Katyn: The Untold Story of Stalin's Polish Massacre

by Allen Paul

The shocking details of the 1940 Katyn Forest massacre when more than 15,000 defenseless Polish officers and noncoms were slaughtered by the Soviets, are fully investigated in this comprehensive study now available in paperback with 20 photos and Stalin's signed authorization document.

Genres: History, Russia, Nonfiction, Poland, World War II, War, European History

390 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Author of bestselling nonfiction book on Katyn Massacre

Awarded highest civilian honor by President of Poland

Spent two years in Poland researching the Katyn issue

Reviews

[Marcus Maximilian Augustus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Poles suffered heavily during the Soviet era of Russia. Approximately 1.8 million Poles were forced from their land as an ethnic cleansing maneuver as ordered by Stalin. Prior to the outbreak of WWII, the NKVD killed at least 111,091 Soviet Poles due to accusations of spying for Poland. A few years later, during the Soviet occupation of Poland, another 22,000 imprisoned Poles, mostly officers, noncoms, as well as literati, were killed, many of whom were found by buried in mass graves in the Katyn forest area. Evidence of such was discovered by German authorities in 1943 and reported to the Red Cross, though those deaths were blamed on the Germans as a war crime during the Nuremberg trials. Only after the fall of the Soviet Union did Russian leadership admit to the massacre at Katyn, though it was often spun as a justifiable action in response to the 15-18,000 deaths of Soviet troops in Polish internment camps during the first world war. The obvious difference being that the Soviet POWs were invaders, who while certainly suffering harsh treatment in the camps, they mostly died of communicable diseases common under such conditions, such as typhus, cholera and dysentery while the Katyn victims were shot intentionally. This book takes a rather personal approach in detailing the lives affected due to the Polish government's stubborn provocations, false expectations, and delusions of grandeur which lead up to the collective events now known as the Katyn massacre.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If your memories fail you, let me recall the facts to you,” Molotov intoned. “We all agreed at Teheran that the Curzon Line must divide Poland. You will recall that President Roosevelt agreed to this solution and strongly endorsed the line. And then we agreed that it would be best not to issue any public declaration about our agreement.” Recalling all the assurances to the contrary, Mikołajczyk looked first at Churchill, then at Harriman. There was silence as he waited for an explanation. Finally, Churchill looked him in the eye and softly said, “I confirm this.” The decision, made almost a year earlier in Tehran, had finally been acknowledged to the Polish leader (Allen).

The Katyn Massacre stands as an indictment to all dictatorships and to the brutal horrors of the Stalin regime. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the Polish people managed to maintain a nation over the centuries without a country. Their resilience, self-respect and strength are humbling. The Allies sold the Poles out, in terms of territories and peoples, a small cog in the great wheel of the balance of powers machinery. It seems as of today, that however this is coming back to bite us full circle.

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Allen Paul. It is not often that a book is written by a non-Pole that clearly shows a simpatico toward the Polish people, as well as a careful factual understanding of their history.
Until the death of Lech Kaczynski and his entourage, the world still knew very little about the Katyn Massacre, and there was not that much available in the popular press for people who wanted to learn more. The Katyn massacre is a harsh reminder of what the Soviet Union and its supporters and sympathizers were all about. It is but another reason why the Poles detest the Soviets, and why when Kaczynski’s plane crashed their immediate default position was that the Russians must have had something to do with the tragedy. Read this and Norman Davies’ books and the Poles position looks a bit less paranoid.

