Katyn Recall
On April 13th 1943, Reichsminister Joseph Goebbels dropped one of his biggest propaganda bombs of the war. German radio began transmitting news of the discovery of mass graves in the forest of Katyn, then part of German-occupied Russia.
Thousands of Polish officers had disappeared under Soviet custody in the Spring of 1940, and questions by the Polish government-in-exile had been met with evasive replies from Stalin.
Germany was now declaring that here were those very officers, and that the Russians had sent the Poles to their graves. Given that Russia was now technically allied to Poland - and Britain - it was an explosive state of affairs. The Russians denied responsibility, blamed the Germans, and broke off all relations with the Polish government-in-exile, then based in London.
It wasn't until 1990 that Russia admitted guilt for the executions, which saw 22, 000 Poles - including many civilians - liquidated at various points in the Soviet Union.
Over the last two days a series of commemorative events have been staged across Poland. Here in Cracow, a procession was held comprising of members of the victims families. Wreaths were laid at the foot of the Katyn Cross, which stands next to Wawel Castle.
April 22nd will see the UK premiere of the first feature film about Katyn. The Oscar-nominated film was made by 82 year-old director Andzrej Wajda, whose own father was amongst the victims. The film has a preliminary London release as part of the Kinoteka Film Festival, which will also be screening a retrospective of Wajda's work.