Forgotten maybe by folk that get their "knowledge" from Hollywood movies but anyone that actually knows about war crimes of WW2 beyond holocaust should know Katyn.
Katyn is the biggest one, a lot of polish PoW were killed in others places all over western Red Russia colonies. I know there was Bykivnia near Kyiv in Ukraine with estimated 200 000 murdered by russian communists, most of executed were civilian Ukrainians, but about 6000 were Polish PoW. NKVD sent the very same "group of specialists" to Bykivnia like it was made to Katyn in 1941. And again Red Russia claimed for dozens years that Bykovnia like Katyn was German Nazi, anyway it was proved it was russian communists and their political police AKA NKVD(later KGB), russians occupants initiated executions and created this massive grave in 30th in Ukraine and years before WWII started, and there were a lot of Ukrainian witnesses who could prove that, including my grandmother... under pressure of evidences Moscow confirmed Bykovnia was their responsibilities, not Nazi.
@@denisoko8494 You mean Soviets. Russians suffered all the same from the Soviet government of the time (where the two main guys were not Russians at all).
My grandfather was a Polish officer murdered at Katyn. His widow and her daughter, my mother, were held in a Siberian camp for over a year. Eventually, Catholic missionaries were able to move hundreds of of these Polish citizens to safety in Africa. After the war, they both came to Montreal. My mother married an Irish Montrealer, and I was born. My mother and grandmother are both gone now, but I still live in Montreal, as do my children and two granddaughters. That, my friends, is the circle of life.
Please make sure your daughters and granddaughters know their polish roots and history. It may inoculate them to the new post-modernist/Marxist ideas that grow rampant now in the west...
Canada badly needed lots of immigration. Almost everyone I'm on boards with are from either Germany, Poland, Ukraine, or what was then known as Yugoslavia. All have their stories. All my Commonwealth relations were in infantry in the war years and YEARS before the USA even thought of getting going!!! All survived.
My Great Grandfather, Jozef Bielinski was murdered by the Soviet NKVD at Katyn. He was an army officer in the Polish Army along with his son, my grandpa (dziadek) Adam Bielinksi, who was also an officer in the Polish army, sent to Siberia and later escaped and is the reason why I am here today. My grandpa, very hesitantly made deathbed confessions to my oldest sister, who is fluent in Polish, and wrote down everything my grandpa was saying about the war, Russians and his experience in the gulags. He said two NVKD Officers showed up at his house and took his dad away...he never saw him again and went to his grave not knowing what happened to him. Thank you for sharing this practically unknown war crime in the western world (especially Canada and the US). This means a lot to me and my family.
@@ggromio6703? What does? Man's surname is Bielinski, as Polish as it gets. Not that a native Pole with Polish surname couldn't be Jewish but for the most part, Polish Jews had their own identity and culture including surnames, many of which survived to today in western world (Blumsztajn, Goldblum etc). After all Poland was a safe haven for Jewish refugees from western terror since like 12th century, but point is Jewish religion came from migrants, not "from within" and conversions were very rare so you could usually easily say ones religion by surname.
@SuperDave Miorgan we still have wwII vets alive. They are in their late 80's and 90's. That is in the range to have grandchildren now alive. Even my kids have a grandfather that fought in the war. You really need to learn your history and try to learn just even a little math.
@@graemelake657 well, consider the options at the time. Yes, the allies could have started calling out the Soviets but war was already on the horizon even after the horrors of WW2. Was it nice that this was swept under the rug? No. But there were real world military and political reasons as to why. As always, it's complicated.
That's because they are a bunch of kids who have been easily indoctrinated because young people are naive, gullible and will swallow anything you tell them as truth. This is why Political Parties favour the youth. They don't have the wisdom that comes with age so make stupid decisions that they regret later. If they really knew what he and Communism is like then they would drop them quicker than a used condom.
Young men need leadership - today we have none, so they look to History for strength, identity, inspiration; many unfortunately find those qualities in tyrants, viewed through rose coloured glass I suspect if those people were in 1940's Soviet Union, they might think differently about "daddy" Lucky them...
There is always stupid people around unfortunately. Not said from an position of arrogance. A lot of misinformation from politicians, etc., that think it's in their benefit to constantly lie to people. And the "stupid" part is just accepting things blindly, to keep listening to the same "information" sources that lie to you, and not believing your own eyes when you see the truth..
I'm not even a Pole I'm an American. And proud , but I will tell you I'm a proud ally of the Poles. Some of the best war fighters that ever lived..I have utmost respect for them boys.
My wife's grandfather was imprisoned at Dachau and died after the war from illness caused by medical experimentation on him by the germans. Every Polish family has a similar history as 20% of Poles died during the war. By comparison my home country, the UK, was hardly touched.
So sad how the Poles were treated after WW2, even in Britain. Banned from the victory parade, and couldn't return to Communist Poland. Even generals like Sosabowski and Anders ended up working menial jobs.
@@apo5895 France surrender to the Germans. Even more, after capitulation part of France, so called Vishy, actively supported III Reich during war. Yet France took part in the parade among winners...
Couldn't return?! Many of them, including the pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain, were forceably deported back to Soviet occupied Poland! A condemnation by another name. In my opinion, it is one of Britain's greatest shames that, having entered WWII in protest of the invasion of Poland, it then went on to use Poland's men for its own defense from the Germans, only to then feed those brave few back to the Soviets in a disgusting show of appeasment, and never having fullfilled its promise to free Poland.
I meet a polish who was 12 years old when her and her family were captured by the russian. They were in one of those work camp. They escaped during a snow storm to increase their chance of not been capture. They end up in Tanzania for a while before she came to Canada. She often said "I survived Hitler, I survived Stalin" She passed not that long ago from COVID, R.I.P. Stella
Russian ? You mean Soviet ! Stalin was Georgian and Bary was Jude No Russian on the top in this moment of Soviet Union R.I.P. for all victimes of comunist regime😢😢😢
@@62nevioYes, this is often forgotten. The Russians held a few top positions while other ethnic groups made up the vast bulk of the Soviet command structure.
There's a statue in Jersey City commemorating this massacre. The mayor actually tried to have it removed when they were redoing the waterfront area and it caused such an uproar that the statue stayed.
@@christianpethukov8155 That's what a lot of people were wondering. The excuse given was that since the statue was somewhat macabre it shouldn't there on the redeveloped waterfront where it might disturb people. You can't make this stuff up.
The communists signed the order, along with Anti-Polish deportations and executions throughout Soviet Ukraine, where there were many Polish people. Now there are next to none, which should indicate what happened.
I've learned about this in Hungary. Two Hungarian officers were shot too, who were serving in the Polish Army at the time. Emánuel Aladár Korompay was at reserve captain, and lector of the Hungarology section of the Warsaw University, writer of the first Polish-Hungarian dictionary. The other person was Oskar Rudolf Kuehnel, a German-Hungarian who served as a artillery officer who was captured at the beginning of the Soviet offensive. May they rest in peace beside their brothers... Béke poraikra...
There shall be no peace. The cultures around this planet are in shambles! There is no core to people who have been subjected to the crap from Hollywood in the United States! We have exported trash for over 100 years! There is no peace by the hand of man. Only God has the power to influence. We are not going to have a lasting peace within ourselves or in our countries with out the creator of the universe, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ first of all, made everything that is in existence, John 1: 1-3 and Colossians 1: 15-17.
That is interesting. I didn't know about this. By being a lecturer at a University, the poor man signed his own death warrant. An intelligent human being - there was no room for those in Stalins world! :(
The US National Katyn Memorial is located here in my home city of Baltimore, Maryland. Although it is sited in a very prominent location, very few of our city's residents are aware of the full scope of what it commemorates. Thank you for sharing this chapter in history.
I am glad you have not left out the role of Sikorski and his *extremely convenient* death, even though you’re British. It just goes to show how impartial your work is. Thanks a lot.
the pilot of that aircraft was the only survivor of the crash though. If it had been an assassination the perpetrators surely would not have allowed him to live.
@@lucas82 how is the premise of the first sentence a logical justification for the conclusion in the latter? That's the logical fallacy of 'begging the question' (not-with-standing the absence of evidence for an assassination), isn't it?
@@elrjames7799 What does the data show? It's not 'conspiracy theory' , it's conjecture. My parents were big fans of Glen Miller and it's such a tragedy that he, along with multi millions of other humans died in that truly global conflict.
@@Eire_Aontaithe Yes, it's true. This is propaganda. The Soviets started offensive only after the Polish government was on the Romanian border and it became clear that Polish had been defeated. The territories that were returned to Soviet union were captured by Poland in 1919-21 when Russia was weakened by the civil war. These territories were inhabited mainly by Ukrainians and Belorusians. Even Great Britain and France didn't object. So Soviet union just got its own back.
Many Poles made their way to Canada and Toronto has a large population. In the West end of the north of the Garner expressway, there is a lovely little park with a large granite boulder slashed down the center. The park and boulder are dedicated to those slain in the Katyn forest.
You beat me to it!! How long has it been there? I first saw it on the back of Triumph’s Allied Forces album, 1980 (I believe Rik Emmett is at least part Polish). It is just south of Toronto’s Little Poland neighborhood
Fergus, I have not been to the park, but I looked it up on the internet and the monument I saw was not a boulder, but a bronze block. Have they changed it since you last saw it ?
@@tazman572 I have not seen it in a very long time so what you saw is probably correct. I think I will visit it the next nice day. It will get me out of the house and be a reminder of all the horror that still exists in the world
My grandfather, a war veteran of 1920 (war against Soviet Union), who was enlisted to Polish Army as an officer in communication unit in September 1939 - was kept in Katyn as POW. He avoided being murdered by Russians due to his hobby. A little known fact about the NKWD selection of POWs. Obviously, at first the uniform and distinctions mattered. But later the NKWD realized that some of officers were exchanging their uniforms with privates and NCOs (in Polish Army, the officer's field uniform differed from private's, so removing distinctions was not a solution). So NKWD used additional parameter of selection - appearance of hands. In Polish Army, same as in others european armies, officers were from so called 'good families' mostly: belonging to middle and high class, well educated, mental working, like it was stated in video: teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers etc. - their hands were smooth and manicured. There was a saying, that 'an officer has hands smooth like a lady'. In contrast, privates and NCOs, who were from lower class, with hands marked with hard physical work. At the commision, my grandfather, in his officer's uniform, was ordered to show his hands. His hobby, wood carving and wicker weaving which made his hands tough, chunky and scarred, saved his life. Despite of his uniform, Russians classified him as a nonofficer and assigned him to the transport to Syberian labor camps. He escaped the transport with some companions soon after and returned to family.
My grandmother's two of elder brothers didn't have that luck (one was teacher, second one police officer). They were officially missing. NKWD had capture them. All that left, were one family picture. Rest of the pictures were burnt. My grandmother always loud says a prayer for them, when we gather on Christmas Eve so I know the story. I've showed that story to my grandmother, while she is still alive. She was deeply touched, and she said a prayer for You Mark Felton. Thanks Mark Felton for telling the truth on YT, and for your astonishing historical work.
I have met a polish officer that was hit by lightning in 1938 and spent the war in the hospital. Otherwise he would have probably died in Katyn. On the same trip I met the Orthodox military chaplain who was later to become bishop and died in the plane crash at Smolensk. He showed us his picture in polish uniform, that was printed in the media after the desaster. That's the way I heard about it and could tell his godson in time for the funeral.
In the mid 1980’s, during his retirement in Florida, I met the highest ranking American POW who had been captured in the North African campaign. He was taken by the Germans to witness the exhumation under the Nazis to prove the prisoners had been killed early on in the war by the Soviets contrary to what the Stalin had said. Just like in this video, he mentioned that there was no wear on their boots and the uniforms were basically new. A career Army officer, he was pulled out of combat in the Korean War and brought before Congress where he was sworn to secrecy. Because I was familiar with the massacre (I had read about it it in the book "Khrushchev Remembers”), he was more than willing to open up and talk to me. We knew for so long yet the truth was repressed for political reasons.
To my understanding it has been established twice in court that the germans were reponsible for Katyn. What is your source on that the uk and US judges dismissed the charges at the nuermberg trials? It`s my understanding that they just didn`t speak about it at the sentencing which in itself was framed more universal. I`f i`m informed right it`s even illegal in france to claim that the sowjets are responsible for the Katyn massacre like the russians said in 1990 and 2010. It`s the Gassot Act. If i remember right at the trial in russia there was a lot of evidence, eye witness reports and even a confession or confessions by germans who then were hung. What does this and other things tells us on the track record of the sowjet trials. As for the nuermberg trials: International military tribunal charter Article 19 "the tribunal shall not be bound by technical rules of evidence..." Article 21 "The tribunal shall not require proof of facts of common knowledge but shall take judicial notice thereof" It is known by now that prisoners and defendents have been tortured to get confessions. How is it that you risk jail in european countries for things that israeli history prof Yehuda Bauer states since atleast 1992 ? There are a lot more problems with this trials and there is a lot more in general.
I take what you say as correct. In the UK it was published in the late 1960s (Purnells Second World War) that the Soviets were responsible for Katyn. The Editor was Barrie Pitt who stood up to the then (as now) clamour of denial with proof which was verified by the Red Cross who had inspected the bodies of murdered men. What I do not understand is why Truman & then Eisenhower said nothing? Politically they had everything to gain during the fevered Macarthyism when most US politicians (with a few honourable exceptions) supported or at best stayed silent during the witch hunt. Not Americas finest hour.
@@roddyteague6246 Eisenhower is easy. He isn`t as clean as you think. You can find a clear distinction between the areas where Eisenhower took german POWs and occupied germany and other US generals did the same (Patton as probably the most prominent example. It has even been alledged that Eisenhower had his fingers in the death of Patton). If you are interested in such things just look at the rhine medow camps for which Eisenhower is mainly responsible. If i`m informed right it is still illegal for germany to prosecute or even investigate warcrimes that the allies committed between 1939-1949. That includes but is not limmited to the rhine medow camps. It`s also worth to take a deeper look at the liberation of Dachau and Buchenwald as well as Mauthausen and what surrounds it. Especially crimes ant the trials that followed and what the staff there as well as historians and politicans today say about them. Especially the allied warcrimes that tend to get blacked out (if it`s mentioned at all then only a very small part of them).
@@beyondalpha1072 Agreed. I think it has to do with germanophobie. It`s all over. Try to find a english speaking movie where a german is the good guy/with the good guys if he isn`t acting against other germans. It`s even hard to find in german movies.
@@beyondalpha1072 Mark Felton is a WWII Historian and in WWII, Germany WAS one of the bad guys. If you don’t think they were evil in what they did and what they had planned, then I don’t know what else to say.😟😒
Man, Poland and it's people suffered so much through history... really a miracle how Poles still exist, such a brave and durable nation Respect from Croatia
@@cursed-hm2jnexcept China is not one people like the poles are. China is the unification of many different cultures and people that were mostly ruled by one emperor at a time. China is actually an example of the opposite of Poland, where native cultures are being stamped out and silenced, even massacred by the Han chinese.
My neighbour was one of the Polish troops captured by the Russians. He spent time in a Gulag until he was released after the German invasion of the USSR. He and his friends hitched south until they reached Persia where they enlisted in the British army. He eventually arrived in England and trained as a paratrooper. He took part in the Arnhem battle and was one of the few to escape back to Allied lines. In the 1990's, his suicide capsule was dug up by roadworkers in the town and returned to him (empty of course).
Lol. He was "in the Gulag" as a soldier of Anders' army, armed and supplied by the Soviet government in hard days, when the Nazis was near Moscow. But this army was completely unwilling to go to the Soviet front against Nazis. Therefore, they were eventually sent to Iran, under allies command. Yes, they fought a little bit for allies at WW2, but not very much. That time, in the USSR, the second Polish army was formed. Berling's army liberated Poland, and stormed Berlin, among other things. Bloody soviets formed two field armies from polish "prisoners of war, tortured in the Gulag", interned in 1939 soldiers, in fact. Some of them were killed near Katyn at 1940. Or maybe at 1941. By bloody commies. Or by bloody nazis.
