# Jan Karski's report (1942)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1942-jan-karski-s-report
Location: London

Underground courier Jan Karski reached London and later Washington with eyewitness accounts of the extermination of the Jews. 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 (1942), 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. Jan Karski's report mattered because diplomacy defined Poland's relations with its neighbours and the wider world. 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
Jan Karski's report mattered because diplomacy defined Poland's relations with its neighbours and the wider world.

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

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Jan Karski](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Karski)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Jan Karski's report](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Jan+Karski%27s+report)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland (1939–1945) (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_(1939%E2%80%931945))