Unlike the Jewish Holocaust the Katyn Massacre, the deportation and extermination of Poles, and the Great Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33 – another of Stalin’s gifts to the world -- far too little information has been brought to light on the atrocities perpetuated by the Soviets.
Paul not only discusses the genocidal Katyn massacre itself, but he also gives a thorough review of Polish history in WWII and the immediate aftermath. I was delighted to see him dispel Nazi propaganda that has been widely and uncritically repeated by U.S. historians. One such is that Polish cavalry charged German tanks. Not true, and simply floated out there by the Nazis to make Poles look stupid. Likewise, he dispels the myth that the Polish Air Force was destroyed during the first few days of the war. And, bless him, he gives due credit to “the greatest Ally” and their tremendous and unacknowledged contributions to the war.
So effective were Soviet propaganda and lies that until recently, many people believed that the Katyn massacre had been committed by the Germans. Today we know the truth. The Katyn massacres were not just a cold-blooded shooting of captive enemy officers, but part of a systematic destruction of the cream of Polish society within the context of the plan to exterminate all of Polish intelligentsia. This continued into the days after WW II when the cream that was left was hounded and persecuted, jailed and tortured. No wonder my father refused to go back until Solidarnosć tossed the bums out on their collective (no pun intended) butts.
He provides a graphic description of the massacres and the discovery of the mass graves by the Nazis, reconstruction of forensic evidence, and the subsequent lies by the Soviets denying their involvement and the cover up by the Brits and the U.S.
Paul provides a fantastic personal portrait of the courtly and patriotic General Władysław Śikorski and his valiant efforts on behalf of his people, as well as the shabby and disrespectful treatment he received at the hands of the Brits. He also raises old and lingering questions about Śikorski’s "airplane accident" on July 4, 1943: "Coming when it did, only weeks after the discoveries at Katyn, Śikorski's death seemed too convenient.” Śikorski was pushing the Brits and Americans to make public the Katyn massacres and was an inconvenient thorn in their side when it was in their interest to ignore the fact that all evidence pointed to the fact that they had made a pact with the devil – i.e. Stalin. Roosevelt comes under withering criticism by Paul, insofar as he portrays him as barely cognizant or caring about the fate of Eastern Europe. Another reason – once again – for my ongoing contempt of this celebrated American president.
Paul suggests that the Polish government-in-exile should have been more flexible, and more willing to compromise with Stalin. This is where I take issue with him. There is no evidence that Poland’s fate would have been any different if they had been more cooperative or “realistic” – in fact, given the fact that Stalin was a sociopathic mass murderer of HIS OWN PEOPLE, there was no reasoning with this guy. And the Poles knew it. There is a great photo in the book of the two great generals of Poland, Śikorski and my godfather General Władysław Anders, with Stalin looking like the cat that swallowed the canary, and the two generals gazing at him in utter mistrust and loathing. The photo says it all.
Paul also discusses many of the horrors faced by the Poles who were released from Soviet captivity as part of the Sikorski-Maisky pact. My grandparents and aunts were among those joining Anders army in Iran. Sadly, my grandparents were too emaciated by starvation and the harsh hospitality of the workers’ paradise and they died shortly after they joined my father who was with Anders in the middle east.
At the time of this book’s publication, the Soviet Union had finally acknowledged blame for the Katyn Massacre. Yet not ONE person has been put on trial, nor punished for the systematic murder of 22,000 Polish officers, nor the slow murder of untold hundreds of thousands of Poles who were shipped to Soviet lands simply because they had an education.
"Katyn" is a must read for those who want to understand the brutality of the former Soviet Union. More needs to be done and more needs to be written as an entire generation has no idea (certainly my kids never learned it in school) that the Soviets were as – if not more – brutal than the Nazis. At least the Nazis were put on trial for their crimes.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's this story going around in Poland that somebody once asked Pope John Paul II why did God put Poles, such an awesome nation, between Germany and Russia. He supposedly replied: "Because nobody else would endure it."

This is the first book about Polish history that I've read that wasn't written by a Pole. I was worried Allen Paul would use stereotypes or misunderstand us, but I was wrong, fortunately. If anything, he made me understand myself better.
His narration is done excellently - he serves you facts, politics, some anecdotes, but most importantly, the real-life stories. Because war is about little men. War is personal.

This isn't a book about the Katyń massacre as much as it is about the suffering of Poland. Allen Paul covers everything that could possibly have something to do with the events of 1940 - from the 1920 Polish-Soviet war to modern events regarding the massacre. He chooses three officers whose families he was able to find and tells their story in as much detail as he can, explaining along the way all the complicated circumstances that influenced their fate. This is a book about human nature, about injustice and sacrifice and what it really means to be a hero. It's not easy to read, not easy to stomach, but it's something that should be read everywhere. Because history repeats itself.

→ 5 stars

[Jacob Konieczny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Plight of the Poles.

