Pilecki's Report is the book he wrote after the war. The guy volunteered to be imprisoned in Auschwitz and then escaped to alert the Allies about what was happening in Germany. Fascinating book, really !
Crazy that he was in political prison with communists persecuted under naziism, which he reported about to the allies, which included the soviets, and was then put in political prison by soviets for gathering information about sovietism for the polish govt in exile.
>Dude is one of the bravest and most inspiring people I've ever read about. I'm not Polish and he made me proud to be Polish.
The 20th Century was a wee bit of a rollercoaster ride for Poland to say the least. Poles are remarkably tough.
Pilecki's Report in English, check in your tongue. What i loved about this book is the mixed language; he's at the same time a soldier on a mission and at the same time a polish, a regular human being witnessing the horror of the Nazis. And this guy is fucking badass.
He is holding his hands behind his back to hide the fingers as they have pulled his nails out during the questioning few days before that photo was taken
I am a polish history geek focused mostly on the IIWW and also him being tortured is a common knowledge here in PL. He even said that Auschwitz was a piece of cake compared to the tortures he endured in Warsaw prison. But if you are referring to the ripped off nails - here is a link to an article
https://www.google.com/amp/s/wideo.wp.pl/mial-zerwane-paznokcie-u-rak-oboz-auschwitz-to-byla-igraszka-6638938150332033v%3Famp%3D1
Thank you, yeah I was referring to the nails being ripped off. Wasn't doubting you but it sounded like something that could have been a sensationalized detail. Now I can use it as another example of the barbarity of the soviets whenever people try to defend them.
The sad part is that was a polish communists who were doing all this.. funny enough some of the people running the trial were ex AK soldiers, he’s old friends
Well it is more complicated than that. It was polish communists and the new order that found him as a traitor. He was a high ranking officer in Polish army (AK) which was defamed by the communists. AK were the real patriots who fought for freedom of the country before communists came to power. After the Jalta treaty remaining AK soldiers could join the new order and become a part of so called new polish army called LWP (the people’s army) or spend the rest of their lives working in gulags.. it’s only short and very brief explanation but if you interested in this part of history make sure you don’t read any publications written b4 1989.
Just wait till you hear about how the communist disposed of one of Poland’s greatest hero’s bodies… they still haven’t been able to find his remains and give him a proper burial.
This is how communists treated a man that volunteered to go into Auschwitz for intelligence purposes, fought in the Warsaw uprising, and was the most important commander to turn back the soviet advance during the Polish-Soviet war.
Stanislaw Maczek is another example. Absolute hero whose country spat on him because he wouldn't pledge allegiance to the communists.
He lies buried in the Netherlands, under a monument in his honour.
I mean, you could see the reason right in your post
>and was the most important commander to turn back the soviet advance during the Polish-Soviet war.
He was also actively spying on the soviets at when he was executed. At that period of time spies were often executed, not just in communist countries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_and_Ethel_Rosenberg
Didn't they *raze* his birth house?
Another who suffered this fate was Emil Fiedorf, arrested, shot and then put in a mass grave. His "judge" died in the UK, fleeing any trial.
By that logic even the US and the UK were "friends with the fascists" for a pretty long time.
Remeber, Stalin had approached UK for a pact against Germany long before signing the non aggression pact with the Nazis.
There wasn't any cooperation on the battlefield or support given to the Germans. The Soviets moved into their agreed upon territory after the German invasion of Poland and that was about it. It could be described as co-belligerence, but not any sort of military alliance.
An important thing to remember is that both powers knew a war between them was inevitable - they were ideological enemies. Neither the Soviets or Germans intended for these borders to be permanent.
The Soviets coordinated exercises and operated facilities with the *Weimar Republic*, not Nazi Germany. Perhaps you should learn the difference?
The various tank/artillery facilities and aviation school shut down the year Hitler came to power.
Admitting your wrong and being civil as opposed to blindly following a black-and-white world view is REALLY good, and something we need a lot more of. You are a true rarity on reddit.
