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Albright, a biographical essay by Yale historian Timothy Snyder, an afterword by Zbigniew Brzezinski, previously unpublished photos, notes, further reading, and a glossary—is an apt legacy for this hero of conscience during the most fraught and fragile moment in modern history.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 #21-25,Preparing Legal Documents:
#22) A Favor for a Favor:
#23) Safe and Secure:
#24) Irking Ira:
#25) A Secret Meeting:
by Jan Karski :
#21) Preparing Legal Documents:
I continued my liaison work for the next three years. During that period, thanks to the strategic vantage point I occupied, I was able to survey the entire structure of the underground movement and to form a detailed picture of the situation in Poland. The Commander of the Army and the Delegate of the Government decided to use my knowledge in another assignment. they were sending me to London to visit the Polish government and to make contact with the Allied Authorization, particularly the British and American. I was instructed to convey to them as much as I could of our activities and experiences. The preparations for my departure lasted several weeks. First, I had to obtain proper papers. Going through Hungary was impossible this time. The simplest thing to do was to try to reach Spain or Portugal, legally if possible. It was not very difficult to find means of securing the proper papers. In Warsaw alone thousands of french workers had been quartered working for the Germans. Some of them were engineers and technicians. One of these Technicians was a man named Tienpont. I had known him for some time. I met him at the home of a French family who lived here before the war. He was extraordinarily greedy. He smuggled French perfume and cosmetics, and even cocaine and morphine from France. It’s so easy to twist around your finger one who considers himself to be a smart egg.
#22) A Favor for a Favor:
I was acquainted with the fact that foreign workers in Poland were given a two week’s leave to spend with their families in France. One day at the home of my friends I ran into Tienpont and turned the conversation in the direction of his vacation plans. “You must be anxious to get back to France.” I said. He shrugged. “The most important thing I am anxious to do is to make money.” ---- “Then you are not going back to France?” ---”Of course I am. I’m going back for a good supply four weeks from today.” he winked at me slyly. “You know what I sell, don’t you?” I invited Tienpont to have dinner with me the next night. He drank a lot of liquor and spilled a lot of information. I asked him why he was so happy. “I got a lot of good opiom from a friend who came back from France today. I will make these Germans pay big time for it.” he bragged. I slapped him on the back and told him I had a profitable proposition for him but I guess he wasn’t interested. “Of course I am!” he answered. “Perhaps I’d better drop it. I don’t think you want to leave Warsaw.” I said. “Out with it, Man!” he demanded. “I don’t mind getting a change of air!” ---- “Alright” I told him. “I want out of Poland. I have friends in France who know an easier way to make a living. Give me your identification papers and I will arrange for your two weeks in a charming estate. They have a lovely daughter. When two weeks are over you can report back to work as though you went to France and back.” I could see Tienpont liked the idea. He said he knows I am fighting the Germans and he will help anyone who will fight them.
#23) Safe and Secure:
As soon as I had made the deal with Tienpont I informed my organization authorities of my luck. At first my information was treated with doubt and mistrust. But as I explained the simplicity they accepted my plan. I was ordered to submit a detailed plan for my trip. The only serious risk my project demanded was to appear as a native Frenchman. I was prepared to cope with this danger. I spoke French rather well but in making my way through the German Generals and German government itself I would have to speak only German. At any rate, I resolved to speak as little as possible during the trip. When I left for England I would carry more than one thousand pages of printed matters for our government on contax film the size of 2 or 3 American match sticks. The material would be concealed in the handle of a razor so perfectly soldered that its concealment would be undetectable. I had a feeling of calm security about the journey since all the details were methodically prepared. The underground methods for liaison trips were perfected to a degree which could scarcely be compared with those made for the journeys we undertook at the beginning of our work. Those pioneer days when the gestapo caught me with those films so carelessly exposed were gone.
