# Katyn massacre (1940)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1940-katyn-massacre
Location: Katyn
Categories: main-event

In spring 1940 the NKVD shot about 22,000 Polish officers, police and members of the intelligentsia at Katyn and other sites. The Soviet Union denied responsibility until 1990. Within the broader World War II period: Invaded by Germany and the Soviet Union, Poland suffered brutal occupation and the Holocaust, while its underground state and armed forces fought on every front of the war. At this point in the timeline (1940), the governing authority was Władysław Raczkiewicz (President of Poland (in exile)). President of the internationally recognised Polish government-in-exile in France and London during World War II. Katyn massacre mattered because violence against people and institutions left a lasting mark on Polish political life and memory. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Katyn massacre mattered because violence against people and institutions left a lasting mark on Polish political life and memory.

Ruler at the time: [Władysław Raczkiewicz](https://poland-history.com/rulers/wladyslaw-raczkiewicz)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Katyn massacre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyn_massacre)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Katyn massacre](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Katyn+massacre)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland (1939–1945) (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_(1939%E2%80%931945))