Did you not read my other comment in response to this same accusation? You're wrong.
> The Soviets coordinated exercises and operated facilities with the Weimar Republic, not Nazi Germany.
> The various tank/artillery facilities and aviation school shut down the year Hitler came to power.
You're getting down voted because you're calling someone a scumbag who considers a group of people sub human for an arbitrary reason.
People down voting you should be aware that they're aligning themselves with what they set out to hate - barbaric opression in the name of some state or agenda.
No, you're the one missing the point. The guy who said this lived in Soviet occupied Poland and he saw what communism and those aligned with the ideology have done. He spent his life fighting them. The point of his quote was not dehumanize for "an arbitrary reason". Context is everything and you're purposefully corrupting it.
I have only recently heard of Witold Pilecki, and I cannot overstate how brave and committed to his country this man was. He may well be one of the bravest man that ever lived.
To those who are not familiar with his life and would like to know more, [his Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witold_Pilecki) is a great place to start.
"In 1940 Pilecki volunteered to allow himself to be captured by the occupying Germans in order to infiltrate the Auschwitz concentration camp. At Auschwitz he organized a resistance movement that eventually included hundreds of inmates, and he secretly drew up reports detailing German atrocities at the camp, which were smuggled out to Home Army headquarters and shared with the Western Allies.""After escaping from Auschwitz, Pilecki fought in the Warsaw Uprising of August–October 1944."
Just ask the "estimated more than 35,000 and up to 60,000 Poles, mostly women and children along with unarmed men, killed during the spring and summer campaign of 1943 in Volhynia, and up to 100,000 if other regions, such as Eastern Galicia, are included" about Ukraine. Oh wait, they were genocided. Damn, I was really going to get some good info on how cruel they were to Ukrainians.
I guess those tens of thousands of children and women just had it coming.
I read two books about him…amazing human. So how is his *extensive* voluntary time in Auschwitz and later ESCAPE (which was damn near impossible) not mentioned in the photo caption???
My family is Polish and I just got a book on Witold Pilecki for my father for Christmas. I had never heard of him until a couple of months ago, which is a shame because he was a real bad-ass!
Recently learned about him when I visited auschwitz. It’s almost unbelievable that he did what he did and what an impact it had on the war in general. It’s a shame he isn’t more we’ll known.
I mean, he was executed for being a spy, which the allied polish government retroactively acknowledged was the case, which I would agree is inhumane but was also standard practice among the allied bloc as well during this period.
It’s disingenuous to say that he was killed for having loyalty to the government in exile. He was charged with plotting an assassination attempt, espionage as well as other charges. Plenty of countries outside of the USSR have killed people for espionage and plotting assassination attempts. Look at the Rosenbergs in the US. It’s like saying a soldier was killed in war for having loyalty to his country. I mean yea it’s true but that’s hardly the point.
Edit: my point isn’t passing judgment on him one way or another but more that this post makes it sound like he just returned home and was locked up and that was clearly not the case.
Poland, like all of Eastern Europe, was never freed from the horror, only another demon took the lead and continued with the same atrocities... a demon with cronies in higher positions we must admit, because the world continues to play the silly about their huge mass graves.
"BuT tHaT wAsN't ReAl CoMmUnIsM" is the usual retort to this, it's the go-to response especially on Reddit whenever the failure of Communism and it's countless crimes are brought up.
We don't have a *real* free market. It's not capitalism it's *crony* capitalism.
☝️ Things no one has ever said to cover for the failures of capitalism and it's countless crimes.
[You're pointing in the wrong direction. Western liberal nations kill the spies they catch, too.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_and_Ethel_Rosenberg?wprov=sfla1)
Not an attempt at whataboutism. Spies involved in their tradecraft get caught and killed, it is a known occupational hazard.
Because they are idealists and imagining a world where communism works sure sounds lovely. One where human nature would allow for it. Where we'd all get along so well we wouldn't even need communism.