It frustrates me when many historians and documentaries forget about the Soviets involvement in the invasion of Poland, let alone thier atrocities. Great work Mark.
They are not just "forgetting" my dude. Communists intentionally down played this kind of stuff throughout the entire cold war and still try and do it now.
@typo pit By "negotiations" you mean giving up Danzig to Germany with all the benefits Poland was given in the Free City of Danzig in the Versailles Treaty, allowing Germans to build an exterritorial highway, and all of this in exchange for a mere promise of giving up on claims on the region of Greater Poland? You expect Polish government not only to accept such an unfair "agreement", but also to believe Hitler who broke his promises one after another? Not only that, German "ultimatum" was not even an "ultimatum". Germany did not send to Poland any ultimatum that would meet the definition of a diplomatic act. Polish government was left with nothing to answer to. It was made in such a way it wont be accepted. Hitler wanted war. He needed war. You cannot deny it.
Do not forget also the massacre of Poles by the soviet and Nazi Ukranian forces, I met one (now deceased) who had to leave Ukraine after 1945, who came here and was still receiving a pension from the Germans, in the 1990',having served as a Policeman of some kind in ww2.
@@johndoe-ss9bz they didn't because they knew they couldn't win war against a unified Russia and Germany and the guarantee of independence was only against Germany so they didn't have to nor want too
@@Dman3827 Aww you little history revisionist. Let me educate you my friend. Lets see, in the late 1930s during the spanish civil war, the Condor legion (luftwaffe) terror bombed spanish towns and cities with their ol mate Franco. In 1939, the nazi germans terror bombed Warsaw and many other Polish towns and cities, along with Russia also terror bombing Poland after 17th September 1939. In 1940 during the invasion of France, the luftwaffe would terror bomb and machine gun French civilians fleeing the fighting therefore impeding French military reinforcements from getting to the fight in a timely manner. The german nazis also terror bombed Amsterdam and many other European towns and cities during their invasion including in 1940 in Norway, Belgium, Netherlands and others. The luftwaffe also terror bombed London, Coventary and many other towns and cities in the UK. The nazi germans massacred whole towns and villages in Europe, including the famous few in France, Poland, Russia and Ukraine as so called 'reprisals' for resistance. And who was on the sidelines cheering on these terror bombings ? Why the german civilians of course. I had access to the original SIGNAL magazines in High School that was put out by the German ministry of News. The german nazi civilians cheered on the terror bombing of others even before WW2, yet you now spout bullshit at how the german nazi civilians were victims ? Oh and dont forget WW1 where German zeppelins and later the Goeathe ? Bombers would terror bomb London during WW1, a tactic they refined and used to a greater extent in WW2.
Poland was three times divided between Czarists,Austro-hungarians and germans,last time betrayed by long time allies Britain,and borders moved away... and still exist !! RESPECT !!
I'm not Polish, but I'd describe what the Soviets did to the Poles a sort of mini-genocide. All decent people should condemn the hammer and sickle similar to the way we condemn the swastika.
@ozymandias nullifidian An infantile comparison. Also, you're confusing the use of symbol to represent a country, vs. the use of a symbol to represent an ideology that explicitly called for mass violence.
Uh oh, the commie sympathizers are in a tizzy. The Union Jack isn't used to represent a violent ideology, so the comparison is a stretch at best. And while many nations have committed crimes, I don't recall the British mowing down thousands of humans for being "enemies" of an ideology (as the Stalinists most certainly did) in the modern era.
@@ThisCanNotBTheFuture Hammer and sickle represents an ideology that, in its core and theory, doesn't represent anything evil. Communism and socialism are ideas based on equality of all people, meanwhile the Nazi ideology is based on racism and hate. Most people who call themselves communists and socialists today (there are many) condemn the Soviet crimes. Hammer and sickle should be allowed for use.
My grandfather was captured & on the train to Katyn . When the train stopped to take in water, some of the railway workers opened his car to see what was inside. My grandfather & others escaped, and he went back to his village. When I was a child, my father told me one of the ways the Red Cross identified the Soviets as the perpetrators was that, although shot with German guns, they had all been tied up with Russian rope. I still have my grandfather’s medal in my desk.
No he's not ''acting'' like Germans weren't genocidal he's stating the obvious that the germans conducted a real investigation and proved that soviets were behind this.
The Germans even notified Polish government in Uk when they were advancing into Russia and discovered all this massacre in Katyn, all tho no one believed them until after the war
When I was a kid (during early 80s), I remember visiting Cemeteries during All Hallows Eve. Traditionally it is the time of the year when Poles visit graves of their deceased loved ones. There was this wall there - every day someone would spray paint the word Katyn on it. The authorities would re-paint over it but we word would come back the next day. The area in front of the writing was always full of candles. This went on and on, year after year. Although it was officially suppressed knowledge and not a part of the school history curriculum since WW2, the people remembered. My great grandfather was murdered there (to be precise most likely in Ostaszkow)
Sorry for your lost. I really don't see a difference between Nazism and Communism. I'm an American and I can tell you we Americans made a deal with the Devil during WW2. All we did was help defeat one dictatorship so another could take over. Not just in eastern Europe but also in China. We are probably going to have to fight against Communism in the near future.
My grandfather escaped from Poland and my grandmother shared what had happened with my ancestors who were captured by Russia and Murdered. I became a soldier and Army chaplain. RIP🙏🏻
Oh believe me it is not forgotten in Poland, we speak about this with bitterness among families and in the gobvernment. We lost a huge chunk of people who were highly educated to be foundation of society. So many people were killed, almost all families I know lost somebody there. Such a horrid event.
YES. Both the Gestapo and the NKVD sought to eliminate the educated classes, professionals, and business leaders of Poland, to impose their systems on Poland - but this is not taught in the West.
@@kubajcz This destroyed our countries, but only backfired for them. Imagine how different it would be for Germany if they made people in occupied countries willing to cooperate and if they didn't make everyone a human of lower class
@@M167A1 Wow, that sounds completely true. I've read somewhere that Ukraine says that it has been what makes democracy possible for the rest of Europe.
God bless Poland from USA, it’s honestly sickening seeing all the genocide that happened in your country, and they still don’t even talk about what the Soviets had done to it
When the German troops discovered the mass graves of Polish officers near Smolensk (Katyn massacre) in April 1943, Sikorski turned to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Switzerland with a request for a neutral investigation on the spot. This gave Stalin the pretext to break off relations with the Polish government-in-exile at the beginning of May 1943, even before Sikorski withdrew the inquiry on May 4th under British pressure.
In case anyone didn't know - any time the Poles were *inconvenient* to the Allies, they were abandoned by them. Britain and France did so in 1939, and they got no respect throughout the War. People who have *NOT* forgotten Katyn: Poles Polish-Americans Military Historians I fit two of those categories.
What a load of rubbish, The Poles were much admired in Britain and still are. Many didn't return after the war and stayed in Britain. In my first Regiment, we had a substantial number of Soldiers of Polish descent as a result. There was little Britain could do to help because of the Geography and our lack of preparation for another war at the beginning. The Poles fought with distinction with us. Their RAF squadrons had some of the highest tallies during the Battle of Britain. The 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade fought in the Battle of Arnhem, and other ground troops fought in the North Africa Campaign (siege of Tobruk) and the Italian campaign, famously helping capture the monastery of Monte Cassino and at the Falaise Gap, which saw the annihilation of the German Army in Normandy. Additionally, the Polish Navy managed to get some of its ships to Britain and some RN ships were crewed by Poles too. Clearly, you need to do a bit more work on your history.
@@anthonybrownhovelt Oh I have no doubts to the bravery and ferocity of *Polish* troops. I'm just saying their so-called Allies were asleep until bombs started falling on them.
@@anthonybrownhoveltChurchill ordered to murder General Sikorski and didn’t invite poles to the victory parade and sold us to Stalin after the war! We know the truth. You are fooled by your “history” and history is written by the winners.
@anthonybrownhovelt well said Polish patriots and service men and women who were lucky enough to get to Britain. These brave men and women contributed to the liberation of Europe and will not be forgotten.
Thank you Mark, being a Polish citizen and knowing the history of Katyn, I really appreciate you making a video about this often forgotten episode of Soviet brutality.
Stop lying. The Soviets killed Polish officers, not Germabs or Ukrainians. And stop spreading the Soviet propaganda about the mordering Soviet soldiers, because that's not true.
Mr. Incredible • and that a Polish Nation-state was established after forced Peaceagreement (Brest-Litovsk) on the demand of the German Kaiser, after defeating Russia in WW1.
Incredible it is that they dont hate English to, since they used and betrayed Poles most. Looked the other way at the start of the war, used Poles as cannon foder and at the end of the war left them to the Soviets.
There were 4 incidents when Poland was attacked by its neighbours in this kind of fashion. The longest period Poland wasn't on Europe's map was about 200 years!
@@ljubomirculibrk4097 As an englishman i have a great respect for the polish nation and am embarrassed that my country has not, or not to my knowledge, apologised to Poland.
Listened to a audiobook recently. It states Poland has been in a state of survival for its very existence many times. Poland however still exists, it’s enemies went to the dustbin of history. Such is the perseverance and determination of the Polish!
@@somewierdoonline2402 - not so much as change to a Soviet government, as provided a one party state as being their territory was taken from the Germans. Not much choice there. Democracy restored 1989.
Years ago, a guy did my ancestry, His conclusion was my family came from an area so contested back and forth between Poland/Germany that I could call myself either German or Polish. I stuck to Polish.
@@somewierdoonline2402 if you call being Forced into submission, then yeah, they went Commie, and they were also the leaders in forcing Communism out of their Country long before the Soviet Union fell. In fact their Solidarity movement led to other neighboring Countries rejecting Soviet domination, I guess they didn't teach you that in World History huh?
I’m from Poland and I’d like to thank you for making a video about this tragic, yet quite unknown in the west subject. It’s shocking for me to read sometimes comments of people (mainly Russians) who still deny these war crimes and atrocities of communists in general. Well what can you do against the power of propaganda... Still thanks for this (as always) well researched and informative video.
I'm not a Russian and I think Stalin was Asian bloodthirsty butcher but nevertheless I understand his actions. That was revenge for torturing to death of about a hundred thousand of Soviet prisoners of war in Poland in 1919-1924.
You see, my wife is Ukrainian and when I met her I had to teach her that Katyn had been a Soviet, not German killing. That's what she had been teached at school. This and much more. Fortunately she trusted me.
The defenseless female victims of the Soviet hoards are still awaiting a Mark Felton episode telling their tragic tale. Millions of females aged 8 through 80 were sexually assaulted by our Communist "allies" as they pillaged Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, the Baltic states, Ukraine, and Rumania.
We also remember your uprising in 1956. In Poland hundreds donated blood, clothes and food for the victims of this soviet invasion. You are friends of Poland and our brotherhood will last. You are always welcome here.
История помнит о ваших « подвигах» над пленными и мирным населением на территории ссср. Потому в плен венгров и не брали. Хотя это все в прошлом, нужно жить на земле в соответствии законами божьими.
Also can't forgot all they did to German civilians, and German children as well the allies thought it was okay until the land disputes happened and the wall came up
Most dont know remote controlled bomber planes and remote controlled tanks were VERY popular in world War II. Also most dont know that JFKs older brother Joe Kennedy Jr. Died while flying behind and remote controlling two bomber planes over Germany in WWII.
My father was a Polish cavalry officer in Sept 1939 - his unit was pulling artillery when the Stuka's attacked & destroyed everything. They wandered the woods for days (many went AWOL) and after the Panzers roared past them, they were fortunate enough to surrender to the Germans (rather than Soviets) who treated them well. Eventually he was released from prison camp & escaped to Austria & eventually came over to the American side after the war. That's why I'm here.
My Grandfather (father of my Father) was imprisoned in Starobielsk POW camp, because he served in the Polish air force as an officer. He survived the massacre - he was released due to intervention of Lithuanian embassy in Moscow, because he was Lithuanian descent. He was one of a very few ever saved from Katyn massacre. During the stay in the camp, one of the fellow military chaplains predicted that my Grandfather would survive as the only one from their circle. Only 395 Polish officers (out of 22 000) were not murdered by NKVD in Katyn, Kharkov and Mednoye. He later served in the Soviet air force and survived the war. I had this fortune that I have met him and spent with him my childhood. He never wanted to speak about anything from the war. He passed away 14 years ago. In the name of him and his murdered colleagues I want to thank you.
@@KapitanGzehotnik I agree . Look at how many others were forced into similar situations . (I don't mean like Katyn) I mean being forced into service , Denmark, Sweden ,Norway , even if they were not forced to fight they were forced labor ... I am Glad your Grand father survived .
If you start to be interested in historical materials, compare different points of view,you will understand that there was no NKVD there.And this video is pure politics.
My grandpop was a polish officer that escaped from Poland in 1939 and wound up later in the R.A.F. Flying bombers with the 301 and 305 bomb group and received the “virtuti militari” from Gen. Sikorski in April of either 1941 or 1942, I can’t remember the exact year right now. But I learned of this tragedy from him.
@@2x2is22 Thank you! Yes he was a great man and I miss him a lot! Unfortunately he passed away in 1982 in a car accident of all things after flying 75 bombing missions during the war and not being seriously wounded, go figure? But thank you again for the nice compliment!
Commander Crabb was involved in the search off the coast of Gibraltar, he also suffered a very unexplained ending. Ironic that only the Pilot survived from the Sikorski crash. People should also remember that General Sosabowski the polish parachute commander at Arnhem, a very capable and caring man, was dismissed and side-lined for standing up for his men.
@@robinloxley205 The pilot was badly injured though and proved later in life to be no commie lover. More intriguing is the fact Kim philby, a soviet agent within british intel, was serving at gibraltar at that time.
@@robinloxley205 Unfortunately, Polish leaders were always a "thorn in the flesh" with regard to the Allies' dealings with Stalin who was able to redraw the post-war map of Europe according to his wishes! The Allies should have supported the Soviets only to the extent necessary to defeat Hitler simultaneously bringing about the downfall of Stalin.
@@ZVDhunter861 He is obviously not the one who started distorting your "fine line". Or shall i draw another line? About what should have Allies done in 1939 or should not have done in 1938? Stop painting world in black and white - there is no one righteous.
In German Poland the Wehrmact put up posters downtown ordering all the educated people to assemble there. They could be shot for failure to obey. The assemblies were then taken out of town and discretely shot. So SOP for your totalitarian invaders.
I was raised with this horror story. My father was taken by the Soviets and served as a translator when they occupied eastern Europe. He witnessed the aftermath of this massacre when the Soviet army scrambled to bury the bodies in the woods in an attempt to cover it up. It was very hush hush and all were told not to never to say anything. When i lived in Germany in the 80s nobody I talked to had ever heard of this including war veterans and teachers. When the iron curtain came down, it all came out.
I attend a high school in Hungary, where it has a monument remembering this massacre. A ceremony involving honour guards takes place there annual. Respect to the Poles!
I am not trolling or starting a fight, but did they talk to you about crimes Hungarian troops committed in Serbia and Yugoslavia in 1914/15 and 1941-45? I am just interested in what is thought to student these days.
@@jak00bspyr72 Read about the Intermarium. A good idea of cooperation between us and some others. Better then EU. Though I would refersh my countries leadership for some reason, but the oppisition is no match for them either.
@Carl Von Finland crime is when you go to Serbia in 1914 and start hanging and shooting women and children, not to mention straling all the food and stuff. This was docunented by Red Cross and some Swiss people on the ground like Archibald Reis.. Or, when you go to the city of Novi Sad in 1941/1942 and theow 2500 civilians under ice on river Danube. Or when Germans organize 3 concentration camps in Belgrade alone, for example. Is that enough to be qualified as crime for you?