#24) Irking Ira:
a few days before my departure for France my liaison girl brought into my office a small piece of tissue paper containing some instructions: “You are to appear on Wednesday at 10 AM before the Political Representation of Poland. Grot and Rawicz will be present. Liaison girl Ira, is to take care of all meeting arrangements. Rawicz was the Polish Government Delegate. On the following day my liaison girl entered the office with Ira. Ira was a stout woman who walked with heavy aggressive steps. I took an instant dislike to this overbearing woman as she barked my orders in a deep husky voice. She launched into my instructions without a preamble. “You are to report to your office at 8 AM sharp! You will be met by a woman with your liaison girl who will conduct you to a designated place. Do not carry any compromising papers. Your personal documents must be in perfect order.” She drew a deep breath and then continued with the same sharpness. “The Commander faces enough danger without getting entangled with his subordinate’s imprudence. Remember to have your papers in order and no unnecessary literature on your person. The place designated for you will be a preliminary stop-over where I will meet you.” I interrupted her--- “How kind of you, Dear Lady!” I said sarcastically. She ignored my remark and kept bellowing. “You will be watched from the moment you leave your home. If you are not followed and there is no suspicion of danger I shall conduct you to the meeting place. Is that clear?”--- “Quite clear!” I answered. she pivoted heavily and trudged out of the office.
#25) A Secret Meeting:
The arrangements to leave on my trip went off sufficiently. Promptly at 8 AM on the street corner near my home my liaison girl and an inconspicuous middle aged woman awaited me. After introducing me to the woman my liaison girl bade us good bye and went off. I accompanied the lady to a modern apartment house. We entered the building, climbed five flights of stairs and rang a door bell with the simple signal, one short and one long. the door was opened by the lady I had met the previous day. I felt a revival of my distaste for her and did not bother to say good morning. “The door bell ring is much too obvious~” I said. “Anybody hearing it would recognize it at once.” --- “That is none of your business! Stick to your own job!” she snapped back. I gave he a cold look, as if surprised at her cold temper. Her dainty feminine apartment did not match her personality. The phone rang and she was short with the person and slammed down the receiver and asked if I am ready to go? the woman who brought me to Ira’s apartment left first. Then Ira left and after a short while I left. I could hardly keep up with Ira. She never even looked back. Finally she walked in the front door of the church and out the back door to a building and introduced me to a man who was there waiting for me.
I continued my liaison work for the next three years. During that period, thanks to the strategic vantage point I occupied, I was able to survey the entire structure of the underground movement and to form a detailed picture of the situation in Poland. The Commander of the Army and the Delegate of the Government decided to use my knowledge in another assignment. they were sending me to London to visit the Polish government and to make contact with the Allied Authorization, particularly the British and American. I was instructed to convey to them as much as I could of our activities and experiences. The preparations for my departure lasted several weeks. First, I had to obtain proper papers. Going through Hungary was impossible this time. The simplest thing to do was to try to reach Spain or Portugal, legally if possible. It was not very difficult to find means of securing the proper papers. In Warsaw alone thousands of french workers had been quartered working for the Germans. Some of them were engineers and technicians. One of these Technicians was a man named Tienpont. I had known him for some time. I met him at the home of a French family who lived here before the war. He was extraordinarily greedy. He smuggled French perfume and cosmetics, and even cocaine and morphine from France. It’s so easy to twist around your finger one who considers himself to be a smart egg.
#22) A Favor for a Favor:
I was acquainted with the fact that foreign workers in Poland were given a two week’s leave to spend with their families in France. One day at the home of my friends I ran into Tienpont and turned the conversation in the direction of his vacation plans. “You must be anxious to get back to France.” I said. He shrugged. “The most important thing I am anxious to do is to make money.” ---- “Then you are not going back to France?” ---”Of course I am. I’m going back for a good supply four weeks from today.” he winked at me slyly. “You know what I sell, don’t you?” I invited Tienpont to have dinner with me the next night. He drank a lot of liquor and spilled a lot of information. I asked him why he was so happy. “I got a lot of good opiom from a friend who came back from France today. I will make these Germans pay big time for it.” he bragged. I slapped him on the back and told him I had a profitable proposition for him but I guess he wasn’t interested. “Of course I am!” he answered. “Perhaps I’d better drop it. I don’t think you want to leave Warsaw.” I said. “Out with it, Man!” he demanded. “I don’t mind getting a change of air!” ---- “Alright” I told him. “I want out of Poland. I have friends in France who know an easier way to make a living. Give me your identification papers and I will arrange for your two weeks in a charming estate. They have a lovely daughter. When two weeks are over you can report back to work as though you went to France and back.” I could see Tienpont liked the idea. He said he knows I am fighting the Germans and he will help anyone who will fight them.
