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Karski joins the Polish Foreign Office
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Invasion of Czechoslovika
Hitler invades the rest of Czechoslovika. At this point France and Britain did not intervened. But they warned if he invaded Poland they would declare war.
Photo:From left to right: Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler, Mussolini, and Ciano pictured before signing the Munich Agreement, which gave the Sudetenland to Germany. -
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler make a pact that provides for the partition of Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union. -
Secret mobilization
As a young officer, Karski is mobilized with the entire Polish army. -
Invasion of Poland
September 1st Hitler invades Poland.
Photo: German cavalry and motorized units entering Poland from East Prussia during 1939. -
Capture by the Soviets
After Germany attacks Poland Karski is taken prisoner by the Soviet army, later to return to Poland through a POW exchange between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany at the end of October 1939. He also escapes from a German internment camp and returns to Warsaw to join the Underground movement.
Photo: Polish prisoners of war captured by the Red Army during the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939. -
First trip to France
Karski makes the his first trip abroad to the Polish Government in Exile. He returns to Warsaw on May 7th, 1940.
Photo: Official photograph of the Polish Government-in-exile taken after the Investiture of the Grand Cross of the 'Polonia Restituta' to Adam Lyczak, Chairman of the National Fund in the USA. -
Winston Churchil becomes Prime Minister
Winston Churchill becomes Britain’s Prime Minister after the previous Prime Minister Chamberlain steps down. Even before World War 2 was declared Winston warned the government about the threat that Hitler was to Europe and this was only really recognised after the invasions of the countries around Germany e.g. Poland. -
Capture by the Nazis
On his way to France Karski is captured in Slovakia. Manages to escape and spends the next year in hidding. -
Nazi Massacres
After the invasion of Russia the Germans began to execute many of their prisoners and Jews in the area. In two days a total of 33,771 Jews were executed and buried in mass graves in Babi Yar. In 1941 600,000 Jews were killed in Russia alone and over 3 million Soviet prisoners of the 3.8 million that were captured in 1941 died in captivity. -
Pearl Harbour
A month before six Japanese aircraft carriers sailed to the pacific in preparation for the attack. On an early morning on the 7th of December the attack commenced. Torpedo bombers and fighters attacked the airfields and ships destroying or crippling ships. 3 ships were lost and the day after America declared war on the Japanese Empire and later Germany and Italy. -
Liquidation of the Warsaw Ghetto
Hitler wanted to eradicate the threat of Communism and by doing so had to invade Russia. Even though Hitler had a pact with Stalin the invasion commenced. A 'Blitzkrieg' strategy was used and close to the end of October the German forces were nearly at the gates of Moscow. Many pockets of Soviet troops became trapped and were forced to either fight to the death or surrender.
Photo: Jews moving into the Warsaw Ghetto. -
Karski's visit to the ghetto
Karski is taken to see the Warsaw ghetto and in Novermber 1942 he also witnesses the exterminations at the Izbica Lubelska sorting point. -
Battle for Stalingrad
After the invasion of Russia in 1941 Russia was severely disabled. Stalingrad was the last line of defence, but the Russians were determined to keep it, Russians fought to the death and engaged in 'rat warfare' when soldiers fought in buildings and factories in close quarters. Eventually the winter proved too cold for the Germans and no progress was made so the Germans retreated across Russia, pursued by millions of angry Russians. This was a turning point of the war. -
Mission to London
Karski leaves on a new mission abroad. -
Arrival in the US
Jan Karski arrives in the US for the first time to meet with American officials. Return to England in September. -
First meeting with American officials
Karski meets with Presidential adviser Ben Cohen, Assistant Solicitor General Oscar Cox, and Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter.
Photo: Felix Frankfurter -
Meeting with President Roosevelt
Karski reports the plight of the Polish and Jewish population in Poland to President Roosevelt. -
D-Day
D-day stood for Deliverance Day and was the largest Allied invasion of WW2. The invasion involved allied Paratroopers being dropped into France to clear towns and roads while the main invasion would involve beach landings on five different beaches. Over all the invasion was a success although there were many casualties from various beaches, the most being the Omaha beach which had US troops attacking it. After the first landings reinforcements were able to land at abundance. -
Story of a Secret State
Release of Karski's book 'Story of a Secret State'. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Germans were thought to of been unable to launch another offensive, but Hitler needed to re capture lost territory in France. The objective was to capture crossings over the River Meuse and then Antwerp. Even though the German progress looked promising at the start, Allied troops were able to eventually hold their ground. This prevented the Germans from continuing their assault and forcing them to retreat into Germany. -
Hitler's Death
Hitler was holed up in a bunker in Berlin with the few soldiers left in Berlin. Hitler married his long-time mistress Eva Braun in the bunker. Hitler then went to his study with Eva Braun were she poisoned herself and Hitler shot himself with his own pistol. Their bodies were burnt to stop the Soviets from parading their dead bodies. -
War ends
Germany officially surrendered.