Katyn massacre is said to be the Polish people’s “rape of Nanjing” described to me by a history teacher. It’s rather saddening that still people try to deny such atrocities.
The post-communist Duma has officially admitted that Stalin was responsible. I already had a comment-tussle about this with commie-boos on another channel. Why the deniers persist is a puzzle indeed.
Because the deniers are funded by the Russian government. They don't teach this stuff at schools in Russia. Just that they saved Europe from Hitler and "liberated" Eastern-Europe.
I think that a better equivalent of "Rape of Nanking" in Poland, would be the Wola Genocide, where the Germans exterminated 90,000 civilians during the Warsaw uprising in 1944. Or another one, the Volhynia Genocide, where Ukrainian Insuregents massacred 100,000 Poles in 1943-44.
@@manumainio thats actually completely false... only an american would think russians are still communist. Putin himself has admitted that Stalin was a tiran and warcriminal
I lost five close cousins in Katyń, and several further ones more... Thank you for this video, you are one of the most honest and valuable history creators on YT, and I salute you.
As a non Polish guy when you bring this up with reasonably historical minded Polish people.... they are very proud that you took the time to remember some of their history. They get even prouder if you bring up the Warsaw uprising.
The Polish resistance captured a V-1 rocket, a V-2 rocket, and got them to the UK, incredible feats of skill, bravery and sacrifice, that helped to save UK and Europe from the Nazis. They were also the first to get the original Enigma machines to the UK which helped us break the German codes at Bletchley park. A Polish officer also invented the Mine Detector which saved and does save thousands of lives. Polish pilots also used close-in tactics against German bombers and fighters in the Battle of Britain, which changed the British tactics and re aligned our fighters guns to be more effective. Polish bomber crews, especially Halifax crews suffered enormous losses dropping supplies to the resistance in Poland, including to Warsaw and making long bombing and supply drops into Poland and the rest of Europe. I am British but history has many stories yet to be told.
There was a great episode about a Polish Panther tank in the Warsaw uprising '44. Also Mike covered the V rocket heist. I would love to see anything about Warsaw or any other Ghettos Uprisings. Though I dont think there is much of a video footage.
@@robinloxley205 many amazing things were done by the Polish during WW2, in fact I believe it was the Polish who were vital in cracking the German code for the Allies in WW2 and they were able to smuggle a fully functioning Enigma code machine from Poland into England which made it incredibly hard for the Germans (who were unaware) to do anything in secret.
My uncle disappeared in 1940 and it was long believed by our family that he perished at Katyn. It was only in 2008, 68 years later, that his name was published by the Polish government in a list of verified victims of the massacre. No family should ever have to wait so long for confirmation of the fate of a loved one. Thank you for making this film.
The Polish film Katyn (2007) depicts this massacre in a horrifyingly accurate way. Recommend everyone watch the scenes of the shootings (at your own discretion), really shows how systematic and brutal it was
Yes I watched this about 11 years ago. The DVD of the film was given to us by a Polish family. It is a really shocking true story. It was the first time in years when after the film I had to have a double whisky. 'Least we forget'.
As a russian dude, i am quite ashamed of what happened. There is a book called icebreaker by victor suvorov describing further collaborations between soviets and nazis. Its a good read.
@@yaromirgusev2616 It's very sad. I suppose the NKVD had got used to shooting people a few years earlier during the Yezhovshina. At least they never did it again (so far as I know).
Mark, you should get a Pulitzer for this kind of superb investigative reporting. What I find so very disturbing, is the flippant disregard for human life, that people possess. Where these psychopaths delude themselves into believing it's okay and even their legal right, to murder others and not just another person, but millions upon millions of people. This kind of history should be convincing us all, that the consolidation of power into the hands of the few, is fatal for the many.
Superb investigative reporting? The massacre at Katyn is common knowledge freely available. Amazon lists immediately 12 books upon searching the subject 'Katyn'. Just because you've never heard of it before doesn't make it a forgotten or repressed mystery to anyone else. Although British, Katyn has never been forgotten by many people of my generation.
what we should find disturbing as well is the flipping disregard for billions of animal lives every year that end up in concentration camps of modern farms and then get executed in death camps, the slaughterhouses. they are persons too but most of us do not see this with their limitted vision. this massacre is totally forgotten and rarely has been reported. (your comment triggered me... i will repost this) One of the karmic reasons why eastern europe might have suffered so much is due to their farming culture. if we accept the simple concepts of eternity of our consciousness (the soul), it's transition in many lifeforms that can accommodate it's presence and in karma that is the result of it's mental impressions comming from actions, killing of others as one of them... then we might have less wars...
Believe it or not, several SOBs died in 1990-1995. Well-known by the russians who they are. Never answered for it. It is the reason for our russoreality, not the russophobia.
@@davecopp9356 not 5,000, it always 250. After thousands of Poles had been rounded up and killed by the Germans during the invasion. Inflating the number 20 times does history no favors, and it was after thousands of Poles had been similarly killed.
@@davecopp9356 I love how the apologists allways have to say, "But what about that, wasn't that bad????" First, it was NOT 5000, and you know it, second, can't we just mourne the death of those illegaly executed brave polish soldiers, without assholes like you trying to convince us who was worst.
so it turns out Poland was right to fear its former subjugators and neighbors, Germany and Russia. It seems to be common propaganda that Poland was an irrational player trying to unite other former slaves to said neighbors for defense. Why is the context and narrative around Polish foreign policy (pre-war) almost never painted as this "do or die" attitude to foreign policy because that was exactly what was on the table for them--ya know, because of how history actually went? queue the other Nazi sewn propaganda that Poles were so eager to ship out Jews--no other nation in the world had as much academic and institutional print in Hebrew as did Poland during this time, ya know, for actual historical context.
Once the war got going the Soviet Union needed to be seen as an ally so this, and the general nature of the socialist regime was not really spoken about until the end of the decade and the start of the cold war.
@@magnetmannenbannanen it's not a matter of what they could do, it's that the Communists were at least as bad as the nazis, yet got a pass at least until the start of the Cold War. this is reflected in the current positive Western attitude towards socialism, which is every single bit as bad as German national socialism.
As they did to the Soviet war crimes in the baltics, the genocide of Ingrian Finns, the fact that the Soviets participated in the attack on Poland - which they had given a guarantee to - and the attack on Finland.
As a Brit of Polish heritage it broke my heart to hear how the UK was happy to point the blame at Germany and not hold the Soviet’s to account for the Katyn Massacre. Thank you for the video, any attention brought to the massacre is a good deed.
There were many instances during the war that showed Britain to be as two-faced, and cruel, as Hitler waas. Being an ally, they got away with it....until the Final Judgement when their lies and deceptions will be eternally exposed. Roosevelt also has a lot to answer for in his quest to get the US into Britain's war.
@Oz Lang Only someone of English, Welsh, Scottish or Northern Irish Ancestry can be British, the law of Nature trumps temporary man made laws written on paper.
Excellent and informative piece Mark, my only slight issue would be I don't think it's a forgotten massacre. It's particularly not forgotten in Poland.
It's amazing that too this day you hear stories of how Poland collapsed when in fact they were crushed from two sides. As brave as they were they could not defeat Nazi Germany and soviet Russia alone.
@@xwormwood Polish generals and politicians were unfortunately for Poland very weak in the years prior to the war and during defense war . It's not the coincidence that famous generals from years 44-45 (Anders, Maczek, Sosabowski) were not the ones that were in charge of any major units in '39
@@xwormwood apparently that was demanded by the French and their support was conditional on this strategy. Still thinking in WWI terms. Keeping all that menpower at ready was very expensive and made modernising the army very difficult.
@@stzawadzki not sure if this is true. The picture is obscured by decades of communist propaganda. Would be interesting to see some well researched and documented analysis.
@@pawelantkowiak7579 Yes, that is true. It was demanded by Britain and France that Poland should defend at the boarder, and thus Poland was forced to defend in unfavourable terrain, in order for Britain and France to join the war.
During the old days the goverment has been screwing us over on every ocasion,and when the rebellions occured,they have been quickly surpressed more or less deadly way.I remember a story of a Polish Priest who was brutaly murdered by the secret police for being associated with Solidarity,and that he supported Independent Poland.Also commies tried and staged an assasination attempt at the live of John Paul The Second,and they nearly succeeded.Church played a very important role during the last 15 years of communist regime in Poland
@@harveybeaver9731 Before 1939 - Polish minority living in USSR were reduced to dust in "polish action" perpetuated by NKVD in 1937. Soviets hate poles as much as is possible to hate another human beaning.
@@paulbradford6475 Who denies that? Socialism is not the same as stalinism. Even communist despised stalin and his crimes. Maybe the far right wants to use the massacre as propaganda as the nazis did.
I've known the truth about Katyn since 1989! It's not widely talked about in Western media, I believe partly because the Allies are embarrassed that they sided with a monster equal to Hitler! Churchill and Roosevelt knew from MI6 and the OSS that Stalin had ordered the massacre in 1943 but chose to bury it.
It's ignored by the 90% of the entire west, as we all know our continent is filled with left wing, marxist and communist sympathizers. This is the harsh reality, don't try to deny it. People seem to forget that Stalinism was worse than Nazism, mainly for remaining unpunished for their abhorrent planned Genocides in Ukraine in which it is estimated that it had a major death toll more than the Shoah itself, the killings they've done, the harsh repression perpetrated by the NKVD and so many other War Crimes. If only Stalinism was brought to Justice as they did with Nazism.
@@RadX_98 It has nothing to do with "lEfTiEs ArE cOmMiEs" conspiracies. It has to do with the fact that the western allies chose to bury the atrocities perpetrated by the soviets so they could justify their alliance with Stalin. If you want to search for culprits look no further than the US and UK governments.
Absolutely terrible man. Never heard of his story. Brutal. So much needless death brushed under the rug it's insane. Thanks for sharing there story Mark.
As a Polish, I can say thank you. You created amazing, filled with facts and historically accurate documentary. It is important to remember about this dark period.
@@PseudonymsAreGovnoYaEbalGoogle da Aleksiej, tragic events is slavic brothers murdering many Polish inteligentsia. My uncle was murdered there. We won't forget what is cost the russia betrayal. where soviet united with fascist and invaded small Poland. fascist comunism equal evil.
@@cool2martini It was a pretty awful event, I wouldn't argue where. Though It was the USSR who had confessed it. A lot of countries do pretty awful fings and try to sweep it under the rug. We had atleast confessed in 80-s.
Thank you, Mark. Poles born in Britain (like myself) have always known this story. Sadly, in Poland itself for 50 Communist years, it was the Elephant in the room - & it could not be talked about. A distant Cousin of mine, whom I only met recently, served in the 'modern' (Communist Era) Polish Army & only knew the Soviet version of events. Worse still, he was teaching young recruits this Soviet lie as well. When the truth came out in 1989/90, he was more than shocked. The bottom fell out of his world, as if the version of Katyn he was teaching was a lie - what else was untrue? Could he believe in anything anymore?
Just to add - My Grandad (a Major) escaped to Rumania & avoided capture by the Russians. (My other Grandad had died of Cancer before the war). My Dad was not yet in the Army when war broke out, so avoided capture as well. Lucky, lucky, lucky...... My Dad was imprisoned in Siberia later on, for attempting to cross into Romania. He was then part of the 'amnesty' granted to the Poles & made his way out of the Soviet Union with General Anders across the Caspian Sea to Persia (Iran). General Anders appears in one of your film clips with Stalin & General Sikorski. Later, my Dad was at Monte Cassino - before finishing the war in Britain.
@@andysoch "Sadly, in Poland itself for 50 Communist years, it was the Elephant in the room - & it could not be talked about. A distant Cousin of mine, whom I only met recently, served in the 'modern' (Communist Era) Polish Army & only knew the Soviet version of events." That was a forbidden topic, but to know that this is the case you also need to know that something is off... considering than most of the officers in the 51% of Polish territory that was occupied by Soviet Union were executed and then in created in USSR Polish army they were replaced with Soviets that changed Russian surnames to Polish surnames... Soviets were also hunting Polish underground fighters: "Józef Franczak (17 March 1918 - 21 October 1963) was a soldier of the Polish Army, Armia Krajowa World War II resistance, and last of the cursed soldiers - members of the militant anti-communist resistance in Poland. He used codenames Lalek (best known), Laluś, Laleczka, Guściowa, and fake name Józef Babiński. He was a resistance fighter for 24 out of 45 years of his life. (...) The Lublin field office of the Polish secret police, the Służba Bezpieczeństwa, had already begun a plan to capture or kill him as early as November 1951, under the codename "Pożar" ("Fire"). In time over 100 different people were involved in the effort to locate and eliminate him. Agents of the SB installed bugs in several houses in the villages around Lublin. In May 1957, the first such device was implanted in the house that belonged to Czeslawa Franczak, Jozef's sister. Soon afterwards, bugs were installed in the house of another sister, Celina Mazur, as well as elsewhere. Finally, in 1963, he was betrayed by a relative of his mistress, Danuta Mazur. Stanisław Mazur informed the secret police of Franczak's whereabouts and his planned meeting with Danuta, who was also the mother of his child. On 21 October 1963, 35 functionaries of a ZOMO (paramilitary riot police) unit surrounded a barn in Majdan Kozic Górnych, the village where Franczak was in hiding. They demanded his surrender; Franczak presented himself as a local peasant, but after having been asked about identity documents, he opened fire and was mortally wounded in the ensuing firefight. After an autopsy, Franczak's body (without its head, which was passed to a medical university), was buried in an unmarked grave. His family recovered his remains about twenty years later and reburied them in the cemetery in Piaski Wielkie. His skull was recovered and reburied only in 2014." To be honest the version of the story from your distant Cousin sounds suspicious, i would believe more in version that he never heard about it than the story that he was teaching Soviet version of it, as it was hard to not tell that Soviets are constantly lying and acting very hostile to everything conected to the pre WW2 Poland. So to me it looks like a version told to you as something that would be easier to understand for you as you know only a fraction of the post WW2 Polish reality. There are also two periods of the Polish communist army in post ww2 history of it. There is Stalin era where Soviet Generals were dressed in Polish uniforms and post Stalin era when the power was given to Polish officers but there was an oath to Soviets for every Polish soldier and lets be honest here there was no love to Soviets from avg. Polish citizen, they were giving power mostly to the people that were at the bottom of the social pyramid/family member of a poor peasant or a worker in pre-ww2 Poland to gain some ammount of loyality as they were suposed to know that they are in power/on top only because of the communists.
@@siyacer The Soviet version was that the Germans did it in 1941, whereas the actual murders happened in 1940. The date is important, because it tells you who controlled that area. In 1940, it was the Soviets!!
@@andysoch Speaking of lies, Sikorski died in an aircraft "accident" taking off from Gibraltar. At the time a known Soviet Spy was seen near the plane. Known to the British, and yet he was allowed near the plane in Gibraltar.
@@MaxwellAerialPhotography You are far behind events. In late 1990s it's been proven that Sikorski was killed by his Czech pilot on orders from Stalin.
@@Qwertypp10 looks like we have to force the lot to reveal those documents and extra. they have to of there own call or someone will go in there find it and reveal it on there terms. in either case they got to step up.
The saddest thing about all this is most people don't even know this happened. The people responsible for this massacre should have been hunted down and brought to justice! What a disgrace!
True but on the other hand, how would this have been done. The NKVD was backed by the USSR. The USSR wouldn't have allowed the trial. And no one would risk a war over this after WWII.
If anyone is interested in this topic, I recommend watching the film by Oscar-winning filmmaker Andrzej Wajda, titled Katyn. It focuses not only on the events during the war, but also on the post-war atmosphere around the attempts to discover the truth.
That was a DAMN good movie. I never felt the feels like the way that movie gave em to me. To see distinguished polish officers get blasted in the back of the skull like cattle and shoved up a metal chute into a truck made my blood run cold. Patton had his reasons to hate the soviets over the germans, and we'll never know what he knew.
