The Secret State Series #3
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Albright, a biographical essay by Yale historian Timothy Snyder, an afterword by Zbigniew Brzezinski, previously unpublished photos, notes, further reading, and a glossary—is an apt legacy for this hero of conscience during the most fraught and fragile moment in modern history.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 #3:
The Secret State #3 “Open Contact”
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 #3:
“Open Contact”
Bites #1-5,A Worthwhile Task...
by Jan Karski :
For the first time since I had escaped from Radom I now felt that I was performing a worthwhile task. I carefully memorized the statement from the factory and held myself in readiness to be able to respond to questioning. The train arrived at my destination without even one of the routine inspections taking place. Both documents and psychological preparations were wasted. At the station I hired a little peasant’s cart to take me the eight miles or so to the little village almost on the Russ-German border. On the outskirts of the village in a hut was the cell of the Jewish underground. I found the house easily. Its location had been minutely described to me and I had memorized it with great care. I knocked on the door. At first there was no answer. I felt a twinge of uneasiness. I walked around to the side and listened at the window. I raised the window about an inch and heard the quiet snore of someone sleeping soundly. Returning to the door reassured, I knocked loudly. A tall ruddy faced young man appeared. “I must have been sleeping.” he apologized. He had been notified of my impending arrival and accepted me readily. I was to be included in a party of Jews which he would guide across the border withing three days. He slipped into a heavy coat and walked with me about two miles to show me the spot where we were to meet in three days at 6 O Clock punctually. I promised him I would not be late.
#2) By the Light of the Moon:
I glanced around at the scenery to memorize the spot where we would meet the Jews in the next three days and hurried to the little inn at the far end of the village. I passed the next three days in my room feigning illness and trying to appear inconspicuous. I arrived to our meeting spot slightly ahead of schedule and found many Jews already there. It was almost dark but the moon was luminous and full exposing everyone in the clearing to my view. I could see that there were many of all ages: old men and women; two women with babies in their arms; and a few young men and girls. They were all escaping Jews. It seemed as if they sensed what the future held in store for them. Soon the pitiless extermination of the Jews would start. They carried a variety of bundles, bags, and suitcases,. Some even held pillows and blankets in their arms. They were divided into groups and some formed family units. One old couple arrived with four daughters. Two of them had husbands. when the guide arrived he contented himself by delivering a formal reprimand to the two mothers, demanding that they quiet their offspring immediately. The babies had been crying loud enough to be heard for miles. The two mothers were standing close together and a number of older women approached them to offer advice. They rocked the babies to and fro whispering gently to them until the babies fell asleep and we set out for our thirteen mile journey.
#3) Through forests and Fields:
We had about a thirteen mile journey. The guide walked on ahead with large rapid strides, glancing neither to the right nor to the left. Occasionally he would whirl around to hush the people when the conversation would get loud. However, it was hard to imagine the presence of any ease dropper. It was cold and dark silhouettes of the leafless trees made the whole scene seem lonely and desolate. Our path wound through forests, fields, patches of mud, and little streams in rapid succession. Often it seemed as though the guide must surely have lost his way but his steady unhesitating tread deterred all questioning. When a cloud passed in front of the moon it plunged us into thick darkness and we stumbled forward clinging to each other desperately, holding onto coat tails, falling; bruising hands and knees; scratching our faces, and getting splattered with mud. When the moon came out again I saw the two mothers, their disheveled by the wind and the low branches, their faces bruised by the sharp twigs. They were holding on with one hand to the coat tails of the men who preceded them, while they hugged their babies tightly with their free hand. We had one hand free to keep our balance by clutching for support. They had no protection against the large rocks with which the paths were strewn, the thorns, nor the tree roots on which they frequently stumbled. We would hear the babies whimper and everyone would become tense with fright and anticipation. Each time though, the mothers would find some source of tenderness to still them. The guide would stop frequently and make us wait while he examined the path ahead. He would return and gesture for us to follow him. The path he followed was torturous and inaccessible to Soviet and Germans who were unfamiliar with the terrain. In any case, his prudence was beneficial and his precautions did no harm. We emerged from the forest and found ourselves in the middle of the road. The guard called to us softly, “Rest easy now. We are across the German Border.
