions. He became defiant and paraded his transgressions openly. His mother became alarmed at his behavior and approached herself bitterly for her lack of maternal attention. I had admired her from former times when I had been a frequent visitor to the Lisowski household. I pointed out to her that it was not her fault. “You have to provide a living for your worthless husband and scrape together enough to feed and clothe yourself and your children.” I told her. Mrs. Lisowski, whose hair had turned completely gray, answered with characteristic spirit. “I don’t care about myself and my husband. The war has destroyed our generation! We don’t matter but I want my children to fight for a new Poland and build a new life in it.” She looked at me significantly with mute appeal for my help. Mrs Lisowski had known for some time that I was engaged in the underground work and by consent we avoided any reference to the subject. But now, if necessary, she was ready to take the plunge. Her love for Tad was overcoming her scruples. she hesitated for a moment staring into my face, as if to see if any objections were forming in my mind. “I’m going to ask a favor of you.” I knew it was going to be about Tad going into underground work.
#3) A Family Tradition:
Mrs. Lisowski told me about their family tradition of working in the underground. In 1830 her great grandfather was wounded and exiled to Siberia for seven years. He also fought against Tzarist Russia in 1863. She wanted her son Tad to continue that family tradition of fighting for Poland. “I know Tad with more than the love of a mother. He resembles his father. It is bad. It is very bad! I want him to be like his grandfathers. I am so ashamed to talk about this but I must! At this time he is acting worse than he is or even desires to be, because of the scorn of the other youths. Please give him a chance?” she begged. “Find a place for Tad and you won’t regret it. He will live up to your standards. He loves adventures, respects you tremendously, and will carry out your orders to the end.” I knew that Mrs. Lisowski was not the kind of woman to be put off with vague promises. I responded bluntly. “I don’t believe the authorities will allow me to take Tad. He has a bad record and has shown himself to be frivolous and irresponsible. Another thing you must understand is that the danger is very great. Even if he were accepted the day may come when he could never return to you. “We are used to dying for our country in my family.” she said. “If Tad died it would break my heart but I would never repent of sending him to serve our country.” It was just impossible to resist such a plea. I took her hand in mine. “I will do all I can for Tad.” I said. “Send him to me tomorrow at noon. I will meet him at the Vistula near the bridge.
#4) Tad’s First Lesson:
I met Tad the next day and was rather shocked at his appearance. He was a tall boy and his face was pale with large black rings around his eyes that looked like bruises. “Why don’t you take care of yourself?” I asked sternly. “You ought to be ashamed! You look like you have slept in your clothes for a week!” He looked embarrassed and shuffled his feet uneasily. I relented. He was obviously under a strain. “Come on Tad.” I said a bit less distantly. “Let’s take a walk. I have a lot to talk over with you.” We strolled about with no direction for a long time while I waxed eloquent about the duty to one’s family and country. I traced an outline of the bloody history of the Polish struggle against conquerers since the partition of 1795. I stressed the facts that if that resistance had stopped Poland would never have come to life again as a free country. We would have no language or land of our own. I told him it was a serious mistake to think that resistance consisted only of offering physical opposition to our conquerors. More important still was the maintenance and character of our spirit against the brutalities of our enemies. I told him about the deeds of his grandfather and great grandfather. I said that I considered him to be an honest boy and he would always find in me a trustworthy friend. I stressed the need to serve our cause and the real happiness that derived from such service.
#4) Tad’s First Lesson:
I met Tad the next day and was rather shocked at his appearance. He was a tall boy and his face was pale with large black rings around his eyes that looked like bruises. “Why don’t you take care of yourself?” I asked sternly. “You ought to be ashamed! You look like you have slept in your clothes for a week!” He looked embarrassed and shuffled his feet uneasily. I relented. He was obviously under a strain. “Come on Tad.” I said a bit less distantly. “Let’s take a walk. I have a lot to talk over with you.” We strolled about with no direction for a long time while I waxed eloquent about the duty to one’s family and country. I traced an outline of the bloody history of the Polish struggle against conquerers since the partition of 1795. I stressed the facts that if that resistance had stopped Poland would never have come to life again as a free country. We would have no language or land of our own. I told him it was a serious mistake to think that resistance consisted only of offering physical opposition to our conquerors. More important still was the maintenance and character of our spirit against the brutalities of our enemies. I told him about the deeds of his grandfather and great grandfather. I said that I considered him to be an honest boy and he would always find in me a trustworthy friend. I stressed the need to serve our cause and the real happiness that derived from such service.