I am a Ugandan lawyer watching this in 2021. I have always been fascinated by the history of Europe. But the story of Katyn really is up there with the saddest of them all. The really frightening thing is the increasing feeling of the inevitability of a third world War. Only this time few will be alive to tell the story.
@@andrewbagaayi584 I'm a bit late but if u still don't know the guy that asked about "the way"was making a joke using an old internet meme.There isn't anything about it
In the U.S..there were two official intelligence reports into the Katyn massacre that contradicted the official position that the massacre was committed by the Germans. In 1944, Roosevelt assigned his special emissary to the Balkans, Navy Lieutenant Commander George Earle, to produce a report on Katyn. Earle concluded the massacre was committed by the Soviet Union Having consulted with Elmer Davis, director of the United States Office of War Information, Roosevelt rejected the conclusion (officially), declared he was convinced of Nazi Germany's responsibility, and ordered that Earle's report be suppressed. When Earle requested permission to publish his findings, the President issued a written order to desist and Earle was reassigned and spent the rest of the war in American Samoa. It has been documented that Roosevelt did not believe that the Russians did it!
It's because America was Allied to Soviets during WW2 and wanted to portray themselves as the greatest generation. It's all BS. America is just as evil. We drop atomic bombs on civilians and let eastern Europe fall under Communist rule because we didn't care.
I used to work with a old Polish man,who had been captured by the Soviet army when they invaded Poland.He ended up in a forced labour camp.He told me that one day they where told that the inmates where being set free and they ended up in Palestine,he then joined the Polish second corps and fought in Italy.After the war he married and settled down in England.
So it happened on the basis of the first Sikorski-Mayski agreement, when Russians needed cannon meat. Conditions in the army camps were poor, so supplies were sent by the British. Stalin decided that those released from the camps did not want to fight for Stalin, but for a free Poland. he limited the food supply. An agreement was reached between Stalin and the British government and the Poles were to be transported to Iraq. Iraq at that time was occupied by the Soviets and Britain. It's also an interesting story. The Poles were armed, trained and nourished by the British. II Corps fought for the liberation of Italy, Monte Cassino, Ancona, Bologna and many other places showed that they fought for our freedom and yours. I knew a lot of people like that.
I am not sure if it was the same Polish Corps but one of the units had a Bear mascot called Wojtek (Voytek) who would do camp chores, carry ammunition for field guns and many other jobs and lived alongside the soliders who adored him and was adored by him. He apparently liked a beer and a cigarette too. I believe he has a memorial too. Would make a nice video for Mark to cover
@@roberts1938 The UK did charge the Polish government in exile for providing with the supplies and training to the Polish Army, Navy and Air Force in the West (Polish gold was deposited in the UK, so they could take whatever amount they wanted), even though the Polish pilots, seamen and other soldiers defended the British territory (yet the Polish government did not issue a bill for that to the UK).
I read about this affair back in the mid 1960s. Russia denied it, Germany laughed, and Roosevelt called it Nazi propaganda. I guess he did not want to upset Joe Stalin.
It certainly is not forgotten in Hungary. We have a square named in honour of the Katyn victims not too far from where I'm living with a (kind of weird) statue that symbolizes the forest.
Husband of my grandfather's sister was steam train driver before the war in eastern Poland, as he was uniformed worker, he was taken prisoner by Soviets and was sent to katyń, but he was extremely lucky, the Soviets were checking hands, his hands for obvious reasons were hands of an ordinary worker and he was released and returned home, he died in the end of 80s
lolikususs MILITARY OFFICERS HANDS DO NOT DO HEAVY WORK OR DIRTY WORK HOWEVER A UNIFORMED RAILROAD ENGINEER HAS HANDS HARDENED AND STAINED BY HIS WORK! ADDITIONALLY BEFORE BEING AN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER THERE WAS A 10 YEAR PERIOD OF BEING A LOCOMOTIVE FIREMAN, WHICH INVOLVES SHOVELING MANY TONS OF COAL!!
@@lolikususs Russian killed (mostly) officers during Katyn not normal soldiers. Otherwise, they would have had to kill half of Poland since basically everyone between 16 and 50 was enlisted
In every war, people suffer. I will make the argument, however, that no country was betrayed as badly as Poland. They were invaded on both sides, while "allies" did little or nothing to help. Later in the war, when the Soviets "liberated" Poland, rape, theft, murder, and beatings were inflicted on the Poles. As I have heard some Poles declare, it was terrible when the Germans occupied their country, but it was worse when The Red Army came through.
In Poland Katyń and many other massacres arent actually forgotten. We have the "Cursed soldiers day", we are taught in schools about red army atrocities, etc.
I am actually sorry for what happened to your people back then. They should never be forgotten? I watched a movie called Katyn and I could only see it just one time.
Great story!! I’m so glad you’ve covered it! My mother’s father was very lucky to have escaped from Katyń! He survived the war and fought the Soviets in the resistance after.
When Hitler proposed the idea of a combined invasion, Stalin took that opportunity, Poland defended their country with all they had, but sadly, due to the two giants crushing in on them, they stood no chance
@@kapralo3285 If u didnt kill and starve to death 80000 ppl in ur concentration camps after a result of land grab from a nation in agony of a civil war e.g. the battle of Warsaw,maybe Katyn massacre wouldnt have happened.When u have so much blood on ur hands ppl will hold a grudge against u,and when u end up in those ppl hands things happen
@@NachiV Poland lost an entire generation of intelligentsia and elites in this atrocity. Lack of role models, appalling level of education and historical awareness, subsequent 45 years under soviet dictatorship, and many, many more things are the present day scars.
As someone with Polish heritage I would like to say thank you. My grandparents came from the eastern parts of Poland occupied by the USSR. My grandmother became a POW and was involved in the POW transfer, my grandfather was studying Medicine in Warsaw and fought at Monte Cassino under Anders. Knowing that if he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, being a university student, he could have ended up in this massacre is very heartfelt
If he was part of Anders army means he was rounded up in Russia, and be lucky enough not to be executed (by NKWD) before the Germans attacked USSR (and NKWD being more occupiad with trying to halt the front, than mass execute POW). The "whole" Anders army was composed of POW/civilians/whoever wanted to escape Russia/Sybir/camps and had a claim of polish (or semi-polish) heritage. Not to mention that people trying to reach the rally zones (to met up with this conglomerate of civilians/soldier etc. who then were evacuated to middle-east) were extremaly rarely given any proper support (or anything more than just being released from their camps/prisons etc.). So reaching the rally points was a great feat in itself.
A million views. Intentionally or not, this will probably become one of your most important videos Mark - especially as the Russian state increases its efforts to manipulate aspects of its past. As a Pole who had a family member (officer of the reserve - a peacetime doctor) murdered at Katyn, I thank you.
@ScipioRomanus We live in a time when many academics, pseudo intellectuals, and youth in the West conveniently choose to ignore the lessons of history. Isn’t it curious that most these people are Leftists? The human race has much to learn. There is much that the Poles could teach us.
The lack of assistance by England and France certainly didn't help things. Poland lost so much in WW2 that it's a miracle that the country exists today. We must never ever let our Polish partners down again.
I've always questioned why the French and British declared war on Germany because of the German invasion of Poland but did not declare war on the Soviet Union for their simultaneous invasion of Poland. And then after hundreds of thousands of Poles escaped occupation and came to fight alongside the western allies, those same allies allowed the USSR to occupy Poland and make it part of the USSR.
its forgotten by the world, not by the polish people
I've known about Katyn for many years and I've no Polish connection.
It's not forgotten by all means. I was really surprised by the title. Greeting from Canada!
Forgotten maybe by folk that get their "knowledge" from Hollywood movies but anyone that actually knows about war crimes of WW2 beyond holocaust should know Katyn.
not as forgotten as they want us to believe
Not forgotten by your southern brothers, Croatians. We know who really did it, well at least some of us do. Some still believe it was the "Russians".
I'm Polish and this mean a lot to me! Thank You Mark!
Warriors... ZAWSZE 😰🇵🇱🙏
Katyn is the biggest one, a lot of polish PoW were killed in others places all over western Red Russia colonies. I know there was Bykivnia near Kyiv in Ukraine with estimated 200 000 murdered by russian communists, most of executed were civilian Ukrainians, but about 6000 were Polish PoW. NKVD sent the very same "group of specialists" to Bykivnia like it was made to Katyn in 1941. And again Red Russia claimed for dozens years that Bykovnia like Katyn was German Nazi, anyway it was proved it was russian communists and their political police AKA NKVD(later KGB), russians occupants initiated executions and created this massive grave in 30th in Ukraine and years before WWII started, and there were a lot of Ukrainian witnesses who could prove that, including my grandmother... under pressure of evidences Moscow confirmed Bykovnia was their responsibilities, not Nazi.
Full support to Polish brothers from Croatia.
@@dovlacro6382 ironic since you did the same things to Serbs...well
@@denisoko8494 You mean Soviets. Russians suffered all the same from the Soviet government of the time (where the two main guys were not Russians at all).
My grandfather was a Polish officer murdered at Katyn. His widow and her daughter, my mother, were held in a Siberian camp for over a year. Eventually, Catholic missionaries were able to move hundreds of of these Polish citizens to safety in Africa. After the war, they both came to Montreal. My mother married an Irish Montrealer, and I was born. My mother and grandmother are both gone now, but I still live in Montreal, as do my children and two granddaughters. That, my friends, is the circle of life.
Please make sure your daughters and granddaughters know their polish roots and history. It may inoculate them to the new post-modernist/Marxist ideas that grow rampant now in the west...
I hope you can say that your life today is a positive outcome from this tragedy.
How did the missionaries get the from a work camp to Africa?
Canada badly needed lots of immigration. Almost everyone I'm on boards with are from either Germany, Poland, Ukraine, or what was then known as Yugoslavia. All have their stories. All my Commonwealth relations were in infantry in the war years and YEARS before the USA even thought of getting going!!! All survived.
Hope you are passing on the history of your family and Polish ancestors to kids and grandkids.
My Great Grandfather, Jozef Bielinski was murdered by the Soviet NKVD at Katyn. He was an army officer in the Polish Army along with his son, my grandpa (dziadek) Adam Bielinksi, who was also an officer in the Polish army, sent to Siberia and later escaped and is the reason why I am here today. My grandpa, very hesitantly made deathbed confessions to my oldest sister, who is fluent in Polish, and wrote down everything my grandpa was saying about the war, Russians and his experience in the gulags. He said two NVKD Officers showed up at his house and took his dad away...he never saw him again and went to his grave not knowing what happened to him. Thank you for sharing this practically unknown war crime in the western world (especially Canada and the US). This means a lot to me and my family.
Sounds more Jewish then polish
@@ggromio6703? What does? Man's surname is Bielinski, as Polish as it gets. Not that a native Pole with Polish surname couldn't be Jewish but for the most part, Polish Jews had their own identity and culture including surnames, many of which survived to today in western world (Blumsztajn, Goldblum etc). After all Poland was a safe haven for Jewish refugees from western terror since like 12th century, but point is Jewish religion came from migrants, not "from within" and conversions were very rare so you could usually easily say ones religion by surname.
@@ggromio6703 Are you some kind of neonazi? Because you sound like one. Why would anyones surname instantly tell you their religion?
Escaped, no nobody escape Siberia, probably he was released (many people say this to sound brave)
@@ggromio6703good lord that's an ignorant comment.
A friend of mine's grandfather was murdered at Katyn. Evil like this leaves scars for generations.
My family member was shot there
@SuperDave Miorgan you better just be trolling or God help you cuz I won't waste my breath anymore on stupid.
@SuperDave Miorgan You don’t know how old the people making the comment are so be smart
@SuperDave Miorgan we still have wwII vets alive. They are in their late 80's and 90's. That is in the range to have grandchildren now alive. Even my kids have a grandfather that fought in the war. You really need to learn your history and try to learn just even a little math.
@@patrickdoran7474 you are not talking so how are you wasting your breath
As a Pole, I thank You for this video. I probably can't even comprehend how history is distorted in other countries due to war propaganda.
Churchills complicity in keeping this hidden should not be forgotten too.
@@graemelake657 agreed !
@@graemelake657 well, consider the options at the time. Yes, the allies could have started calling out the Soviets but war was already on the horizon even after the horrors of WW2. Was it nice that this was swept under the rug? No. But there were real world military and political reasons as to why. As always, it's complicated.
@@robertborie8479 I don't disagree at all. But it is a fact.
that plane crash was fuckedup. coincedence?
It makes me sick, that people on the internet call Stalin their "daddy" and are fans of him.
That's because they are a bunch of kids who have been easily indoctrinated because young people are naive, gullible and will swallow anything you tell them as truth. This is why Political Parties favour the youth. They don't have the wisdom that comes with age so make stupid decisions that they regret later.
If they really knew what he and Communism is like then they would drop them quicker than a used condom.
Young men need leadership - today we have none, so they look to History for strength, identity, inspiration; many unfortunately find those qualities in tyrants, viewed through rose coloured glass
I suspect if those people were in 1940's Soviet Union, they might think differently about "daddy"
Lucky them...
There are also fans of Hitler.
Fate loves irony
There is always stupid people around unfortunately. Not said from an position of arrogance.
A lot of misinformation from politicians, etc., that think it's in their benefit to constantly lie to people. And the "stupid" part is just accepting things blindly, to keep listening to the same "information" sources that lie to you, and not believing your own eyes when you see the truth..
Trust me. Those of us in the West who know our history have not "forgotten " Katyn.
@SPY1987you sound jealous
FOR REAL neva FORGOTTEN.........
also remembered by east, i am from China.
The Polish saved the world no less than twice. The hussars live on.
I'm not even a Pole I'm an American. And proud , but I will tell you I'm a proud ally of the Poles. Some of the best war fighters that ever lived..I have utmost respect for them boys.
My wife's grandfather was a general, murdered at Katyn.
I guess most of the likes above are condolences and not "I like this"......;)
My wife's grandfather was imprisoned at Dachau and died after the war from illness caused by medical experimentation on him by the germans. Every Polish family has a similar history as 20% of Poles died during the war. By comparison my home country, the UK, was hardly touched.
Could you please tell his surname?
My wife is Polish. One of her great aunts was made a widow by Katyn. It's a massacre that certainly hasn't been forgotten in Poland.
What was his name?
There is memorial to this in my hometown in Pennsylvania. At a large Polish Catholic church.
Hey what city if you don’t mind me asking?
Really ?
It's in Doylestown PA outside of Philadelphia. Baltimore also has one
Lots of Polish descendants in our fair Commonwealth. Great people with excellent food.
Same in Jersey City, NJ right on the waterfront. Giant statue of a polish offer being bayoneted in the back
So sad how the Poles were treated after WW2, even in Britain. Banned from the victory parade, and couldn't return to Communist Poland. Even generals like Sosabowski and Anders ended up working menial jobs.
Well for the allies everyone who surrender to the Germans and their country seize to exist after an german invasion was considered a loser of the war
@@apo5895 France surrender to the Germans. Even more, after capitulation part of France, so called Vishy, actively supported III Reich during war. Yet France took part in the parade among winners...
@@apo5895 what a stupid comment
@@apo5895 Poland never signed any capitulation with Germany
Couldn't return?! Many of them, including the pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain, were forceably deported back to Soviet occupied Poland! A condemnation by another name. In my opinion, it is one of Britain's greatest shames that, having entered WWII in protest of the invasion of Poland, it then went on to use Poland's men for its own defense from the Germans, only to then feed those brave few back to the Soviets in a disgusting show of appeasment, and never having fullfilled its promise to free Poland.
I meet a polish who was 12 years old when her and her family were captured by the russian. They were in one of those work camp. They escaped during a snow storm to increase their chance of not been capture. They end up in Tanzania for a while before she came to Canada. She often said "I survived Hitler, I survived Stalin" She passed not that long ago from COVID, R.I.P. Stella
From COVID or from another Nazi/US vaccine?
@@shamane67 🤦♂️
Russian ?
You mean Soviet !