The Katyn massacre and the events leading up to and surrounding it are quite astonishing. The Polish people have a long history of oppression on all fronts, but with that comes a history of resilience.
Let me begin with the obvious; what a complex time in history WWII was. I would be hard pressed to believe that there was any involved nation or government that could be described as the heroes or "good guys", with an obvious "worst one" in Nazi Germany.
Allen Paul's collection of data, files, firsthand accounts, and extensive research and humanist writing put into perspective all the complexities of the world at that time, and show how the world came crashing down onto the people of Poland, in another case of Stalinism selling out people in a complete betrayal to the foundations of the Soviet Union.
Stalin invaded Poland in conjunction with Germany. He handed over Polish Jews, Socialists and Communists to Nazis. He enacted and enabled a harsh police state at home and in foreign land that brutalized citizens. He forced the people of Poland into harsh labor for the financial gain of the Soviet Union. He displaced millions of others from their home by turning their homeland into a battleground and depleting their resources. I can go on and on with how Stalin mirrored the Imperialist Western nations that he rightly criticized.

This book is wonderful in it's objective documentation of the massacre and the human recollection of the horrors faced by so many. It strings together the events leading up to, during and after in a compelling way. It also is obviously not a pleasant read because of the nature of the events.
The biggest pitfall of this book is very minor in the context, and more personal to me than anything else. While everything presented is objective, much of Paul's writing leans heavily into a brand of Nationalism that I inherently cannot relate and subscribe to*. This can lead, at times, to inconsistencies in subjective terms used, like who was and wasn't considered the "educated class" of Poland, and only includes the Socialist-minded Poles who were persecuted when it's convenient. It's also hard to stomach such high association and praise that this book received from the Catholic Church, as an establishment**.

A necessary read for the lesser known parts of WWII history, for the anti-authoritarian minded, anti-imperialists, and most importantly the history of Poland.

*I realize I say this as someone who has not lived through the struggles and divide that the Polish have historically lived through. I carry Polish in my blood, but I have not lived it by any means.

**I am a firm believer, even encourage individual religious communities and lifestyles, including Catholicism if that is where one finds their peace. But one cannot ignore history of the Catholic Church as an institution, up into modern times. The Vatican has their own toll on human life.

[Ilva V]

Principā recenziju varētu arī sākt un turpat arī pabeigt, sakot, ka krievi vēl joprojām Polijai un poļiem nav atvainojušies par vienu no baisākajām 20.gs. masveida slepkavībām. Manā izpratnē tas arī ir visas krievijas un krievu tautas raksturojums- meli, nespēja uzņemties vainu un atbildību, nespēja atvainoties, jo viņi nejūt nožēlu, nejūtas vainīgi! Jāpiebilst gan, ka 1989.gadā, tātad 49 gadus pēc nodarītā, padomju līderis Gorbačovs neveikli atzina Staļina vainu Katiņas noziegumos. Bet nekādas atvainošanās!, nekādas reparācijas, vainīgo tiesāšanas līdz šai dienai nav notikušas.
Alens Pols Polijas virsnieku noslepkavošanas un visas Polijas vēstures pētniecībai veltījis vismaz 20 savus dzīves gadus (grāmata izdota 2010.gadā, kurā autors vēl kaut cik cer uz krievijas mainīšanos, uz tās ceļu uz demokrātiskāku pasauli un sabiedrību, bet, ak vai, kāda alošanās, ja šobrīd mums ir jau Buča, ko daudzi tieši mēĝinājuma noslēpt dēļ sauc par mūsdienu Katiņu).
Es reti kad saku, ka grāmata ir bijusi smaga, bet šī tiešām, kaut arī vēsturnieka rakstīta, ir ļoti emocionāls un pat mīlestības pret poļu tautu pilns dokumentu apkopojums par sistemātisku un rūpīgi izplānotu Polijas armijas elites un intelektuālākās sabiedrības daļas iznīcināšanu. Kā, savās atmiņās daloties, grāmatas autoram saka viens no izdzīvojušajiem:"Kozeļskā (nometnē) es ieraudzīju, kas ir Polija", - viņš tur bija "sastapis Polijas labākos vīrus".
Detalizētas slaktiņa ainas, tās izmeklēšanas nianses, rūpīgi slēptas un noklusētas vēstures liecības. Krievu puses mēğinājums šī kara nozieguma vainu uzvelt vāciešiem gan kara laikā, gan pat Nirnbergas tiesas laikā (par krievu nekaunību ik pa reizei brīnos vēl joprojām!!!) Bet man pats riebīgākais šķiet ne jau krievu nodarījums (par viņu brutalitāti un paveiktajiem kara noziegumiem nevajadzētu būt pārsteigtam nevienam), bet gan rietumu puses atbildība šī masu slaktiņa slēpšanā. Būtībā poļi tika nodoti. Un tas ir biedējoši arī mūsdienu kontekstā. Cik daudz katra no valstīm, katra no aliansēm ir gatava slēpt/piekāpties=noslēgt vienošanos ar pašu nelabo "politiskas draudzības" labā/ekonomiska izdevīguma labā? Nevar taču pieļaut, ka "sirds valda pār prātu", vai ne? Mani uztrauc, vai ētika pastāv starptautiskajā politikā arī tad, ja kāda no pusēm nemaz nezina, kas tā ir? Un cik vēl ilgam laikam jāpaiet, lai vispārējā romantiskā jūsma par krieviju, tāpat kā toreiz- par psrs rietumnieku sirdīs un prātos izbeigtos? Vai karš Ukrainā būs tā reize?
Kaut gan grāmatas centrālā tēma ir Katiņas mežā un citviet nogalināto karagūstekņu nogalināšana (vismaz 20 000 cilvēku), tā ir arī pamatīgāks Polijas un visas Eiropas vēstures atspoguļojums ilgākā laika periodā. Tāpat grāmatas lappusēs mēs varam dzīvot līdzi vairākām poļu ğimenēm, kuru vīri/tēvi bija starp Katiņā nogalinātajiem, un izsekot viņu ceļam pirms un pēc šī Katiņas mežos izdarītā nozieguma, kurš poļiem vienmēr saistīsies ar "krievu pasauli". Arī tāpēc, ka, dodoties uz Katiņas slaktiņa 70.gadadienas atceres pasākumu 2010. gada aprīlī, šeit pat, virs Smoļenskas meža, aviokatastrofā bojā gāja Polijas valsts prezidents ar sievu, Katiņas upuru pēcteči un daudzas citas prominentas personas. Sakritība?
Es nezinu, kad un vai krievija vispār spēs kļūt par normālu, civilizētu valsti, taču visa vēsture līdz šim rāda, ka ir vietas uz zemes, kur kultūras evolūcija tiek tomēr iepauzēta un humānisma laikmets nav iestājies.

