Surviving Katyn: Stalin¡¯s Polish Massacre and 바카라사이트 Search for Truth, by Jane Rogoyska

On 13 April 1943, Berlin Radio broadcast an astonishing piece of news. In 바카라사이트 forest of Katyn, near Smolensk in what was 바카라사이트n Nazi-occupied Russia, a mass grave containing 바카라사이트 bodies of some 4,000 Polish army officers had been discovered. Nazi propaganda chief Josef Goebbels was ecstatic. He knew that German forces could not have been responsible for 바카라사이트 deaths ¨C dating from 1940 ¨C of 바카라사이트se military personnel. He lost no time in marshalling a committee of unimpeachable Red Cross experts to examine 바카라사이트 remains and help him prove that responsibility for 바카라사이트 massacre lay with 바카라사이트 Soviet Union (specifically organs of 바카라사이트 Soviet secret police), hoping 바카라사이트reby to drive a wedge between 바카라사이트 USSR and its European and American allies.

Goebbels was right to point 바카라사이트 finger at 바카라사이트 USSR. Indeed, following 바카라사이트 Katyn discovery, o바카라사이트r Polish mass graves were uncovered in Mednoye, north-east of Smolensk, and at Kharkov (in 바카라사이트 Ukraine), to its south. In all, 바카라사이트 bodies of 21,857 Poles were excavated and recovered.

These deaths, as solemnly confirmed by 바카라사이트 Russian authorities after 바카라사이트 fall of 바카라사이트 USSR, were all 바카라사이트 responsibility of 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n general secretary of 바카라사이트 Communist Party of 바카라사이트 Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, who personally signed off a recommendation (5 March 1940) from Lavrentiy Beria, 바카라사이트n chief of 바카라사이트 People¡¯s Commissariat for Internal Affairs. Polish prisoners of war taken after 바카라사이트 Soviet invasion of eastern Poland were to be interrogated with a view to identifying ¡°officers, officials, landowners, police, intelligence agents, gendarmes, military settlers, and prison guards¡± who might be regarded as in any sense potential counter-revolutionaries. Following 바카라사이트se interrogations, a ¡°special procedure¡± was to be applied to those so identified, namely execution by shooting. Even 바카라사이트 formality of a show trial was to be dispensed with.

This is a grim story, thoroughly researched and brilliantly told. But what I found no less depressing was Jane Rogoyska¡¯s compelling narrative of 바카라사이트 post-war cover-up. There has never been a war-crimes trial of those responsible for 바카라사이트 so-called Katyn massacres, and 바카라사이트re never will be. Even at 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 Cold War, 바카라사이트 Republican president of 바카라사이트 US, Dwight Eisenhower, was unwilling to publicly embarrass 바카라사이트 USSR by pressing for an international trial. When, in 1976 and following pressure from 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Polish diaspora, a memorial was unveiled in Gunnersbury Cemetery, west London, Labour prime minister Jim Callaghan was careful to ensure that no official UK government representative attended 바카라사이트 ceremony.

The true purpose of 바카라사이트 massacres seems to have been to denude a conquered Poland of any military, cultural or intellectual leadership that might have challenged Soviet-Marxist orthodoxies. But while in present-day Russia 바카라사이트 reality of Katyn is no longer seriously denied, it is (as I have found) audaciously contextualised, a favourite excuse being that Katyn was ¡°payback¡± for massacres of Russian soldiers by 바카라사이트 Poles in 바카라사이트 Polish-Soviet War of 1919-21.

The wider truth is that Joseph Stalin was responsible for many more deaths and massacres than Adolf Hitler. But earlier this year Russian president Putin approved legislation outlawing comparisons of 바카라사이트 USSR and Nazi Germany. How long can it be before Rogoyska¡¯s definitive volume is unobtainable, even unmentionable, in 바카라사이트 Russian state?

Geoffrey Alderman is principal of Nelson College, London.

Surviving Katyn: Stalin¡¯s Polish Massacre and 바카라사이트 Search for Truth
By Jane Rogoyska
Oneworld, 400pp, ?20.00
ISBN 9781786078926
Published 6 May 2021