#4) Across the German Border:
Our guide divided us into three groups and took each group separately into the village. While he was away with the first two groups, which comprised of mostly women and older men, the rest of us waited huddled together and shivering at the edge of the forest. We spoke little and tried to arrange our disordered attire. As our guide returned he breathed a deep sigh of relief and piloted us toward the village. “Well, that is one more bunch safely done with.” he announced, walking on ahead. “How long have you been acting as a guide?” I asked. “Since about a week after Warsaw fell and I intend to continue until Warsaw is taken back again.” In the village we separated. I was left at a Jewish hotel with four other men and a woman from our group. The host, a nimble “all knowing” old man, welcomed us with a running fire of sprighty remarks, designed no doubt, to take the edge off our gloom. He immediately informed us of the latest world news. Hitler’s end was undoubtedly close at hand. All of Holland had been flooded and a whole German Army had been drowned. A coup was being engineered inside Germany and Hitler would be assassinated in short order. Russia and Germany, he told us, were mortal enemies. After we had been heartened by the charming picture of the present and coming future he treated us to a glass of tea at his expense. We spent half a day in the hotel mostly listening to our host. In the afternoon we left, walking one by one, to the railroad station which the inn keeper’s daughter had directed us, to catch the next train out.
#5) The Next Train Out:
It was a distance of about three miles to the railroad station. On the way we frequently passed Soviet Patrols. We passed them in silence and hailed their militia by stretching out our arms clenching our fists in the communist salute in order to avoid suspicion. The station was besieged by hundreds of anxious noisy people. No more tickets could be obtained at the window but the black market was doing a flourishing business. Within a few minutes the inn keeper’s daughter bought six tickets to Lwow. The next train to Lwow was due to arrive shortly and was actually present almost at scheduled time. The trip itself was uneventful. there were no inspections. I managed to fall asleep and arrived in Lwow feeling somewhat refreshed. In Lwow I proceeded to go directly to the house of a professor whose student I had once been. He was still living under his own name and in the same house he had always occupied. He answered the door bell promptly but gazed at me in suspicious silence. “Greetings from Antonio” I said, uttering each syllable of the pass words slowly and significantly. “I have a personal message for you.” He blinked at me warily but gestured for me to enter. I began to understand that I was apt to have a difficult time of convincing the people in Lwow of my status. The underground liaison system at that time was still imperfect and so uncertain that members of the underground were in a constant state of alarm and distrust.
#2) By the Light of the Moon:
I glanced around at the scenery to memorize the spot where we would meet the Jews in the next three days and hurried to the little inn at the far end of the village. I passed the next three days in my room feigning illness and trying to appear inconspicuous. I arrived to our meeting spot slightly ahead of schedule and found many Jews already there. It was almost dark but the moon was luminous and full exposing everyone in the clearing to my view. I could see that there were many of all ages: old men and women; two women with babies in their arms; and a few young men and girls. They were all escaping Jews. It seemed as if they sensed what the future held in store for them. Soon the pitiless extermination of the Jews would start. They carried a variety of bundles, bags, and suitcases,. Some even held pillows and blankets in their arms. They were divided into groups and some formed family units. One old couple arrived with four daughters. Two of them had husbands. when the guide arrived he contented himself by delivering a formal reprimand to the two mothers, demanding that they quiet their offspring immediately. The babies had been crying loud enough to be heard for miles. The two mothers were standing close together and a number of older women approached them to offer advice. They rocked the babies to and fro whispering gently to them until the babies fell asleep and we set out for our thirteen mile journey.
#3) Through forests and Fields:
We had about a thirteen mile journey. The guide walked on ahead with large rapid strides, glancing neither to the right nor to the left. Occasionally he would whirl around to hush the people when the conversation would get loud. However, it was hard to imagine the presence of any ease dropper. It was cold and dark silhouettes of the leafless trees made the whole scene seem lonely and desolate. Our path wound through forests, fields, patches of mud, and little streams in rapid succession. Often it seemed as though the guide must surely have lost his way but his steady unhesitating tread deterred all questioning. When a cloud passed in front of the moon it plunged us into thick darkness and we stumbled forward clinging to each other desperately, holding onto coat tails, falling; bruising hands and knees; scratching our faces, and getting splattered with mud. When the moon came out again I saw the two mothers, their disheveled by the wind and the low branches, their faces bruised by the sharp twigs. They were holding on with one hand to the coat tails of the men who preceded them, while they hugged their babies tightly with their free hand. We had one hand free to keep our balance by clutching for support. They had no protection against the large rocks with which the paths were strewn, the thorns, nor the tree roots on which they frequently stumbled. We would hear the babies whimper and everyone would become tense with fright and anticipation. Each time though, the mothers would find some source of tenderness to still them. The guide would stop frequently and make us wait while he examined the path ahead. He would return and gesture for us to follow him. The path he followed was torturous and inaccessible to Soviet and Germans who were unfamiliar with the terrain. In any case, his prudence was beneficial and his precautions did no harm. We emerged from the forest and found ourselves in the middle of the road. The guard called to us softly, “Rest easy now. We are across the German Border.