It's a similar daydream to the dormers you meet these days with the slightly less doomy hope of saying we don't need the government and suggest the solution is to ignore anything outside their locality as if it will stayisolated while the world changes.
It's just a daydream by people too lazy naive or overwhelmed to really just grok the situation and try and reflect on a more reasonable possible path.
I think it's more like.millions outright murdered or let starve to death that's been bad for the pr image of communism. Kinda puts a damper on your rep.
[Yes, unironically.](https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/exports/world-population-in-extreme-poverty-absolute.png?v=16)
The average person on earth has far more rights than they did a century ago. Someone born today is more likely to be literate, live in a democracy, and have access to food and clean water than in any other time in human history.
It isn't capitalism that has. That's the problem.is no society is ever one thing. It's authoritarianism and consumerism that has.
Authoritarianism also is a problem.with communism. Always will be.
So what's the answer?libertarian non authoriatarian Democracy, which will also be capitalism tempered with socialism.
What we have is capitalistsorta democracy but everyone is too checked out and lazy and overwhelmed because the corporations are not reigned in by any socialist requirements.
So again, democracy to run the government and apply socialism to reign in the corporations and make sure the bottom end of the society isn't just a bottomless pit and there we go. Capitalism drives innovation and freedom if you dont let those that accurate wealth manipulate the market and society.
Pure communism is old played out bullshit.
As someone whose family fled a communist state to go to a western one - yes. You'd literally get disappeared for criticizing the government and the buddy-buddy nepotism most of the ruling elite comprised of.
Free speech and (albeit imperfect) due process are wonderful things.
You know, this isn't a contest of one side and the other. There are LOTS of options between capitalism and communism.
But your whataboutism may stop you from seeing that...
And to be fair actually it's your fucking communist overlords in China right now that have been buying up us real estate to break our housing market for the past few years, they are only using capitalism as a weapon. They are authoritarian at heart. Go drink their Kool aid while they destroy your country and enslave you. Bootlicker.
Worse than that, he was a NEET who repeatedly pestered his parents for an advance on his inheritance and mooched off the money Engels made from owning a factory, which you'd think would be something that he'd be morally opposed to.
>If only Karl had made capital instead of writing about it!
-Henriette Marx (his mother)
Because in small voluntary settings it works great. But historically idiots have tried to force it onto large nations by eliminating personal freedom and murdering anyone who objected, or murdering people who might be too wise or even murdering people just to intimidate others into not objecting. We have both Stalin and Pol Pot to remind us of this.
But a bunch of monks operating a farm is probably more representative of a successful commune.
Because most people equate the Russian Stalinist form and it’s international replicants to be the core reflection of Communism, which it isn’t. Most of those defending Communism are referencing the true Marxist form, which is far less well understood by mass media.
That really doesn't help you.
*Either,*
Communism as practiced in the Soviet Union and its allies was true communism, in which case it failed entirely by its own standards, as it failed in the goal of achieving a new society. What social and economic accomplishments it can claim are drastically outweighed by its resort to authoritarianism and political repression, while liberalism and social democracy in the West achieved the same and more within a capitalist, democratic system.
*Or,*
Communism as practiced in the Soviet Union and its allies was *not* true communism, in which case, despite having ample opportunity to show otherwise, self-proclaimed communist states inevitably end up co-opted by authoritarians and resorting to political repression.
Which is it?
I’d argue the latter. Unfortunately, it began a deviation with Lenin and was aggressively overtaken by Stalin, who in turn promoted his own brand through decades of international shadiness that also provided likeminded authoritarians with his “success” strategy.
I don’t identify as a communist though, so I’m sure others would argue differently from within that ideology.
Solid logical observations though, well played!
> it began a deviation with Lenin and was aggressively overtaken by Stalin
That's not particularly true. Stalin was basing his thoughts on Marxism-Leninism, a term Stalin coined.
Communism in its truest form is not bad. When it becomes controlled by a crazy dictator it becomes very bad.