"..mēs spaidu kārtā izmantojām Anglijas labo vārdu slaktiņa slēpšanai - tieši tāpat, kā slepkavas to maskēja ar kociņiem..".

"Un tomēr kaut ko es esmu panācis: parādījis visai pasaulei, ka Padomju Savienības solījumiem nevar ticēt."

"Poļu prasību atzīt vainu Katiņas noziegumā
*vidējie krievi" uztver kā padomju armijas pulgošanu- šī armija taču cildeni "atbrīvoja" lielu daļu Austrumeiropas, Poliju ieskaitot".

"Ja aizmirsīsim Katiņas upurus, lai Dievs aizmirst mūs".

[Liva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grāmata nav rokas somiņas ikdienā līdzi vadājamā formāta un nevajag arī, jo autobusā tādas nelasa. Tādas lasa mājās zem segas lēnām un koncentrējoties, jo līdzi ir jādomā arī. Šis darbs ir lielisks veids kā likt latviešiem sapurināties un saprast, ka ne jau viņi vien ir cietuši no vācu, krievu un citiem kakla kungiem. Arī citās tautās meklējamas dziļas traģēdijas, kuras izraisījis karš un varas alkstoši cilvēki.

Plašāk blogā:
http://lalksne.blogspot.com/2011/09/a...

[Julie Preislerová · Rating 3 out of 5]

Velmi zajímavá knížka o důležitém tématu. Místy z ní opravdu mrazí, ale Allen Paul si zvládl dokonale poradit s takovýmto těžkým motivem - vyvraždění polské inteligence Sověty. Průběh celé situace je popisován pomocí příběhu několika rodin, a tak nejde pouze o suchá fakta a kniha se snadno čte.

[Valdis Zuters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lielisks atspoguļojums nežēlīgajam Staļina noziegumam otrajā pasaules karā, parakstot nāves spriedumu tūkstošiem poļu virsnieku. Notikums atspoguļots caur dažādiem dzīves stāstiem, bet visvairāk iespiedās prātā sabiedrot dilemma par Katiņas nozieguma atzīšanu.

[Anna Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A devastating read as a Pole, but a well-written and necessary one. The author did a great job of fully researching this horrific crime and gave a lot of contextual information as well.