#23) Safe and Secure:
As soon as I had made the deal with Tienpont I informed my organization authorities of my luck. At first my information was treated with doubt and mistrust. But as I explained the simplicity they accepted my plan. I was ordered to submit a detailed plan for my trip. The only serious risk my project demanded was to appear as a native Frenchman. I was prepared to cope with this danger. I spoke French rather well but in making my way through the German Generals and German government itself I would have to speak only German. At any rate, I resolved to speak as little as possible during the trip. When I left for England I would carry more than one thousand pages of printed matters for our government on contax film the size of 2 or 3 American match sticks. The material would be concealed in the handle of a razor so perfectly soldered that its concealment would be undetectable. I had a feeling of calm security about the journey since all the details were methodically prepared. The underground methods for liaison trips were perfected to a degree which could scarcely be compared with those made for the journeys we undertook at the beginning of our work. Those pioneer days when the gestapo caught me with those films so carelessly exposed were gone.
#24) Irking Ira:
a few days before my departure for France my liaison girl brought into my office a small piece of tissue paper containing some instructions: “You are to appear on Wednesday at 10 AM before the Political Representation of Poland. Grot and Rawicz will be present. Liaison girl Ira, is to take care of all meeting arrangements. Rawicz was the Polish Government Delegate. On the following day my liaison girl entered the office with Ira. Ira was a stout woman who walked with heavy aggressive steps. I took an instant dislike to this overbearing woman as she barked my orders in a deep husky voice. She launched into my instructions without a preamble. “You are to report to your office at 8 AM sharp! You will be met by a woman with your liaison girl who will conduct you to a designated place. Do not carry any compromising papers. Your personal documents must be in perfect order.” She drew a deep breath and then continued with the same sharpness. “The Commander faces enough danger without getting entangled with his subordinate’s imprudence. Remember to have your papers in order and no unnecessary literature on your person. The place designated for you will be a preliminary stop-over where I will meet you.” I interrupted her--- “How kind of you, Dear Lady!” I said sarcastically. She ignored my remark and kept bellowing. “You will be watched from the moment you leave your home. If you are not followed and there is no suspicion of danger I shall conduct you to the meeting place. Is that clear?”--- “Quite clear!” I answered. she pivoted heavily and trudged out of the office.
#25) A Secret Meeting:
The arrangements to leave on my trip went off sufficiently. Promptly at 8 AM on the street corner near my home my liaison girl and an inconspicuous middle aged woman awaited me. After introducing me to the woman my liaison girl bade us good bye and went off. I accompanied the lady to a modern apartment house. We entered the building, climbed five flights of stairs and rang a door bell with the simple signal, one short and one long. the door was opened by the lady I had met the previous day. I felt a revival of my distaste for her and did not bother to say good morning. “The door bell ring is much too obvious~” I said. “Anybody hearing it would recognize it at once.” --- “That is none of your business! Stick to your own job!” she snapped back. I gave he a cold look, as if surprised at her cold temper. Her dainty feminine apartment did not match her personality. The phone rang and she was short with the person and slammed down the receiver and asked if I am ready to go? the woman who brought me to Ira’s apartment left first. Then Ira left and after a short while I left. I could hardly keep up with Ira. She never even looked back. Finally she walked in the front door of the church and out the back door to a building and introduced me to a man who was there waiting for me.
(to be continued) ....
(To be continued )
Daily Bites of The Secret State Series #8
“Underground Schools”
Top Officer in WW2 to German Slave
#27) The Delegate’s Speech:
#28) Poland Reborn:
#29) Concluding: A Well Armed Regulated Militia:
#30) Horror Beyond Description:
by Jan Karski 1944 :
“From The Secret State”
The Secret State: Series 8:
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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