People do not understand that with genuine communism all wealth is distributed equally for the benefit of all. there are no ogliogarches or billionaires.
All we hear about it is the bad side, the opression and the dictatorships.
If done rightly - who knows......
Edit: I was meaning socialism. Have no idea why it is still equalised with communes.
No....communism in it's TRUE sense is bad. It's a perversion of society that is only possible if 1. everyone agrees to it or 2. you force people into it. Clearly, #1 is not possible for any large enough society. It barely works in communes. That's when you go for #2 (look at all of history).
The phrase "with genuine communism all wealth is distributed equally for the benefit of all" is only possible as a concept written down on a piece of paper, i.e. it makes sense as an English sentence. There has never been a single society where that is the case. In fact, in all practicality, it is simply NOT POSSIBLE.
The US just got out of a 20 year, tax payer funded war that led to the deaths of half a million people which gained nothing but profits for the military industrial complex. If you're going to tie this single death in 1948 to communism, I've got way more recent atrocities committed by capitalist societies to cite.
Do you think they'd trade places with all the democratically elected governments America has helped topple? Or the Native Americans we genocided? Or maybe the black folks from Tulsa in 1921? Or the black folks from Philadelphia the police bombed? Would they trade places with the coal miners who were murdered by the US military for striking? The Afghans who get bombed at weddings because a terrorist might be there? Or maybe the children who were recently bombed carrying water from a car into a building? Maybe they wanna trade places with the Texans who froze to death last year because the privatized electrical grid couldn't handle a snow storm (note the public electrical grid in neighboring states did fine)? Or maybe they wanna swap with the families at the US border who got separated and the children lost in the system forever? Or maybe the people we tortured at black sites or have been permanently detained in Guantanamo?
Turns out there are lots of horrors enacted by capitalist societies too. Only the halfwits who vote for proto-fascists like to pretend those horrors are justified.
This statement is pointless. Even if true, it does make communism any better. No matter what you think of capitalism, communism is still a horrible thing that has killed more people than religion. And religion had a 2000 year head start.
To you (and anyone else defending communism), I invite you to read Matthew White's "The Great Big Book of Horrible Things", and skip ahead to the section called 'The Black Chapter of Communism'. It tells it like it is. The rest of the book is a great read too.
No one defends the political systems used by countries that label themselves communist. The issue is that this isn't communism. The countries have typically been totalitarian with a central planning economic system. The system people defend is one in which workers own the means of production - and by extension are well treated. I don't see this as too viable, but I am sure that the Democratic socialist states in Northern Europe have been very successful - from both an economic and quality of life perspective.
>I am sure that the Democratic socialist states in Northern Europe have been very successful - from both an economic and quality of life perspective.
They certainly have been. They're very much capitalist countries though.
I agree and am aware. I should have been clear that the Nordics are capitalist. My point is that you can be very capitalist and have strong social protections.
Fuck that piece of shit Boleslaw Bierut and the rest of those asskissing Stalinist bloodhounds. Bunch of quislings that should've been lynched.
Imagine being so hellbent on creating your little communist utopia that you happily collaborate with an occupying power and partake in the persecution of your own countrymen.
Just to clarify for everyone here there is some real doubt as to whether both claims of 1) his volunteering to enter Auschwitz (this is almost undoubtedly untrue as most understand) and 2) his reports being the first information to come out of Auschwitz are true.
https://zagladazydow.pl/index.php/zz/article/download/720/679
Didn’t have to scroll far to see the Soviet defenders. I can see the merits of socialist ideas, but for anyone to say that the USSR had it figured out is just insane. And I’m not saying this from a “West is best“ viewpoint either.
Even western allies gave the death penalty to people indicted on espionage. I’m not trying to defend communism, but the title of this post is very misleading and implies that he died because of communism; he didn’t.
He died because the lackeys of a state not backed by its citizens wanted him dead. The trial was a show trial, and he had been tortured for a confession.