[Rodzyn Suchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zafascynowałem się historią Katynia dzięki tej książce. Spodziewałem się nudnej i żmudnej książki na jaką się zapowiadało a zostałem mile zaskoczony jak mało wiedziałem na ten co by nie było jeden z najokrutniejszych epizodów w historii Polski. Zaciekawiło mnie na jak wielu płaszczyznach autor ukazał piętno tragedii katyńskiej ,od jednostkowych przypadków ojców po których świat zaginął ,przez historię generałów którzy zorientowali się że wiele tysięcy ludzi nagle gdzieś wyparowało i próba odnalezienia tej polskiej elity aż po politykę miedzy narodową i rozgrywanie Katyniem przez propagandę niemiecką w celu skłócenia obozu aliantów.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to say I "really liked" this book as the topic is so unlikable, but Allen Paul has written an eye-opening book about this tragic period in Polish history. He uses the Katyn Massacre as a basis for the history of how the Poles were essentially sold out by the West, in order to support the USSR and Stalin in the fight against Hitler.

His device is the stories told by a number of families whose relatives were among those killed in the massacre. He follows them from the disappearances to their own deportations and imprisonments, and ties the personal stories in with the history as it unfolded.

Reading this makes even more tragi the recent plane crash that took out so many high-ranking Poles, in light of the history of Poland's manpower losses during the war and occupations. The Poles are a likable, intelligent, wonderful people who were treated miserably and taken advantage of during WWII. They deserve our respect and apology.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was given to me by a friend whose mother is part of the story (true) of the Russian/ Stalin's massacre of more than 4,000 Poles (perhaps as many as 11,000?) in 1940, and then the attempt to cover it up.

But "Katyn" is about more than just the massacre and the cover up. It's also about what happened to Poland in WWII, the shameful acquiescence of Churchill and Roosevelt in the destruction of Poland, the strength of the Poles to endure the atrocities of the 40s, and the seeds of its resurrection.

Probably not a book of wide interest, but if you have some connection / interest in that part of the world, in that history, then "Katyn" is worth reading.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book delves into the detail of Katyn. The lead up and how it all unfolded. It holds vital information on historical atrocities, which is limited, purposefully and because of the many years since it occurred.
A tough read. I found myself contemplating the horrors described and how something so cruel could be non-fiction.

At the time of writing there are only 154 Goodreads ratings and 21 reviews of this book. Goes to show how unknown this era of history remains. We have all heard of the Nazi’s and their regime. But what of the Soviets? Katyn massacre was a horrific war crime that is still hidden today - exactly how the Soviets wanted it to be.

An enlightening read.

[Lee Kokle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allen Paul, about whom I did not know anything before this book fell into my hands, has done a remarkable job writing about historical events that took place in Katyn and the Soviet Union as such. He lets the reader see the fear and hope of those whose closest relatives - brothers and husbands, were shot and the cinics of the Soviet Union Party Committee and Stalin himself when he told that he thinks, the Polish prisoners have run away. The denial of the tragedy seems unacceptable for a 21st century reader.

[Ilva · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not happy about this book, because description don't match with content. Hard reading, book is full with historical events and surnames, and that all written from one viewpoint (author's), without possibility me to decide who guilty and who not. Just 1/4 of book maybe is written about real people stories, and other - bad history book. Of Course historical event is horrible and changed many life - for that two stars, but book I didn't like.

[Paul Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book spoiled only by mis-spellings and some bad editing. The story of Katyn and the marginalisation of the Polish nation by the Soviet Union,Realpolitik and geography should be known by all (as should the atrocities and duplicities committed by Stalin and his reign of terror within and beyond the boundaries of Russia). This is an ideal companion volume to Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book but I think it is a bit mis-titled. While the Katyn Massacre takes center stage, the book is really about the experience of thousands of Poles from the Soviet occupation to their exile in Siberia. Along the way, we learn about Katyn and the attempted cover-up, but that is given among the context of the wider treatment of Poles under Soviet tyranny. Highly recommend for WW2 fans.

[Anne Cupero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was overwhelmed by this book. I enjoyed it, not in a pleasant way, but in a way that made me feel like I had learned a great deal about something I knew nothing about. I was also massively ashamed of my country for its neglect and deliberate subversion of the Katyn reports and hope, maybe naively, that that doesn't happen again.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

In-depth review of the Katyn massacre. 2010 edition's conclusion on the recent Russian view of the events is particularly enlightening.

[Jerry Tutak]

I pass Andrzej Pitynski's statue and memorial to Katyn in Jersey City at Exchange Place. Time to read about it.

[Barnaby Bienkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was young when I read this and realized just how cruel history is.