#4) Across the German Border:
Our guide divided us into three groups and took each group separately into the village. While he was away with the first two groups, which comprised of mostly women and older men, the rest of us waited huddled together and shivering at the edge of the forest. We spoke little and tried to arrange our disordered attire. As our guide returned he breathed a deep sigh of relief and piloted us toward the village. “Well, that is one more bunch safely done with.” he announced, walking on ahead. “How long have you been acting as a guide?” I asked. “Since about a week after Warsaw fell and I intend to continue until Warsaw is taken back again.” In the village we separated. I was left at a Jewish hotel with four other men and a woman from our group. The host, a nimble “all knowing” old man, welcomed us with a running fire of sprighty remarks, designed no doubt, to take the edge off our gloom. He immediately informed us of the latest world news. Hitler’s end was undoubtedly close at hand. All of Holland had been flooded and a whole German Army had been drowned. A coup was being engineered inside Germany and Hitler would be assassinated in short order. Russia and Germany, he told us, were mortal enemies. After we had been heartened by the charming picture of the present and coming future he treated us to a glass of tea at his expense. We spent half a day in the hotel mostly listening to our host. In the afternoon we left, walking one by one, to the railroad station which the inn keeper’s daughter had directed us, to catch the next train out.
#5) The Next Train Out:
It was a distance of about three miles to the railroad station. On the way we frequently passed Soviet Patrols. We passed them in silence and hailed their militia by stretching out our arms clenching our fists in the communist salute in order to avoid suspicion. The station was besieged by hundreds of anxious noisy people. No more tickets could be obtained at the window but the black market was doing a flourishing business. Within a few minutes the inn keeper’s daughter bought six tickets to Lwow. The next train to Lwow was due to arrive shortly and was actually present almost at scheduled time. The trip itself was uneventful. there were no inspections. I managed to fall asleep and arrived in Lwow feeling somewhat refreshed. In Lwow I proceeded to go directly to the house of a professor whose student I had once been. He was still living under his own name and in the same house he had always occupied. He answered the door bell promptly but gazed at me in suspicious silence. “Greetings from Antonio” I said, uttering each syllable of the pass words slowly and significantly. “I have a personal message for you.” He blinked at me warily but gestured for me to enter. I began to understand that I was apt to have a difficult time of convincing the people in Lwow of my status. The underground liaison system at that time was still imperfect and so uncertain that members of the underground were in a constant state of alarm and distrust.
(to be continued) ....
(To be continued )
Daily Bites of The Secret State Series #3 “Open Contacts:
by Jan Karski 1944 :
“From The Secret State”
The Secret State: Series 3:
#1 A Worthwhile Task:
#2) By the Light of the Moon:
#3) Through Forests and Fields:
#4) Across the German Border:
#5) The Next Train Out:
#6) The New Plan:
#7) Two Different Worlds:
#8) Trust not in a Brother:
#9) Escaping from Lwow:
#10) Mission to France:
#11) Border Meetings:
#12) My Light Afflictions:
#13) Meeting the Top Contact:
#14) Recovering in Budapest:
#15) German Deception Leads to Slavery:
#16) Coping with German Spies:
#17) On the Train to Paris:
#18) No Turning Back:
#19) The Phony War in Paris:
#20) Leaving for Angers:
#21) Creating a Free Militia:
#22) Unfortunate Pre- War Rulers:
#23) Post War Poland:
#24) Remember the History of Poland:
#25) Not an Ordinary War:
#26) The Doctrine of the Polish Underground:
#27) Creating a Third Branch:
#28) Selecting Chief Delegates:
#29) The Fatal Error:
#30) Manifesto 0f Walnosc (Liberty)
#1 A Worthwhile Task:
#2) By the Light of the Moon:
#3) Through Forests and Fields:
#4) Across the German Border:
#5) The Next Train Out:
#6) The New Plan:
#7) Two Different Worlds:
#8) Trust not in a Brother:
#9) Escaping from Lwow:
#10) Mission to France:
#11) Border Meetings:
#12) My Light Afflictions:
#13) Meeting the Top Contact:
#14) Recovering in Budapest:
#15) German Deception Leads to Slavery:
#16) Coping with German Spies:
#17) On the Train to Paris:
#18) No Turning Back:
#19) The Phony War in Paris:
#20) Leaving for Angers:
#21) Creating a Free Militia:
#22) Unfortunate Pre- War Rulers:
#23) Post War Poland:
#24) Remember the History of Poland:
#25) Not an Ordinary War:
#26) The Doctrine of the Polish Underground:
#27) Creating a Third Branch:
#28) Selecting Chief Delegates:
#29) The Fatal Error:
#30) Manifesto 0f Walnosc (Liberty)
LibertygroupFreedom
https://redd.it/6y400k
To be Continued in the Next Daily Bites of “The Secret State Series #3”
"FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM AND LIBERTY"
Stand Up To Government Corruption and Hypocrisy
NEVER FORGET THE SACRIFICES
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