Katyn Massacre — the full case file

Germany and the Soviet Union invade Poland; Soviet forces capture hundreds of thousands of Polish soldiers and police. In spring 1940, the Soviet NKVD executed nearly 22,000 Polish military officers, police, and intelligentsia on Stalin's orders at Katyn Forest and other sites; the USSR blamed Nazi Germany until officially admitting responsibility in 1990. On March 5, 1940, Soviet Politburo, led by Stalin, signs an order to execute roughly 25,700 Polish prisoners held in NKVD camps and prisons. In April 1940, Mass executions of Polish prisoners of war and prisoners begin at Katyn Forest, Kalinin (Tver), and Kharkiv. In May 1940, Executions of Polish prisoners conclude. In April 1943, Nazi Germany announces discovery of mass graves at Katyn Forest and blames the Soviet Union. In January 1944, the Soviet-appointed Burdenko Commission concludes German forces were responsible for the killings. In 1946, Soviet prosecutors attempt to include the Katyn killings in the Nuremberg indictment against German defendants; the charge is not sustained. On April 13, 1990, the Soviet Union formally acknowledges NKVD responsibility for the Katyn massacre. In 1990, Boris Yeltsin releases classified Soviet documents, including the original 1940 execution order, to Polish President Lech Wałęsa. In November 2010, the Russian State Duma approves a declaration condemning Stalin and Soviet officials for ordering the massacre. In 2021, the Russian Ministry of Culture downgrades the Katyn memorial complex's heritage status from federal to regional importance. The case is recorded as solved. This case file is kept in memory of Stella Menkes, Klara Auerbach-Margules, and Janina Lewandowska. The full sourced case file, with every fact cited, is at casepin dot org.

Transcript from the video’s narration track. For every source, open the case file.