Stalin was Georgian and Bary was Jude
No Russian on the top in this moment of Soviet Union
R.I.P. for all victimes of comunist regime😢😢😢
@@62nevioYes, this is often forgotten. The Russians held a few top positions while other ethnic groups made up the vast bulk of the Soviet command structure.
Well she didn't escape Zion
There's a statue in Jersey City commemorating this massacre. The mayor actually tried to have it removed when they were redoing the waterfront area and it caused such an uproar that the statue stayed.
@Nineleven Treason Himmel
What the hell was he thinking?
@Nineleven Treason Steve Fulop he still holds office today
@@christianpethukov8155 That's what a lot of people were wondering. The excuse given was that since the statue was somewhat macabre it shouldn't there on the redeveloped waterfront where it might disturb people. You can't make this stuff up.
Where is it in J.C.?
Well, having lived in Krakow, I can tell you Katyn ain't forgotten in *Poland*. Thanks to Mark for helping remind the wider world about it.
When Solidarity was born in 1980, Time magazine intimated that the massacre was well-known in Poland, despite communist attempts to suppress it.
@@exchequerguy4037 Absolutely.
The communists signed the order, along with Anti-Polish deportations and executions throughout Soviet Ukraine, where there were many Polish people. Now there are next to none, which should indicate what happened.
I've learned about this in Hungary. Two Hungarian officers were shot too, who were serving in the Polish Army at the time. Emánuel Aladár Korompay was at reserve captain, and lector of the Hungarology section of the Warsaw University, writer of the first Polish-Hungarian dictionary. The other person was Oskar Rudolf Kuehnel, a German-Hungarian who served as a artillery officer who was captured at the beginning of the Soviet offensive.
May they rest in peace beside their brothers...
Béke poraikra...
Moja Mama ur 1933.2018 otrzymala obnizone zachowanie za powiedzenie kto zrobil i wezwano rodzicuw pozdrawiam Wegirskiego Przyjaciela
There shall be no peace.
The cultures around this planet are in shambles!
There is no core to people who have been subjected to the crap from Hollywood in the United States!
We have exported trash for over 100 years!
There is no peace by the hand of man.
Only God has the power to influence.
We are not going to have a lasting peace within ourselves or in our countries with out the creator of the universe, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ first of all, made everything that is in existence, John 1: 1-3 and Colossians 1: 15-17.
Q1qqq11q
NKVD is responsible. Stalin ordered them to purge everyone who disagreed with him. NKVD is Stalin's puppets.
That is interesting. I didn't know about this. By being a lecturer at a University, the poor man signed his own death warrant. An intelligent human being - there was no room for those in Stalins world! :(
The US National Katyn Memorial is located here in my home city of Baltimore, Maryland. Although it is sited in a very prominent location, very few of our city's residents are aware of the full scope of what it commemorates. Thank you for sharing this chapter in history.
I am glad you have not left out the role of Sikorski and his *extremely convenient* death, even though you’re British. It just goes to show how impartial your work is. Thanks a lot.
matheoo41. Yeah: 'extremely convenient': like Fritz Todd, Glen Miller, Toivo Antikainen, et alia. All subjects of 'conspiracy theory' B*llshi**ers.
the pilot of that aircraft was the only survivor of the crash though. If it had been an assassination the perpetrators surely would not have allowed him to live.
@@lucas82 how is the premise of the first sentence a logical justification for the conclusion in the latter? That's the logical fallacy of 'begging the question' (not-with-standing the absence of evidence for an assassination), isn't it?
@@lucas82 Most likely the plane was sabotaged by a pro-Soviet agent.
@@elrjames7799 What does the data show? It's not 'conspiracy theory' , it's conjecture. My parents were big fans of Glen Miller and it's such a tragedy that he, along with multi millions of other humans died in that truly global conflict.
I’m glad people are talking about this, it’s history that deserves to be remembered.
lol to quote the history guy haha
No it’s nazi propaganda
@@Void_Wars go to north korea. that's the right place for u. 😂😂😂
@@Void_Wars The scariest part is that there are people like you, that believe it's just propaganda.
@@Eire_Aontaithe Yes, it's true. This is propaganda. The Soviets started offensive only after the Polish government was on the Romanian border and it became clear that Polish had been defeated. The territories that were returned to Soviet union were captured by Poland in 1919-21 when Russia was weakened by the civil war. These territories were inhabited mainly by Ukrainians and Belorusians. Even Great Britain and France didn't object. So Soviet union just got its own back.
Many Poles made their way to Canada and Toronto has a large population. In the West end of the north of the Garner expressway, there is a lovely little park with a large granite boulder slashed down the center. The park and boulder are dedicated to those slain in the Katyn forest.
It's called the "Gardiner" Expressway, not Garner.
And the memorial is in the Beaty Boulevard Parkette.
You beat me to it!! How long has it been there? I first saw it on the back of Triumph’s Allied Forces album, 1980 (I believe Rik Emmett is at least part Polish). It is just south of Toronto’s Little Poland neighborhood
@@TreatzTMA I am a retired police officer and I patroled the Parkdale area in the early 90s. It was there then.
Fergus,
I have not been to the park, but I looked it up on the internet and the monument I saw was not a boulder, but a bronze block. Have they changed it since you last saw it ?
@@tazman572 I have not seen it in a very long time so what you saw is probably correct. I think I will visit it the next nice day. It will get me out of the house and be a reminder of all the horror that still exists in the world
Insane I never heard of Katyn, now I’ll make sure I never forget
My grandfather, a war veteran of 1920 (war against Soviet Union), who was enlisted to Polish Army as an officer in communication unit in September 1939 - was kept in Katyn as POW. He avoided being murdered by Russians due to his hobby.
A little known fact about the NKWD selection of POWs. Obviously, at first the uniform and distinctions mattered. But later the NKWD realized that some of officers were exchanging their uniforms with privates and NCOs (in Polish Army, the officer's field uniform differed from private's, so removing distinctions was not a solution).
So NKWD used additional parameter of selection - appearance of hands. In Polish Army, same as in others european armies, officers were from so called 'good families' mostly: belonging to middle and high class, well educated, mental working, like it was stated in video: teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers etc. - their hands were smooth and manicured. There was a saying, that 'an officer has hands smooth like a lady'. In contrast, privates and NCOs, who were from lower class, with hands marked with hard physical work.
At the commision, my grandfather, in his officer's uniform, was ordered to show his hands.
His hobby, wood carving and wicker weaving which made his hands tough, chunky and scarred, saved his life. Despite of his uniform, Russians classified him as a nonofficer and assigned him to the transport to Syberian labor camps. He escaped the transport with some companions soon after and returned to family.
Very interesting
Amazing story.
My grandmother's two of elder brothers didn't have that luck
(one was teacher, second one police officer).
They were officially missing. NKWD had capture them.
All that left, were one family picture.
Rest of the pictures were burnt.
My grandmother always loud says a prayer for them, when we gather on Christmas Eve so I know the story.
I've showed that story to my grandmother, while she is still alive.
She was deeply touched, and she said a prayer for You Mark Felton.
Thanks Mark Felton for telling the truth on YT, and for your astonishing historical work.
I have met a polish officer that was hit by lightning in 1938 and spent the war in the hospital. Otherwise he would have probably died in Katyn.
On the same trip I met the Orthodox military chaplain who was later to become bishop and died in the plane crash at Smolensk. He showed us his picture in polish uniform, that was printed in the media after the desaster. That's the way I heard about it and could tell his godson in time for the funeral.
@@Jacus1968 9
In the mid 1980’s, during his retirement in Florida, I met the highest ranking American POW who had been captured in the North African campaign. He was taken by the Germans to witness the exhumation under the Nazis to prove the prisoners had been killed early on in the war by the Soviets contrary to what the Stalin had said. Just like in this video, he mentioned that there was no wear on their boots and the uniforms were basically new. A career Army officer, he was pulled out of combat in the Korean War and brought before Congress where he was sworn to secrecy. Because I was familiar with the massacre (I had read about it it in the book "Khrushchev Remembers”), he was more than willing to open up and talk to me. We knew for so long yet the truth was repressed for political reasons.
To my understanding it has been established twice in court that the germans were reponsible for Katyn.
What is your source on that the uk and US judges dismissed the charges at the nuermberg trials?
It`s my understanding that they just didn`t speak about it at the sentencing which in itself was framed more universal.
I`f i`m informed right it`s even illegal in france to claim that the sowjets are responsible for the Katyn massacre like the russians said in 1990 and 2010. It`s the Gassot Act.
If i remember right at the trial in russia there was a lot of evidence, eye witness reports and even a confession or confessions by germans who then were hung. What does this and other things tells us on the track record of the sowjet trials.
As for the nuermberg trials:
International military tribunal charter
Article 19 "the tribunal shall not be bound by technical rules of evidence..."
Article 21 "The tribunal shall not require proof of facts of common knowledge but shall take judicial notice thereof"
It is known by now that prisoners and defendents have been tortured to get confessions.
How is it that you risk jail in european countries for things that israeli history prof Yehuda Bauer
states since atleast 1992 ?
There are a lot more problems with this trials and there is a lot more in general.
I take what you say as correct. In the UK it was published in the late 1960s (Purnells Second World War) that the Soviets were responsible for Katyn. The Editor was Barrie Pitt who stood up to the then (as now) clamour of denial with proof which was verified by the Red Cross who had inspected the bodies of murdered men. What I do not understand is why Truman & then Eisenhower said nothing? Politically they had everything to gain during the fevered Macarthyism when most US politicians (with a few honourable exceptions) supported or at best stayed silent during the witch hunt. Not Americas finest hour.
@@roddyteague6246
Eisenhower is easy.
He isn`t as clean as you think.
You can find a clear distinction between the areas where Eisenhower took german POWs and occupied germany and other US generals did the same (Patton as probably the most prominent example. It has even been alledged that Eisenhower had his fingers in the death of Patton).
If you are interested in such things just look at the rhine medow camps for which Eisenhower is mainly responsible.
If i`m informed right it is still illegal for germany to prosecute or even investigate warcrimes that the allies committed between 1939-1949. That includes but is not limmited to the rhine medow camps.
It`s also worth to take a deeper look at the liberation of Dachau and Buchenwald as well as Mauthausen and what surrounds it. Especially crimes ant the trials that followed and what the staff there as well as historians and politicans today say about them. Especially the allied warcrimes that tend to get blacked out (if it`s mentioned at all then only a very small part of them).
@@beyondalpha1072 Agreed. I think it has to do with germanophobie. It`s all over. Try to find a english speaking movie where a german is the good guy/with the good guys if he isn`t acting against other germans. It`s even hard to find in german movies.
@@beyondalpha1072 Mark Felton is a WWII Historian and in WWII, Germany WAS one of the bad guys. If you don’t think they were evil in what they did and what they had planned, then I don’t know what else to say.😟😒
Man, Poland and it's people suffered so much through history... really a miracle how Poles still exist, such a brave and durable nation
Respect from Croatia
hvala ti kao bratu
China:Cute
@@cursed-hm2jnexcept China is not one people like the poles are. China is the unification of many different cultures and people that were mostly ruled by one emperor at a time. China is actually an example of the opposite of Poland, where native cultures are being stamped out and silenced, even massacred by the Han chinese.
Bromberg.....research.
@@pete5516and what do you think the polish are...
My neighbour was one of the Polish troops captured by the Russians. He spent time in a Gulag until he was released after the German invasion of the USSR. He and his friends hitched south until they reached Persia where they enlisted in the British army. He eventually arrived in England and trained as a paratrooper. He took part in the Arnhem battle and was one of the few to escape back to Allied lines. In the 1990's, his suicide capsule was dug up by roadworkers in the town and returned to him (empty of course).
Wow. 😮
Lol. He was "in the Gulag" as a soldier of Anders' army, armed and supplied by the Soviet government in hard days, when the Nazis was near Moscow. But this army was completely unwilling to go to the Soviet front against Nazis. Therefore, they were eventually sent to Iran, under allies command. Yes, they fought a little bit for allies at WW2, but not very much.
That time, in the USSR, the second Polish army was formed. Berling's army liberated Poland, and stormed Berlin, among other things. Bloody soviets formed two field armies from polish "prisoners of war, tortured in the Gulag", interned in 1939 soldiers, in fact.
Some of them were killed near Katyn at 1940. Or maybe at 1941. By bloody commies. Or by bloody nazis.
It frustrates me when many historians and documentaries forget about the Soviets involvement in the invasion of Poland, let alone thier atrocities. Great work Mark.
They are not just "forgetting" my dude. Communists intentionally down played this kind of stuff throughout the entire cold war and still try and do it now.
@typo pit By "negotiations" you mean giving up Danzig to Germany with all the benefits Poland was given in the Free City of Danzig in the Versailles Treaty, allowing Germans to build an exterritorial highway, and all of this in exchange for a mere promise of giving up on claims on the region of Greater Poland? You expect Polish government not only to accept such an unfair "agreement", but also to believe Hitler who broke his promises one after another?
Not only that, German "ultimatum" was not even an "ultimatum". Germany did not send to Poland any ultimatum that would meet the definition of a diplomatic act. Polish government was left with nothing to answer to. It was made in such a way it wont be accepted. Hitler wanted war. He needed war. You cannot deny it.
Do not forget also the massacre of Poles by the soviet and Nazi Ukranian forces, I met one (now deceased) who had to leave Ukraine after 1945, who came here and was still receiving a pension from the Germans, in the 1990',having served as a Policeman of some kind in ww2.
@@johndoe-ss9bz they didn't because they knew they couldn't win war against a unified Russia and Germany and the guarantee of independence was only against Germany so they didn't have to nor want too
@@Dman3827 Aww you little history revisionist. Let me educate you my friend. Lets see, in the late 1930s during the spanish civil war, the Condor legion (luftwaffe) terror bombed spanish towns and cities with their ol mate Franco. In 1939, the nazi germans terror bombed Warsaw and many other Polish towns and cities, along with Russia also terror bombing Poland after 17th September 1939. In 1940 during the invasion of France, the luftwaffe would terror bomb and machine gun French civilians fleeing the fighting therefore impeding French military reinforcements from getting to the fight in a timely manner. The german nazis also terror bombed Amsterdam and many other European towns and cities during their invasion including in 1940 in Norway, Belgium, Netherlands and others. The luftwaffe also terror bombed London, Coventary and many other towns and cities in the UK. The nazi germans massacred whole towns and villages in Europe, including the famous few in France, Poland, Russia and Ukraine as so called 'reprisals' for resistance. And who was on the sidelines cheering on these terror bombings ? Why the german civilians of course. I had access to the original SIGNAL magazines in High School that was put out by the German ministry of News. The german nazi civilians cheered on the terror bombing of others even before WW2, yet you now spout bullshit at how the german nazi civilians were victims ? Oh and dont forget WW1 where German zeppelins and later the Goeathe ? Bombers would terror bomb London during WW1, a tactic they refined and used to a greater extent in WW2.
The polish are tough people, they’ve been through a lot. Nothing but respect.
pfff
The world loves a winner - so, sorry.
Poland was three times divided between Czarists,Austro-hungarians and germans,last time betrayed by long time allies Britain,and borders moved away... and still exist !! RESPECT !!
@@erich3071 are you still a Waffen SS. commander Priebke ?
Well, the polish people have terrible country neighbors, even in history too.
As a Pole, I thank you for highlighting this massacre to rest of the world.
I'm not Polish, but I'd describe what the Soviets did to the Poles a sort of mini-genocide. All decent people should condemn the hammer and sickle similar to the way we condemn the swastika.
@ozymandias nullifidian Than you would also have to include the Union Jack!
@ozymandias nullifidian An infantile comparison. Also, you're confusing the use of symbol to represent a country, vs. the use of a symbol to represent an ideology that explicitly called for mass violence.
Uh oh, the commie sympathizers are in a tizzy. The Union Jack isn't used to represent a violent ideology, so the comparison is a stretch at best.
