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Albright, a biographical essay by Yale historian Timothy Snyder, an afterword by Zbigniew Brzezinski, previously unpublished photos, notes, further reading, and a glossary—is an apt legacy for this hero of conscience during the most fraught and fragile moment in modern history.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."
"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 #16-20, Farewell to Tad:
#17) Secret Tutoring:
#18) A Girl Named Zosia:
#19) Final Exams:
#20) First Underground Graduates:
by Jan Karski :
#16) Farewell to Tad:
When I had finished reading this parody of the German document I looked up to see Tad grinning from ear to ear as he watched my reaction to his handiwork. I joined with him in laughter and then I put my arm around his shoulder. “I don’t know when I will see you again, Tad. You will be leaving for the officers school soon. I know that if I do hear of you, the news I hear will be good. You will always do your duty.” Tad was touched. I held out my hand to him. We shook hands. Tad squeezed my hand emotionally and turned quickly to run out of the room. I never saw him again. My success with Tad must have stimulated something inside of me because I also tried to act as a mentor to some of the youth in my immediate family. I tried to get a cousin of mine to emulate Tad but the effort was a failure. I was proud of Tad and I knew from where fate had lifted him that many others were worth mentoring.
#17) Secret Tutoring:
Zosia was a girl of about 18 years old, the daughter of an uncle of mine who had lost his wife in 1940. This uncle was a quiet retired sort of man who had worked as a clerk and had always had difficulty in making ends meet. The difficulty had increased under the usual proportion because of the occupation of the Germans. Both of his children were in very poor condition and suffering severely from malnutrition. Things were even worse before Zosia took over the management of the family, into her own competent hands. She did all the house cleaning, laundry, and searched the markets for bargains in food. She was plain in appearance, with a pale complexion and straw colored hair. Her strong spirit more than made up for any deficiencies. In 1942 the Education Department of the Underground had reached an incredible peak of efficiency. This was the same year that Zosia was to graduate. In the Warsaw district alone, more than 85,000 children were being tutored. More than 1700 youths would later graduate from the underground high schools. The pupils had to meet secretly in their homes by groups from 3 to 6 only. The different reasons were mostly given for social visits, to play chess, or any common purpose would serve as a pretext to learn a trade. The teachers who tutored them underwent a terrible risk. Children are very curious and can not be repressed in their desire to know the true identity of their teacher. The unwitting word of a parent or a pupil could mean death or torture to a tutor. A number of them have been caught by the Gestapo in the performance of this invaluable service.
#18) Tutoring Zosia:
The greatest difficulty that confronted the Education Authorities was the problem of obtaining a sufficient number of text books. After much indecision it was finally decided to reprint prewar text books so that if they were discovered they would appear to be dated before the occupied rule. Zosia was due to graduate in September of 1942. For weeks before the day arrived, all I heard from her were speculations about these impending exams. To my astonishment I learned that these exams were almost the same standards and specifications as before the war. The Polish High School System differed from most countries. To receive a diploma the students had to pass final tests in five subjects, covering the material of a 12 year course, in each subject. In three of the subjects both oral and written tests were stipulated. In the remaining two the kind of tests were elective. Zosia was to have written an oral composition in Polish, English, and Latin. Physics and mathematics were to be written. She managed to press me into service as her English tutor. We worked late into the night and sometimes I was compelled to stay over. This alone was quite a reward for me. Since no one in the apartment worked in the underground it was above suspicion. I could relax completely and enjoy a peaceful night of tranquil rest. In the morning I would receive an equally rare and luxurious breakfast of hot coffee, bread with marmalade, and sometimes even meat.
#19) Final Exams:
The day of final exams rolled around and Zosia was in a fever of anxiety and anticipation. I was permitted to witness the exam in Polish, since at that time it had become known that, in the near future, I was going to England to make a comprehensive report on the Life in Poland. The exams took place in the office of a director of a firm whose son was one of the pupils. The site was well chosen because many people passed in and out of the building and a few more would not be conspicuous. Zosia and two boys sat at a rectangular table. Each student sat at a distance apart to prevent cheating. The chairman of the Commission sat in the fourth seat. He handed out the papers and instructed each student to mark on each sheet their number and symbol which, in these underground classes, always took the place of names. Then he arose to address our three students who trembled with anxiety: “My Dear Young People, ours is a very difficult task. You know that the enemy is striving to destroy our Polish nation by demoralizing and degrading Polish youth. We, the old professors, have devoted our lives to the instruction and improvement of our youth. We are meeting this challenge for your sake and for Poland. Though the struggle is not easy and we have suffered many defeats, today is one of the happiest days of my life for you.”
#20) First Underground Graduates:
The underground professor encourages the first three graduates of the Underground school, of which my pupil Zosia, is one of those three. “We realize the hardships connected with your studies but now we are convinced that these first graduates are proof that we are winning in this particular war. Try to do your best. Try to concentrate. For the next three hours there is no war; no occupied Nazis; only your final exams.” The professor was an old man, poorly dressed, and judging from his tired gray face, very much overworked. His eyes were red from lack of sleep. His walk was heavy and slow. He joined the other commissioners and myself on the sofa for a little while. I congratulated him on his speech to his pupils and then whispered, “Let’s go out for a cup of coffee so we won’t disturb the pupils by talking.” He glared at me sharply and pointed his finger at me in rebuke. “Young Man! he said, “Do not tempt me with evil ways! I have great confidence in Polish youth but not on the score of the student’s greatest weakness of cheating on final exams. I shall remain here!” He returned to the head of the table to keep an eye on his students, just as he must have been doing for the last twenty years in that great auditorium. Zocia had done excellently in all her exams. The diploma she received was merely a calling card from the Chairman of the Underground Commission with these words written: “Thank you for your charming visit on September 29,1942. You told me such interesting things.” Zosia treasured this card above all her possessions. I asked her if I could keep it in my document collections. This was her answer: “ARE YOU CRAZY??”
(to be continued) ....
(To be continued )
Daily Bites of The Secret State Series #8
“Underground Schools”
Top Officer in WW2 to German Slave
#22) A Favor for a Favor:
#23) Safe and Secure:
#24) Irking Ira:
#25) A Secret Meeting:
by Jan Karski 1944 :
“From The Secret State”
The Secret State: Series 8:
#1) Demoralizing Polish Youth
#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:
LibertygroupFreedom
https://redd.it/6y400k
“Underground Schools”
Top Officer in WW2 to German Slave
Top Officer in WW2 to German Slave
"FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM AND LIBERTY"
Stand Up To Government Corruption and Hypocrisy
NEVER FORGET THE SACRIFICES
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