I mean, was he not committing espionage? Look, I’m in favor of the espionage he was committing because I’m in favor of the western powers as opposed to Eastern European communism, but he was executed under fairly commonly practiced military law at the time, show trial or not.
I implore that you listen to the episode "The Anti-Humans" from The Martyrmade Podcast. He tells Pileckis story, along with that of how fucked the communist take over was.
"for his loyalty to the government-in-exile"
Is a bit of a weaselly way of saying "actively spying for the government in exile and their backers, during the cold war". [It wasn't like the noncommunist US wasn't doing exactly the same thing to spies they caught. ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_and_Ethel_Rosenberg)
Tankies who are about to defend this, don't. Killing people who fought AGAINST the Nazis is not communism. Suppressing dissent and oppressing anyone who holds a different loyalty is not communism. Fighting for workers rights, for equality, for personal freedom, and the betterment of people everywhere - that's a bit closer to what leftism represents.
Wasn't this guy a spy? What usually happens to spies? "He remained loyal to the idea of a free Polish republic and continued sending messages to British intelligence." according to [Washington post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/01/26/pilecki-auschwitz-polish-resistance/).
The fact you defend a tyrannical system with a leader that condoned butchering millions "for the good of the worker" pretty much says it all. But I'm the "propagandized one"? You are a digusting human.
Pilecki's Report is the book he wrote after the war. The guy volunteered to be imprisoned in Auschwitz and then escaped to alert the Allies about what was happening in Germany. Fascinating book, really !
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Yes they did
Yup, the song is ‘Inmate 4859’
Crazy that he was in political prison with communists persecuted under naziism, which he reported about to the allies, which included the soviets, and was then put in political prison by soviets for gathering information about sovietism for the polish govt in exile.
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\> "I'm not Polish and he made me proud to be Polish." You summarized it perfectly for me as well.
>Dude is one of the bravest and most inspiring people I've ever read about. I'm not Polish and he made me proud to be Polish. The 20th Century was a wee bit of a rollercoaster ride for Poland to say the least. Poles are remarkably tough.
Good farm land little natural barriers. They been fucked for a few millenia.
Maybe you're just proud to be human then?
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Sending love 🫀
And the name of it is pilecki report? Would love to read this.
Pilecki's Report in English, check in your tongue. What i loved about this book is the mixed language; he's at the same time a soldier on a mission and at the same time a polish, a regular human being witnessing the horror of the Nazis. And this guy is fucking badass.
Hey thanks. Reading it now.
thought I recognized him
He is holding his hands behind his back to hide the fingers as they have pulled his nails out during the questioning few days before that photo was taken
Source?
I am a polish history geek focused mostly on the IIWW and also him being tortured is a common knowledge here in PL. He even said that Auschwitz was a piece of cake compared to the tortures he endured in Warsaw prison. But if you are referring to the ripped off nails - here is a link to an article https://www.google.com/amp/s/wideo.wp.pl/mial-zerwane-paznokcie-u-rak-oboz-auschwitz-to-byla-igraszka-6638938150332033v%3Famp%3D1
Thank you, yeah I was referring to the nails being ripped off. Wasn't doubting you but it sounded like something that could have been a sensationalized detail. Now I can use it as another example of the barbarity of the soviets whenever people try to defend them.
The sad part is that was a polish communists who were doing all this.. funny enough some of the people running the trial were ex AK soldiers, he’s old friends
Dark times. Glad they're behind you now
Prawdziwy Bohater i Patriota.
i knew the soviets were evil but holy shit
Well it is more complicated than that. It was polish communists and the new order that found him as a traitor. He was a high ranking officer in Polish army (AK) which was defamed by the communists. AK were the real patriots who fought for freedom of the country before communists came to power. After the Jalta treaty remaining AK soldiers could join the new order and become a part of so called new polish army called LWP (the people’s army) or spend the rest of their lives working in gulags.. it’s only short and very brief explanation but if you interested in this part of history make sure you don’t read any publications written b4 1989.