And while many nations have committed crimes, I don't recall the British mowing down thousands of humans for being "enemies" of an ideology (as the Stalinists most certainly did) in the modern era.
@@ThisCanNotBTheFuture Hammer and sickle represents an ideology that, in its core and theory, doesn't represent anything evil. Communism and socialism are ideas based on equality of all people, meanwhile the Nazi ideology is based on racism and hate. Most people who call themselves communists and socialists today (there are many) condemn the Soviet crimes. Hammer and sickle should be allowed for use.
My grandfather was captured & on the train to Katyn . When the train stopped to take in water, some of the railway workers opened his car to see what was inside.
My grandfather & others escaped, and he went back to his village.
When I was a child, my father told me one of the ways the Red Cross identified the Soviets as the perpetrators was that, although shot with German guns, they had all been tied up with Russian rope.
I still have my grandfather’s medal in my desk.
The Germans got one thing right, the Soviets would try to blame them on the massacre.
Stalin General order #0428
lol you act like Germans weren’t genocidal maniacs.
No he's not ''acting'' like Germans weren't genocidal he's stating the obvious that the germans conducted a real investigation and proved that soviets were behind this.
@@Void_Wars
- “Not literally praying to Stalin means that you’re a Nazi apologist”
The Germans even notified Polish government in Uk when they were advancing into Russia and discovered all this massacre in Katyn, all tho no one believed them until after the war
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend” is one of the most dangerous lies we’ve ever told ourselves.
The enemy of my enemy is just another enemy!
Well that what Patton told Gen. Ike and the President but they would not listen to him.
Strange how he died in that auto accident?@@michaelsuerth1448
When I was a kid (during early 80s), I remember visiting Cemeteries during All Hallows Eve. Traditionally it is the time of the year when Poles visit graves of their deceased loved ones. There was this wall there - every day someone would spray paint the word Katyn on it. The authorities would re-paint over it but we word would come back the next day. The area in front of the writing was always full of candles. This went on and on, year after year. Although it was officially suppressed knowledge and not a part of the school history curriculum since WW2, the people remembered. My great grandfather was murdered there (to be precise most likely in Ostaszkow)
What happened to the site after the Soviet fall?
Sorry for your lost.
I really don't see a difference between Nazism and Communism.
I'm an American and I can tell you we Americans made a deal with the Devil during WW2. All we did was help defeat one dictatorship so another could take over. Not just in eastern Europe but also in China. We are probably going to have to fight against Communism in the near future.
My grandfather escaped from Poland and my grandmother shared what had happened with my ancestors who were captured by Russia and Murdered. I became a soldier and Army chaplain. RIP🙏🏻
Oh believe me it is not forgotten in Poland, we speak about this with bitterness among families and in the gobvernment. We lost a huge chunk of people who were highly educated to be foundation of society. So many people were killed, almost all families I know lost somebody there. Such a horrid event.
YES. Both the Gestapo and the NKVD sought to eliminate the educated classes, professionals, and business leaders of Poland, to impose their systems on Poland - but this is not taught in the West.
@@pilsudski36 the same in Czech republic. Nazis arrested and killed educated people or artists, philosophers, and more, and the same did communists.
The thing is, there were no good guys in the war in the East, only varying degrees of evil.
@@tjb_6203 And it amazes me how the Hammer and sickle is not despised as the Swastika is in the West (Except Central Europe).
@@kubajcz This destroyed our countries, but only backfired for them. Imagine how different it would be for Germany if they made people in occupied countries willing to cooperate and if they didn't make everyone a human of lower class
Poland receiving the the short end of the stick during WW2 is an understatement.
They didn't get the short end of the stick , they got the shaft plain and simple .
Even after ww2 this was the case, as the soviets got away with not just half of poland but the entire country after ww2
My mother, whose famly escaped from Soviet Ukraine commented Ukraine and Poland are islands that only emerge when Russia and Germany are weakened."
@@M167A1 Wow, that sounds completely true. I've read somewhere that Ukraine says that it has been what makes democracy possible for the rest of Europe.
They have more reason than most to be nationalistic.
Here in Poland we remember. And we never forget about that tragedy.
God bless Poland from USA, it’s honestly sickening seeing all the genocide that happened in your country, and they still don’t even talk about what the Soviets had done to it
When the German troops discovered the mass graves of Polish officers near Smolensk (Katyn massacre) in April 1943, Sikorski turned to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Switzerland with a request for a neutral investigation on the spot. This gave Stalin the pretext to break off relations with the Polish government-in-exile at the beginning of May 1943, even before Sikorski withdrew the inquiry on May 4th under British pressure.
@@davecopp9356 And the world remembers how your people murdered over eleven million people systematically in konzentrationslagers.
@@davecopp9356 Stop lying.
And till today Lukashenko’s govt is still trying to erase the proof of the crimes committed by USSR.
In case anyone didn't know - any time the Poles were *inconvenient* to the Allies, they were abandoned by them. Britain and France did so in 1939, and they got no respect throughout the War.
People who have *NOT* forgotten Katyn:
Poles
Polish-Americans
Military Historians
I fit two of those categories.
What a load of rubbish, The Poles were much admired in Britain and still are. Many didn't return after the war and stayed in Britain. In my first Regiment, we had a substantial number of Soldiers of Polish descent as a result. There was little Britain could do to help because of the Geography and our lack of preparation for another war at the beginning. The Poles fought with distinction with us. Their RAF squadrons had some of the highest tallies during the Battle of Britain. The 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade fought in the Battle of Arnhem, and other ground troops fought in the North Africa Campaign (siege of Tobruk) and the Italian campaign, famously helping capture the monastery of Monte Cassino and at the Falaise Gap, which saw the annihilation of the German Army in Normandy. Additionally, the Polish Navy managed to get some of its ships to Britain and some RN ships were crewed by Poles too. Clearly, you need to do a bit more work on your history.
@@anthonybrownhovelt Oh I have no doubts to the bravery and ferocity of *Polish* troops. I'm just saying their so-called Allies were asleep until bombs started falling on them.
@@anthonybrownhoveltChurchill ordered to murder General Sikorski and didn’t invite poles to the victory parade and sold us to Stalin after the war! We know the truth. You are fooled by your “history” and history is written by the winners.
@anthonybrownhovelt well said Polish patriots and service men and women who were lucky enough to get to Britain. These brave men and women contributed to the liberation of Europe and will not be forgotten.
We need more of this. Unspoken historical evidence
@Erika Wehr hellstorm is simple bullshit made by a man without proper education in history
This warcrime is known since 1945. Nothing new
We need more of this Felton fella
@@miroslavzember6761 *Yeah,the soviest didn't spil any inocent blood*
Please quote where I have said something like this
@REMEMBER THE NAME where did I ton down soviet warcrimes?
The massacre is widly known...btw.....since 1945
Thank you Mark, being a Polish citizen and knowing the history of Katyn, I really appreciate you making a video about this often forgotten episode of Soviet brutality.
NO Soviet!!!! German and Ukrajinian NAZI! Polish killed 28 000 soviet soldiers in 1921.
Stop lying. The Soviets killed Polish officers, not Germabs or Ukrainians. And stop spreading the Soviet propaganda about the mordering Soviet soldiers, because that's not true.
@@dariuszmokrzynski1492 German and Ukrainians nazi! Polish killed 28 000 soviets in 1921!
@@frantisekondrus52 You are crazy and or delusional
@@simeondunev4890 wow, WHO are you?
It’s incredible that a polish nation still exists
Mr. Incredible • and that a Polish Nation-state was established after forced Peaceagreement (Brest-Litovsk) on the demand of the German Kaiser, after defeating Russia in WW1.
I get it... incredible
Incredible it is that they dont hate English to, since they used and betrayed Poles most.
Looked the other way at the start of the war, used Poles as cannon foder and at the end of the war left them to the Soviets.
There were 4 incidents when Poland was attacked by its neighbours in this kind of fashion. The longest period Poland wasn't on Europe's map was about 200 years!
@@ljubomirculibrk4097 As an englishman i have a great respect for the polish nation and am embarrassed that my country has not, or not to my knowledge, apologised to Poland.
Wow! Mark Felden… you are amazing. Great job! ❤ And God Bless the Polish people!
Listened to a audiobook recently. It states Poland has been in a state of survival for its very existence many times. Poland however still exists, it’s enemies went to the dustbin of history.
Such is the perseverance and determination of the Polish!
Didn't the polish government change and go communist during the Cold War?
@@somewierdoonline2402 I don’t think they had much choice in those decisions after world war 2.
@@somewierdoonline2402 - not so much as change to a Soviet government, as provided a one party state as being their territory was taken from the Germans.
Not much choice there.
Democracy restored 1989.
Years ago, a guy did my ancestry, His conclusion was my family came from an area so contested back and forth between Poland/Germany that I could call myself either German or Polish. I stuck to Polish.
@@somewierdoonline2402 if you call being Forced into submission, then yeah, they went Commie, and they were also the leaders in forcing Communism out of their Country long before the Soviet Union fell. In fact their Solidarity movement led to other neighboring Countries rejecting Soviet domination, I guess they didn't teach you that in World History huh?
I’m from Poland and I’d like to thank you for making a video about this tragic, yet quite unknown in the west subject. It’s shocking for me to read sometimes comments of people (mainly Russians) who still deny these war crimes and atrocities of communists in general. Well what can you do against the power of propaganda... Still thanks for this (as always) well researched and informative video.
bro what? Russians dont deny it - brainwashed morons do. If you knew Russians you’d know that most of them don’t like communism
I'm not a Russian and I think Stalin was Asian bloodthirsty butcher but nevertheless I understand his actions. That was revenge for torturing to death of about a hundred thousand of Soviet prisoners of war in Poland in 1919-1924.
@@pk-sc8iz I don't deny it but understand why Stalin did it
You see, my wife is Ukrainian and when I met her I had to teach her that Katyn had been a Soviet, not German killing. That's what she had been teached at school. This and much more. Fortunately she trusted me.
@@miloooo38 lol
As a Pole I wanted to say simple but deep thank You Mark
Znasz prawde o II WS..!?
Best wishes to our polish friends from Romania !!❤💯👍🇵🇱🇷🇴
Stay strong, so it never happens again.
I'm glad that the Polish government is the way they are today!... God Bless from America!
The defenseless female victims of the Soviet hoards are still awaiting a Mark Felton episode telling their tragic tale. Millions of females aged 8 through 80 were sexually assaulted by our Communist "allies" as they pillaged Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, the Baltic states, Ukraine, and Rumania.
It's not forgotten in Poland. In the light of nowadays Russia's behaviour reminds us of those who didn't pay for their crimes back then.
Sure as hell not forgotten, here in Hungary we remember the atrocities the Soviets committed against our brothers
We also remember your uprising in 1956. In Poland hundreds donated blood, clothes and food for the victims of this soviet invasion. You are friends of Poland and our brotherhood will last. You are always welcome here.
Soviet made even more atrocities in Ukraine and now russia keeps tradition alive .
История помнит о ваших « подвигах» над пленными и мирным населением на территории ссср. Потому в плен венгров и не брали. Хотя это все в прошлом, нужно жить на земле в соответствии законами божьими.
@@Oldrebel да видели как московиты живут по законах Божих , Преднустровуе , две войны в Чечнe, две в Грузии , Украина " православыєн" куда дальше .
Also can't forgot all they did to German civilians, and German children as well the allies thought it was okay until the land disputes happened and the wall came up
" the first casualty in a war is the truth" someone once said. Wonder how many truths got buried in WW2....? We will never know.
Most dont know remote controlled bomber planes and remote controlled tanks were VERY popular in world War II. Also most dont know that JFKs older brother Joe Kennedy Jr. Died while flying behind and remote controlling two bomber planes over Germany in WWII.
@@leemon908 Mark made a video on those bombers not so long ago
We will
We have to stop lies about wwii first that come from Russia for example.
“In war, truth is the first casualty.”
― Aeschylus
My father was a Polish cavalry officer in Sept 1939 - his unit was pulling artillery when the Stuka's attacked & destroyed everything. They wandered the woods for days (many went AWOL) and after the Panzers roared past them, they were fortunate enough to surrender to the Germans (rather than Soviets) who treated them well. Eventually he was released from prison camp & escaped to Austria & eventually came over to the American side after the war. That's why I'm here.
How was he fortunate to surrender to the Germans? They treated their prisoners even worse.
You’re lucky he wasn’t slavic
Or jewish or whatever
Bruh. You expect me to believe that bro just got "treated well" by the Germans.
@@U_Go_Boom Officers WERE treated better in POW camps and because the Germans, believe it or not, actually followed the Geneva Convention
My Grandfather (father of my Father) was imprisoned in Starobielsk POW camp, because he served in the Polish air force as an officer. He survived the massacre - he was released due to intervention of Lithuanian embassy in Moscow, because he was Lithuanian descent. He was one of a very few ever saved from Katyn massacre. During the stay in the camp, one of the fellow military chaplains predicted that my Grandfather would survive as the only one from their circle. Only 395 Polish officers (out of 22 000) were not murdered by NKVD in Katyn, Kharkov and Mednoye. He later served in the Soviet air force and survived the war. I had this fortune that I have met him and spent with him my childhood. He never wanted to speak about anything from the war. He passed away 14 years ago. In the name of him and his murdered colleagues I want to thank you.
Your grand father served the people that actually wanted to kill him and all his friends and colleagues. He was probably forced, not having a choice.
@@mirola73 he was forced, as well as 100 000 drafted into Red Army. Well, it was still better than shot in the head, don't you think?
@@KapitanGzehotnik I agree . Look at how many others were forced into similar situations . (I don't mean like Katyn) I mean being forced into service , Denmark, Sweden ,Norway , even if they were not forced to fight they were forced labor ... I am Glad your Grand father survived .
If you start to be interested in historical materials, compare different points of view,you will understand that there was no NKVD there.And this video is pure politics.
@@user-pretender77 I believe his grand fathers point of view because he was there!
My grandpop was a polish officer that escaped from Poland in 1939 and wound up later in the R.A.F. Flying bombers with the 301 and 305 bomb group and received the “virtuti militari” from Gen. Sikorski in April of either 1941 or 1942, I can’t remember the exact year right now. But I learned of this tragedy from him.
Your grandpop was badass. The kind of guy they make movies about for sure
@@2x2is22 Thank you! Yes he was a great man and I miss him a lot! Unfortunately he passed away in 1982 in a car accident of all things after flying 75 bombing missions during the war and not being seriously wounded, go figure? But thank you again for the nice compliment!
I salute Grandpop.
@@CONTACTLIGHTTOMMY Thank you for the compliment sir! That was very kind of you!
@@2x2is22 Unfortunately, they don't make movies of these kind of guys.
"...extremely convenient Sikorski death" well said
Commander Crabb was involved in the search off the coast of Gibraltar, he also suffered a very unexplained ending. Ironic that only the Pilot survived from the Sikorski crash. People should also remember that General Sosabowski the polish parachute commander at Arnhem, a very capable and caring man, was dismissed and side-lined for standing up for his men.
@@robinloxley205 The pilot was badly injured though and proved later in life to be no commie lover. More intriguing is the fact Kim philby, a soviet agent within british intel, was serving at gibraltar at that time.
@@robinloxley205 Unfortunately, Polish leaders were always a "thorn in the flesh" with regard to the Allies' dealings with Stalin who was able to redraw the post-war map of Europe according to his wishes! The Allies should have supported the Soviets only to the extent necessary to defeat Hitler simultaneously bringing about the downfall of Stalin.
@ozymandias nullifidian there's a fine line in what could have reasonably been done, don't try to distort it
@@ZVDhunter861 He is obviously not the one who started distorting your "fine line".
Or shall i draw another line? About what should have Allies done in 1939 or should not have done in 1938?
Stop painting world in black and white - there is no one righteous.
My Grandad lies in the forest at Miednoje, may God rest his soul. Thank you Mark for what you do.
Skill issue
Thank you for making a video about this
In 1980s, in Polish schools, we wrote on the walls "We will avenge Katyn!" If caught, we risked an arrest....
