Katyn massacre facts for kids
The Katyn massacre was a terrible series of killings that happened during World War II. The Soviet army was responsible for these events. Around 22,000 Polish prisoners of war were killed.
Most of these prisoners were officers. They were killed in a forest near Katyn, about 20 kilometers from Smolensk. The killings took place in May 1940. Stalin, who was the leader of the Soviet Union, ordered these killings. He did this based on advice from Lavrenty Beria, a high-ranking official.
About 4,000 to 5,000 people were killed specifically in Katyn. The Katyn massacre was part of a larger series of similar killings. Up to 100,000 people may have died in these events.
In 1990, the Soviet Union, which later became Russia, finally admitted its responsibility. Mikhail Gorbachev, who was the Soviet leader at the time, officially apologized. Around 400 to 450 prisoners survived these massacres. Their stories helped change how Soviet history books described these events after the apology.
Understanding the Events
The Katyn massacre was a very sad event in history. It showed how powerful leaders could make terrible decisions. The NKVD was the Soviet secret police. They were the ones who carried out these killings.
Key Figures Involved
In the 1980s, Mikhail Gorbachev spoke about the massacre. He said that Lavrenty Beria and Vsevolod Merkulov were responsible. Gorbachev called the Katyn massacre one of Stalin's cruel acts. Beria and Merkulov faced serious consequences in 1953. They were never formally judged for their actions at Katyn.
Images for kids
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Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov signs the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. Behind him: Ribbentrop and Stalin.
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Polish POWs captured by the Red Army during the Soviet invasion of Poland
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Secretary of State of the Vichy regime Fernand de Brinon and others in Katyn at the graves of Mieczysław Smorawiński and Bronisław Bohatyrewicz, April 1943
See also
In Spanish: Masacre de Katin para niños