#5) Tough Love:
These young men of Tad Lisowski’s kind were the greatest danger to Poland and ruined our reputation abroad but Tad did listen to me with attentiveness and the misery my harsh words were causing him was expressed in his eyes. When I felt he had enough I put my arm around his shoulder. “Listen Tad,” I said gently. “I’m not going to lecture you anymore. I really have a lot of faith in you. I would like you to join the underground to help us. How do you feel about that?” Whatever his feelings were before, a sudden change took place immediately. He nearly choked with excitement and eagerness. His eyes blazed with enthusiasm. “You won’t be ashamed of me. I promise you. Just give me a chance.” I laughed. “That’s fine Tad. That is enough business for one day. Let’s hop in for a swim. Don’t say anything to your mother. As we returned to the city I addressed a command to Tad in a very official tone impressing him with the fact that he was nearly a full fledged underground . “Tomorrow at ten sharp report to organization headquarters at #26 to be sworn in as a member of the underground Polish Army. “The Polish Army?” he was fascinated. “Yes” I said. “We have three armies. One is in Scotland, one in the near east, and the third is here at home.” His eyes were wide with surprise. I held out my hand and Tad put all his strength into the handshake before we parted.
These young men of Tad Lisowski’s kind were the greatest danger to Poland and ruined our reputation abroad but Tad did listen to me with attentiveness and the misery my harsh words were causing him was expressed in his eyes. When I felt he had enough I put my arm around his shoulder. “Listen Tad,” I said gently. “I’m not going to lecture you anymore. I really have a lot of faith in you. I would like you to join the underground to help us. How do you feel about that?” Whatever his feelings were before, a sudden change took place immediately. He nearly choked with excitement and eagerness. His eyes blazed with enthusiasm. “You won’t be ashamed of me. I promise you. Just give me a chance.” I laughed. “That’s fine Tad. That is enough business for one day. Let’s hop in for a swim. Don’t say anything to your mother. As we returned to the city I addressed a command to Tad in a very official tone impressing him with the fact that he was nearly a full fledged underground . “Tomorrow at ten sharp report to organization headquarters at #26 to be sworn in as a member of the underground Polish Army. “The Polish Army?” he was fascinated. “Yes” I said. “We have three armies. One is in Scotland, one in the near east, and the third is here at home.” His eyes were wide with surprise. I held out my hand and Tad put all his strength into the handshake before we parted.
(to be continued) ....
(To be continued )
Daily Bites of The Secret State Series #8
“Underground Schools”
Top Officer in WW2 to German Slave
#7) Tad’s First Mission:
#8) Reckless Bravery:
#9) Tad’s Witty Jokes:
#10) Tad’s Promotion:
by Jan Karski 1944 :
“From The Secret State”
#11) The Officers School:
#12) The Little Wolves:
#13) Posters of Satire:
#14) Last Day with Tad:
#15) Tad’s Version of Germany's Documents for Poland:
#16) Farewell to Tad:
#17) Secret Tutoring:
#18) A Girl Named Zosia:
#19) Final Exams:
#20) First Underground Graduates:
#21) Preparing Legal Documents:
#22) A Favor for a Favor:
#23) Safe and Secure:
#24) Irking Ira:
#25) A Secret Meeting:
#26) The Men who held the Destiny of Poland:
#27) The Delegate’s Speech:
#28) Poland Reborn:
#29) Concluding: A Well Armed Regulated Militia:
#30) Horror Beyond Description:
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“Underground Schools”
Top Officer in WW2 to German Slave
Top Officer in WW2 to German Slave
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