Defiant displays of a chihuaha nation
The Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot did the exact same thing to the people of Cambodia.
This is what all communists do
@@tomaszzalewski4541 Also, they refuse to acknowledge their crimes. For example Hue City "68 during the Tet Offensive.
In German Poland the Wehrmact put up posters downtown ordering all the educated people to assemble there. They could be shot for failure to obey. The assemblies were then taken out of town and discretely shot. So SOP for your totalitarian invaders.
I was raised with this horror story. My father was taken by the Soviets and served as a translator when they occupied eastern Europe. He witnessed the aftermath of this massacre when the Soviet army scrambled to bury the bodies in the woods in an attempt to cover it up. It was very hush hush and all were told not to never to say anything. When i lived in Germany in the 80s nobody I talked to had ever heard of this including war veterans and teachers. When the iron curtain came down, it all came out.
I attend a high school in Hungary, where it has a monument remembering this massacre. A ceremony involving honour guards takes place there annual. Respect to the Poles!
I am not trolling or starting a fight, but did they talk to you about crimes Hungarian troops committed in Serbia and Yugoslavia in 1914/15 and 1941-45? I am just interested in what is thought to student these days.
Once again it appears, that Hungarians are the only nation we can count on.
@@jak00bspyr72 Read about the Intermarium. A good idea of cooperation between us and some others. Better then EU. Though I would refersh my countries leadership for some reason, but the oppisition is no match for them either.
@@p.b.5107 I know about Intermarium. I wish it would come true.
@Carl Von Finland crime is when you go to Serbia in 1914 and start hanging and shooting women and children, not to mention straling all the food and stuff. This was docunented by Red Cross and some Swiss people on the ground like Archibald Reis.. Or, when you go to the city of Novi Sad in 1941/1942 and theow 2500 civilians under ice on river Danube. Or when Germans organize 3 concentration camps in Belgrade alone, for example. Is that enough to be qualified as crime for you?
Katyn massacre is said to be the Polish people’s “rape of Nanjing” described to me by a history teacher. It’s rather saddening that still people try to deny such atrocities.
The post-communist Duma has officially admitted that Stalin was responsible. I already had a comment-tussle about this with commie-boos on another channel. Why the deniers persist is a puzzle indeed.
With the little difference that the Nanking Massacre was enormous...
Because the deniers are funded by the Russian government. They don't teach this stuff at schools in Russia. Just that they saved Europe from Hitler and "liberated" Eastern-Europe.
I think that a better equivalent of "Rape of Nanking" in Poland, would be the Wola Genocide, where the Germans exterminated 90,000 civilians during the Warsaw uprising in 1944. Or another one, the Volhynia Genocide, where Ukrainian Insuregents massacred 100,000 Poles in 1943-44.
@@manumainio thats actually completely false... only an american would think russians are still communist. Putin himself has admitted that Stalin was a tiran and warcriminal
I would never forgot the Katyn massacre
*or all the other massacres of innocent ppl during WW2 from both the allies and the axis
@@pk-sc8iz not all, but some. Cuz there's too many
@Marcus Milligan oh yeah, i forgot about that
@Marcus Milligan
Remember the Polish & Romanians. They suffered the Holodomor in the same years.
@@ilyal5712 yes the massacre of Fântână Albă the romanian Katyn
I lost five close cousins in Katyń, and several further ones more... Thank you for this video, you are one of the most honest and valuable history creators on YT, and I salute you.
As a non Polish guy when you bring this up with reasonably historical minded Polish people....
they are very proud that you took the time to remember some of their history.
They get even prouder if you bring up the Warsaw uprising.
Which uprising? The Warsaw Ghetto or the betrayal in '44?
The Polish resistance captured a V-1 rocket, a V-2 rocket, and got them to the UK, incredible feats of skill, bravery and sacrifice, that helped to save UK and Europe from the Nazis. They were also the first to get the original Enigma machines to the UK which helped us break the German codes at Bletchley park. A Polish officer also invented the Mine Detector which saved and does save thousands of lives. Polish pilots also used close-in tactics against German bombers and fighters in the Battle of Britain, which changed the British tactics and re aligned our fighters guns to be more effective. Polish bomber crews, especially Halifax crews suffered enormous losses dropping supplies to the resistance in Poland, including to Warsaw and making long bombing and supply drops into Poland and the rest of Europe. I am British but history has many stories yet to be told.
@@robinloxley205
Thank you for sharing that.
Very interesting and good to remember this history
There was a great episode about a Polish Panther tank in the Warsaw uprising '44. Also Mike covered the V rocket heist. I would love to see anything about Warsaw or any other Ghettos Uprisings. Though I dont think there is much of a video footage.
@@robinloxley205 many amazing things were done by the Polish during WW2, in fact I believe it was the Polish who were vital in cracking the German code for the Allies in WW2 and they were able to smuggle a fully functioning Enigma code machine from Poland into England which made it incredibly hard for the Germans (who were unaware) to do anything in secret.
Mark, I cannot stress enough the amount of gratitude I feel for you for making this vid. You have my utter respect, I thank you very much.
My uncle disappeared in 1940 and it was long believed by our family that he perished at Katyn. It was only in 2008, 68 years later, that his name was published by the Polish government in a list of verified victims of the massacre. No family should ever have to wait so long for confirmation of the fate of a loved one. Thank you for making this film.
Thank You Mark for all your work and history videos. You are doing a great work.
Yah, he could do Volhynia massacre of Poles next
The Polish film Katyn (2007) depicts this massacre in a horrifyingly accurate way. Recommend everyone watch the scenes of the shootings (at your own discretion), really shows how systematic and brutal it was
I will watch it this weekend. On Netflix perhaps?
For the NKVD it was another days work
That is, if you can find it. snoozetube has banned it. Too bad, it IS a good flick.
I did watch it. One of the most depressing films I’ve seen.
Yes I watched this about 11 years ago. The DVD of the film was given to us by a Polish family. It is a really shocking true story. It was the first time in years when after the film I had to have a double whisky. 'Least we forget'.
As a Pole, thank you for this video!
As a russian dude, i am quite ashamed of what happened. There is a book called icebreaker by victor suvorov describing further collaborations between soviets and nazis. Its a good read.
@Bardia ghanbarzade ill give it a read. Thanks for the suggestion!
@Bardia ghanbarzade i'll certainly take a look
Russia should abandon soviet legacy, its not wealthy.
@@yaromirgusev2616
It's very sad.
I suppose the NKVD had got used to shooting people a few years earlier during the Yezhovshina.
At least they never did it again (so far as I know).
@@Wiktorino1984 bruh they have a mix soviet and russian empire legacy since 1991 and ever since then…
Mark, you should get a Pulitzer for this kind of superb investigative reporting.
What I find so very disturbing, is the flippant disregard for human life, that people possess. Where these psychopaths delude themselves into believing it's okay and even their legal right, to murder others and not just another person, but millions upon millions of people.
This kind of history should be convincing us all, that the consolidation of power into the hands of the few, is fatal for the many.
Pulitzer prize? Don't overdo it. None of this is new.
Superb investigative reporting? The massacre at Katyn is common knowledge freely available. Amazon lists immediately 12 books upon searching the subject 'Katyn'. Just because you've never heard of it before doesn't make it a forgotten or repressed mystery to anyone else. Although British, Katyn has never been forgotten by many people of my generation.
what we should find disturbing as well is the flipping disregard for billions of animal lives every year that end up in concentration camps of modern farms and then get executed in death camps, the slaughterhouses. they are persons too but most of us do not see this with their limitted vision. this massacre is totally forgotten and rarely has been reported. (your comment triggered me... i will repost this) One of the karmic reasons why eastern europe might have suffered so much is due to their farming culture. if we accept the simple concepts of eternity of our consciousness (the soul), it's transition in many lifeforms that can accommodate it's presence and in karma that is the result of it's mental impressions comming from actions, killing of others as one of them... then we might have less wars...
Believe it or not, several SOBs died in 1990-1995. Well-known by the russians who they are. Never answered for it. It is the reason for our russoreality, not the russophobia.
@@ksd593what are we supposed to do then, dont eat meat and live off a vegan or vegetarian diet ??? Get real
Hardly forgotten. Just rarely talked about.
As is the entire Soviet invasion of Poland.
@@davecopp9356 not 5,000, it always 250. After thousands of Poles had been rounded up and killed by the Germans during the invasion.
Inflating the number 20 times does history no favors, and it was after thousands of Poles had been similarly killed.
@@davecopp9356 I love how the apologists allways have to say, "But what about that, wasn't that bad????" First, it was NOT 5000, and you know it, second, can't we just mourne the death of those illegaly executed brave polish soldiers, without assholes like you trying to convince us who was worst.
The allies turned a blind eye to this!
stalin killed just as many of his own officers, so how could they do anything?
so it turns out Poland was right to fear its former subjugators and neighbors, Germany and Russia.
It seems to be common propaganda that Poland was an irrational player trying to unite other former slaves to said neighbors for defense.
Why is the context and narrative around Polish foreign policy (pre-war) almost never painted as this "do or die" attitude to foreign policy because that was exactly what was on the table for them--ya know, because of how history actually went?
queue the other Nazi sewn propaganda that Poles were so eager to ship out Jews--no other nation in the world had as much academic and institutional print in Hebrew as did Poland during this time, ya know, for actual historical context.
Once the war got going the Soviet Union needed to be seen as an ally so this, and the general nature of the socialist regime was not really spoken about until the end of the decade and the start of the cold war.
@@magnetmannenbannanen it's not a matter of what they could do, it's that the Communists were at least as bad as the nazis, yet got a pass at least until the start of the Cold War. this is reflected in the current positive Western attitude towards socialism, which is every single bit as bad as German national socialism.
As they did to the Soviet war crimes in the baltics, the genocide of Ingrian Finns, the fact that the Soviets participated in the attack on Poland - which they had given a guarantee to - and the attack on Finland.
As a Brit of Polish heritage it broke my heart to hear how the UK was happy to point the blame at Germany and not hold the Soviet’s to account for the Katyn Massacre. Thank you for the video, any attention brought to the massacre is a good deed.
Such is war
@GreenWave Egotistical? Strong argument you got there. Want to back it up with anything or just talk a load of bollocks?
No such thing as a Brit of Polish heritage.
There were many instances during the war that showed Britain to be as two-faced, and cruel, as Hitler waas. Being an ally, they got away with it....until the Final Judgement when their lies and deceptions will be eternally exposed. Roosevelt also has a lot to answer for in his quest to get the US into Britain's war.
@Oz Lang Only someone of English, Welsh, Scottish or Northern Irish Ancestry can be British, the law of Nature trumps temporary man made laws written on paper.
Excellent and informative piece Mark, my only slight issue would be I don't think it's a forgotten massacre.
It's particularly not forgotten in Poland.
Good point
It's amazing that too this day you hear stories of how Poland collapsed when in fact they were crushed from two sides. As brave as they were they could not defeat Nazi Germany and soviet Russia alone.
True. On the other hand Polands Generals made some weird and wrong decisions, like defending at the border to Germany.
@@xwormwood Polish generals and politicians were unfortunately for Poland very weak in the years prior to the war and during defense war . It's not the coincidence that famous generals from years 44-45 (Anders, Maczek, Sosabowski) were not the ones that were in charge of any major units in '39
@@xwormwood apparently that was demanded by the French and their support was conditional on this strategy. Still thinking in WWI terms. Keeping all that menpower at ready was very expensive and made modernising the army very difficult.
@@stzawadzki not sure if this is true. The picture is obscured by decades of communist propaganda. Would be interesting to see some well researched and documented analysis.
@@pawelantkowiak7579 Yes, that is true. It was demanded by Britain and France that Poland should defend at the boarder, and thus Poland was forced to defend in unfavourable terrain, in order for Britain and France to join the war.
I mostly heard about it from my Polish relatives. No wonder the Polish are not nostalgic for the communist days.
During the old days the goverment has been screwing us over on every ocasion,and when the rebellions occured,they have been quickly surpressed more or less deadly way.I remember a story of a Polish Priest who was brutaly murdered by the secret police for being associated with Solidarity,and that he supported Independent Poland.Also commies tried and staged an assasination attempt at the live of John Paul The Second,and they nearly succeeded.Church played a very important role during the last 15 years of communist regime in Poland
Harvey, Poles wouldn't exactly be keen on communism if the massacre didn't happen. You're either not to bright or an idiot at English.
@@larrysmith6797 Pedantics aside, the massacre was just a cherry on top. The Soviets were already mass-gulaging them after the 1939 invasion.
@@harveybeaver9731 Before 1939 - Polish minority living in USSR were reduced to dust in "polish action" perpetuated by NKVD in 1937. Soviets hate poles as much as is possible to hate another human beaning.
@@larrysmith6797 What about the battle for Warsaw in 1920.
It's not forgotten. Just ignored but not by Mark though.
Incidents like Katyn are ignored by sociailists in the West. It goes against their narrative.
@@paulbradford6475 Who denies that? Socialism is not the same as stalinism. Even communist despised stalin and his crimes. Maybe the far right wants to use the massacre as propaganda as the nazis did.
I've known the truth about Katyn since 1989! It's not widely talked about in Western media, I believe partly because the Allies are embarrassed that they sided with a monster equal to Hitler! Churchill and Roosevelt knew from MI6 and the OSS that Stalin had ordered the massacre in 1943 but chose to bury it.
It's ignored by the 90% of the entire west, as we all know our continent is filled with left wing, marxist and communist sympathizers. This is the harsh reality, don't try to deny it.
People seem to forget that Stalinism was worse than Nazism, mainly for remaining unpunished for their abhorrent planned Genocides in Ukraine in which it is estimated that it had a major death toll more than the Shoah itself, the killings they've done, the harsh repression perpetrated by the NKVD and so many other War Crimes. If only Stalinism was brought to Justice as they did with Nazism.
@@RadX_98 It has nothing to do with "lEfTiEs ArE cOmMiEs" conspiracies.
It has to do with the fact that the western allies chose to bury the atrocities perpetrated by the soviets so they could justify their alliance with Stalin.
If you want to search for culprits look no further than the US and UK governments.
Absolutely terrible man. Never heard of his story. Brutal. So much needless death brushed under the rug it's insane. Thanks for sharing there story Mark.
Did you not learn any history in your school?😢
As a Polish, I can say thank you.
You created amazing, filled with facts and historically accurate documentary. It is important to remember about this dark period.
My great grandmother’s brother was murdered in Katyń, for forty years after all his headstone could say was “died tragically.”
Do you disagree what his death was a tragic event?
@@PseudonymsAreGovnoYaEbalGoogle da Aleksiej, tragic events is slavic brothers murdering many Polish inteligentsia. My uncle was murdered there. We won't forget what is cost the russia betrayal.
where soviet united with fascist and invaded small Poland.
fascist comunism equal evil.
@@PseudonymsAreGovnoYaEbalGoogle Dying in a car accident is a "tragic event", Katyń was a genocide.
@@twojstarypijany8153 It wasn't really genocide.
It was a politically motivated mass murder.
@@cool2martini It was a pretty awful event, I wouldn't argue where.
Though It was the USSR who had confessed it. A lot of countries do pretty awful fings and try to sweep it under the rug. We had atleast confessed in 80-s.
Thank you, Mark.
Poles born in Britain (like myself) have always known this story. Sadly, in Poland itself for 50 Communist years, it was the Elephant in the room - & it could not be talked about. A distant Cousin of mine, whom I only met recently, served in the 'modern' (Communist Era) Polish Army & only knew the Soviet version of events. Worse still, he was teaching young recruits this Soviet lie as well. When the truth came out in 1989/90, he was more than shocked. The bottom fell out of his world, as if the version of Katyn he was teaching was a lie - what else was untrue? Could he believe in anything anymore?
Just to add -
My Grandad (a Major) escaped to Rumania & avoided capture by the Russians. (My other Grandad had died of Cancer before the war).
My Dad was not yet in the Army when war broke out, so avoided capture as well.
Lucky, lucky, lucky......
My Dad was imprisoned in Siberia later on, for attempting to cross into Romania. He was then part of the 'amnesty' granted to the Poles & made his way out of the Soviet Union with General Anders across the Caspian Sea to Persia (Iran). General Anders appears in one of your film clips with Stalin & General Sikorski.
Later, my Dad was at Monte Cassino - before finishing the war in Britain.
@@andysoch "Sadly, in Poland itself for 50 Communist years, it was the Elephant in the room - & it could not be talked about. A distant Cousin of mine, whom I only met recently, served in the 'modern' (Communist Era) Polish Army & only knew the Soviet version of events." That was a forbidden topic, but to know that this is the case you also need to know that something is off... considering than most of the officers in the 51% of Polish territory that was occupied by Soviet Union were executed and then in created in USSR Polish army they were replaced with Soviets that changed Russian surnames to Polish surnames...
Soviets were also hunting Polish underground fighters:
"Józef Franczak (17 March 1918 - 21 October 1963) was a soldier of the Polish Army, Armia Krajowa World War II resistance, and last of the cursed soldiers - members of the militant anti-communist resistance in Poland. He used codenames Lalek (best known), Laluś, Laleczka, Guściowa, and fake name Józef Babiński. He was a resistance fighter for 24 out of 45 years of his life. (...)
The Lublin field office of the Polish secret police, the Służba Bezpieczeństwa, had already begun a plan to capture or kill him as early as November 1951, under the codename "Pożar" ("Fire"). In time over 100 different people were involved in the effort to locate and eliminate him. Agents of the SB installed bugs in several houses in the villages around Lublin. In May 1957, the first such device was implanted in the house that belonged to Czeslawa Franczak, Jozef's sister. Soon afterwards, bugs were installed in the house of another sister, Celina Mazur, as well as elsewhere.
Finally, in 1963, he was betrayed by a relative of his mistress, Danuta Mazur. Stanisław Mazur informed the secret police of Franczak's whereabouts and his planned meeting with Danuta, who was also the mother of his child. On 21 October 1963, 35 functionaries of a ZOMO (paramilitary riot police) unit surrounded a barn in Majdan Kozic Górnych, the village where Franczak was in hiding. They demanded his surrender; Franczak presented himself as a local peasant, but after having been asked about identity documents, he opened fire and was mortally wounded in the ensuing firefight.
After an autopsy, Franczak's body (without its head, which was passed to a medical university), was buried in an unmarked grave. His family recovered his remains about twenty years later and reburied them in the cemetery in Piaski Wielkie. His skull was recovered and reburied only in 2014."
To be honest the version of the story from your distant Cousin sounds suspicious, i would believe more in version that he never heard about it than the story that he was teaching Soviet version of it, as it was hard to not tell that Soviets are constantly lying and acting very hostile to everything conected to the pre WW2 Poland.
So to me it looks like a version told to you as something that would be easier to understand for you as you know only a fraction of the post WW2 Polish reality.
There are also two periods of the Polish communist army in post ww2 history of it.
There is Stalin era where Soviet Generals were dressed in Polish uniforms and post Stalin era when the power was given to Polish officers but there was an oath to Soviets for every Polish soldier and lets be honest here there was no love to Soviets from avg. Polish citizen, they were giving power mostly to the people that were at the bottom of the social pyramid/family member of a poor peasant or a worker in pre-ww2 Poland to gain some ammount of loyality as they were suposed to know that they are in power/on top only because of the communists.
what was the soviet version of effects?
@@siyacer The Soviet version was that the Germans did it in 1941, whereas the actual murders happened in 1940. The date is important, because it tells you who controlled that area. In 1940, it was the Soviets!!
@@andysoch Speaking of lies, Sikorski died in an aircraft "accident" taking off from Gibraltar. At the time a known Soviet Spy was seen near the plane. Known to the British, and yet he was allowed near the plane in Gibraltar.
Thank you for this!
We will never forget!
Cześć i chwała bohaterom!
12:10 Further damage to Allies relations were averted by Sikorski's EXTREMELY CONVENIENT DEATH IN A PLANE CRASH.
Yes, it says it all.
soivet asssassination of sikroski that's how they did it.
@@MaxwellAerialPhotography You are far behind events. In late 1990s it's been proven that Sikorski was killed by his Czech pilot on orders from Stalin.
That was lucky for the Allies (who obviously knew about Katyn)
@@TheManofthecross British assassination is also an option, British up to this day don't want to
reveal the documents of concern.
@@Qwertypp10 looks like we have to force the lot to reveal those documents and extra. they have to of there own call or someone will go in there find it and reveal it on there terms. in either case they got to step up.
The saddest thing about all this is most people don't even know this happened. The people responsible for this massacre should have been hunted down and brought to justice! What a disgrace!
Unfortunately, there was never going to be a hunt for Soviet war criminals, although Beria was executed shortly after Stalin died.
Agree. The NKVD deserved a post war Nuremberg trial.
@@aemrt5745 they were at Nuremberg trial. They were guards and judges. Alongside American, British and French allies of USSR.
True but on the other hand, how would this have been done. The NKVD was backed by the USSR. The USSR wouldn't have allowed the trial. And no one would risk a war over this after WWII.
@@KapitanGzehotnik Like the British, French and Americans didn't commit warcrimes.
Everybody had blood on their hands.
If anyone is interested in this topic, I recommend watching the film by Oscar-winning filmmaker Andrzej Wajda, titled Katyn. It focuses not only on the events during the war, but also on the post-war atmosphere around the attempts to discover the truth.
That was a DAMN good movie.
I never felt the feels like the way that movie gave em to me.
To see distinguished polish officers get blasted in the back of the skull like cattle and shoved up a metal chute into a truck made my blood run cold.
Patton had his reasons to hate the soviets over the germans, and we'll never know what he knew.
Thanks on the look out for it
Thanks!
I am a Ugandan lawyer watching this in 2021. I have always been fascinated by the history of Europe. But the story of Katyn really is up there with the saddest of them all. The really frightening thing is the increasing feeling of the inevitability of a third world War. Only this time few will be alive to tell the story.
@DIORDOL VON GIOHEIM No i don't. What is it about?
Sooner the better.
The few left will be more concerned with survival then political and social nonsense.....i hope
@Ike but no Mike 😐
@@andrewbagaayi584 I'm a bit late but if u still don't know the guy that asked about "the way"was making a joke using an old internet meme.There isn't anything about it
The germans were fighting bolshvism....coming out of Russia....
As an American I had no idea about this history, my sincerest condolences to all of Poland.
In the U.S..there were two official intelligence reports into the Katyn massacre that contradicted the official position that the massacre was committed by the Germans. In 1944, Roosevelt assigned his special emissary to the Balkans, Navy Lieutenant Commander George Earle, to produce a report on Katyn. Earle concluded the massacre was committed by the Soviet Union Having consulted with Elmer Davis, director of the United States Office of War Information, Roosevelt rejected the conclusion (officially), declared he was convinced of Nazi Germany's responsibility, and ordered that Earle's report be suppressed. When Earle requested permission to publish his findings, the President issued a written order to desist and Earle was reassigned and spent the rest of the war in American Samoa. It has been documented that Roosevelt did not believe that the Russians did it!
Another well educated American from the winning side
It's because America was Allied to Soviets during WW2 and wanted to portray themselves as the greatest generation. It's all BS. America is just as evil. We drop atomic bombs on civilians and let eastern Europe fall under Communist rule because we didn't care.
Let this, among other hidden histories allow you to look at the entire affair, its narrative, and more, until you can embrace Patton's words.
That's why Poland hates Russia
I used to work with a old Polish man,who had been captured by the Soviet army when they invaded Poland.He ended up in a forced labour camp.He told me that one day they where told that the inmates where being set free and they ended up in Palestine,he then joined the Polish second corps and fought in Italy.After the war he married and settled down in England.
My father was one of those.
My grandfather was one too
So it happened on the basis of the first Sikorski-Mayski agreement, when Russians needed cannon meat. Conditions in the army camps were poor, so supplies were sent by the British. Stalin decided that those released from the camps did not want to fight for Stalin, but for a free Poland. he limited the food supply. An agreement was reached between Stalin and the British government and the Poles were to be transported to Iraq. Iraq at that time was occupied by the Soviets and Britain. It's also an interesting story. The Poles were armed, trained and nourished by the British. II Corps fought for the liberation of Italy, Monte Cassino, Ancona, Bologna and many other places showed that they fought for our freedom and yours. I knew a lot of people like that.
I am not sure if it was the same Polish Corps but one of the units had a Bear mascot called Wojtek (Voytek) who would do camp chores, carry ammunition for field guns and many other jobs and lived alongside the soliders who adored him and was adored by him. He apparently liked a beer and a cigarette too. I believe he has a memorial too. Would make a nice video for Mark to cover
@@roberts1938 The UK did charge the Polish government in exile for providing with the supplies and training to the Polish Army, Navy and Air Force in the West (Polish gold was deposited in the UK, so they could take whatever amount they wanted), even though the Polish pilots, seamen and other soldiers defended the British territory (yet the Polish government did not issue a bill for that to the UK).
I read about this affair back in the mid 1960s. Russia denied it, Germany laughed, and Roosevelt called it Nazi propaganda. I guess he did not want to upset Joe Stalin.
no one among the Allies wanted to 'antagonize' Joe
This video made me almost sprechless with the reaction of how horrific this war crime is.
It was unbelievable, inhuman. One Russian leader personnaly slaughtered 7,000 men.
It certainly is not forgotten in Hungary. We have a square named in honour of the Katyn victims not too far from where I'm living with a (kind of weird) statue that symbolizes the forest.
Your Heroes are also not forgotten in Poland we have a monument of Honved supporting Warsaw Uprising and Budapest Uprising heroes
Husband of my grandfather's sister was steam train driver before the war in eastern Poland, as he was uniformed worker, he was taken prisoner by Soviets and was sent to katyń, but he was extremely lucky, the Soviets were checking hands, his hands for obvious reasons were hands of an ordinary worker and he was released and returned home, he died in the end of 80s
how differs workers and military hands?
@@lolikususs I would also like to know. Is it possible they don't literally mean hands but rather some kind of slang?
lolikususs MILITARY OFFICERS HANDS DO NOT DO HEAVY WORK OR DIRTY WORK HOWEVER A UNIFORMED RAILROAD ENGINEER HAS HANDS HARDENED AND STAINED BY HIS WORK!
ADDITIONALLY BEFORE BEING AN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER THERE WAS A 10 YEAR PERIOD OF BEING A LOCOMOTIVE FIREMAN, WHICH INVOLVES SHOVELING MANY TONS OF COAL!!
@@rossbryan6102 bro your keyboard is broken
@@lolikususs Russian killed (mostly) officers during Katyn not normal soldiers. Otherwise, they would have had to kill half of Poland since basically everyone between 16 and 50 was enlisted
In every war, people suffer. I will make the argument, however, that no country was betrayed as badly as Poland. They were invaded on both sides, while "allies" did little or nothing to help. Later in the war, when the Soviets "liberated" Poland, rape, theft, murder, and beatings were inflicted on the Poles. As I have heard some Poles declare, it was terrible when the Germans occupied their country, but it was worse when The Red Army came through.
In Poland Katyń and many other massacres arent actually forgotten. We have the "Cursed soldiers day", we are taught in schools about red army atrocities, etc.
I am glad to hear this. Please don't stop teaching your children these things.
I am actually sorry for what happened to your people back then. They should never be forgotten? I watched a movie called Katyn and I could only see it just one time.
@@stevenbaer5999 beacuse the movie focuses on a story of a soldier who survived it and on how life in communist poland looked like
Respect. You Poles are tough.
That is good my Great Uncle and namesake Edward Bernadzikowski managed to survive and fought in Anders Army.
Great story!! I’m so glad you’ve covered it!
My mother’s father was very lucky to have escaped from Katyń! He survived the war and fought the Soviets in the resistance after.
Chris T. You spelled Katyn correctly as it is pronounced in Polish.
The future of the "Cursed Soldiers", ie those who fought in the guerrillas, was not colorful either. They often ended up in a nameless grave.
When Hitler proposed the idea of a combined invasion, Stalin took that opportunity, Poland defended their country with all they had, but sadly, due to the two giants crushing in on them, they stood no chance
Obviously
@@Ajourneyofknowing Yes, obviously
They fought well though.
@@noodlyappendage6729 Yup, said that 👍
@Jack Ferghana Aye
New people will not forget this tragedy, thanks to Mark!
I am from Poland. Thank You Mark for remembering and talking about our history. Katyn massacre is a big topic taught in schools here.
it wasn't even mentioned the least in the history books when I attended schools in '60 and '70
That's great. When I was in school in Poland, it wasn't even mentioned. I was born in 1977. I found out about Katyń from my dad.
The scars of Katyn resonate to this day in Poland.
How? Asking out of curiosity.
@@NachiV Because in the Katyń Russians kill ours Elite, Best of the Best Poland. We lost a elites
@@NachiV take a look at our government and parties in it, you will see "how"
@@kapralo3285 If u didnt kill and starve to death 80000 ppl in ur concentration camps after a result of land grab from a nation in agony of a civil war e.g. the battle of Warsaw,maybe Katyn massacre wouldnt have happened.When u have so much blood on ur hands ppl will hold a grudge against u,and when u end up in those ppl hands things happen
@@NachiV Poland lost an entire generation of intelligentsia and elites in this atrocity. Lack of role models, appalling level of education and historical awareness, subsequent 45 years under soviet dictatorship, and many, many more things are the present day scars.
As someone with Polish heritage I would like to say thank you. My grandparents came from the eastern parts of Poland occupied by the USSR. My grandmother became a POW and was involved in the POW transfer, my grandfather was studying Medicine in Warsaw and fought at Monte Cassino under Anders. Knowing that if he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, being a university student, he could have ended up in this massacre is very heartfelt
If he was part of Anders army means he was rounded up in Russia, and be lucky enough not to be executed (by NKWD) before the Germans attacked USSR (and NKWD being more occupiad with trying to halt the front, than mass execute POW). The "whole" Anders army was composed of POW/civilians/whoever wanted to escape Russia/Sybir/camps and had a claim of polish (or semi-polish) heritage.
Not to mention that people trying to reach the rally zones (to met up with this conglomerate of civilians/soldier etc. who then were evacuated to middle-east) were extremaly rarely given any proper support (or anything more than just being released from their camps/prisons etc.). So reaching the rally points was a great feat in itself.
@@Eszjous Do you mean NKVD?
@@Nicolas-cu2xv I wrote NKVD in few places. What are you asking about exactly ?:)
@@Eszjous You wrote NKWD
@@Nicolas-cu2xv Yea, I definitely ment NKVD ;)
A million views. Intentionally or not, this will probably become one of your most important videos Mark - especially as the Russian state increases its efforts to manipulate aspects of its past. As a Pole who had a family member (officer of the reserve - a peacetime doctor) murdered at Katyn, I thank you.
Sorry for your loss.
RIP
may he rest in peace 🙏
@ScipioRomanus We live in a time when many academics, pseudo intellectuals, and youth in the West conveniently choose to ignore the lessons of history. Isn’t it curious that most these people are Leftists? The human race has much to learn. There is much that the Poles could teach us.
The lack of assistance by England and France certainly didn't help things. Poland lost so much in WW2 that it's a miracle that the country exists today. We must never ever let our Polish partners down again.
I've always questioned why the French and British declared war on Germany because of the German invasion of Poland but did not declare war on the Soviet Union for their simultaneous invasion of Poland. And then after hundreds of thousands of Poles escaped occupation and came to fight alongside the western allies, those same allies allowed the USSR to occupy Poland and make it part of the USSR.
It’s because WW1 and WW2 were engineered to enable the conquest of Europe by the Anglo American empire. It’s still happening now
Banker's wars buddy.
They couldn’t beat both at once