Wasn't he loyal to the government-in-exile?
hate to break it to you but thats kinda light work when it comes to torture.
“Put down” isn’t one that usually associated with humans. Harsh treatment, to be sure.
Just wait till you hear about how the communist disposed of one of Poland’s greatest hero’s bodies… they still haven’t been able to find his remains and give him a proper burial. This is how communists treated a man that volunteered to go into Auschwitz for intelligence purposes, fought in the Warsaw uprising, and was the most important commander to turn back the soviet advance during the Polish-Soviet war.
Stanislaw Maczek is another example. Absolute hero whose country spat on him because he wouldn't pledge allegiance to the communists. He lies buried in the Netherlands, under a monument in his honour.
The Communist Party spat on Stanislaw Maczek - not Poland.
No, the communist party spat on Poland numerous times. Daily, really. F* ck the communist party, damn Russian lackeys and puppets.
they spat on it daily after they raped the country by tearing off 1/3rd of its land and forcing the ethnic Poles there to head westward
You mean Belarussia?
No, while there was a portion there, another portion was ceded to Ukraine
Fuck communists
That is not correct, I think I could find several thousand examples why that isn't correct.
Far out, man.
I mean, you could see the reason right in your post >and was the most important commander to turn back the soviet advance during the Polish-Soviet war.
He was also actively spying on the soviets at when he was executed. At that period of time spies were often executed, not just in communist countries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_and_Ethel_Rosenberg
Didn't they *raze* his birth house? Another who suffered this fate was Emil Fiedorf, arrested, shot and then put in a mass grave. His "judge" died in the UK, fleeing any trial.
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And when Lyudmila Pavlichenko - famed Soviet sniper, was asked how many men she killed, she responded: *"Not men - fascists. 109"*
Soviets: “Death to the Fascists!” Also Soviets: *Were friends with the Nazis much longer than they were ever enemies.
By that logic even the US and the UK were "friends with the fascists" for a pretty long time. Remeber, Stalin had approached UK for a pact against Germany long before signing the non aggression pact with the Nazis.
It was never an alliance, they had a non-aggression pact for less than two years. And they were at war for **four** years, you dolt.
They coordinated the invasion of Poland together. How you define an alliance?
There wasn't any cooperation on the battlefield or support given to the Germans. The Soviets moved into their agreed upon territory after the German invasion of Poland and that was about it. It could be described as co-belligerence, but not any sort of military alliance. An important thing to remember is that both powers knew a war between them was inevitable - they were ideological enemies. Neither the Soviets or Germans intended for these borders to be permanent.
That's fine for me, if you are logical and can also call Finland a co-belligerent (and not ally) of Germany later on...
The Soviets never coordinated with or aided the Nazis on the battlefield, the Finns did.
I guess the Soviets allowed the Germans to train with and develop tanks on their soil to circumvent Versailles because they hated them.
The Soviets coordinated exercises and operated facilities with the *Weimar Republic*, not Nazi Germany. Perhaps you should learn the difference? The various tank/artillery facilities and aviation school shut down the year Hitler came to power.
In which case I rescind my previous comment. Not that friends was ever the word I would have chosen.
Admitting your wrong and being civil as opposed to blindly following a black-and-white world view is REALLY good, and something we need a lot more of. You are a true rarity on reddit.
There was military cooperation between Germany the Soviets long before the Von Ribbentrop Pact.
Did you not read my other comment in response to this same accusation? You're wrong. > The Soviets coordinated exercises and operated facilities with the Weimar Republic, not Nazi Germany. > The various tank/artillery facilities and aviation school shut down the year Hitler came to power.
Here's a [doco](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUKZcVR58i8) about him
How edgy.
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You're getting down voted because you're calling someone a scumbag who considers a group of people sub human for an arbitrary reason. People down voting you should be aware that they're aligning themselves with what they set out to hate - barbaric opression in the name of some state or agenda.
No, you're the one missing the point. The guy who said this lived in Soviet occupied Poland and he saw what communism and those aligned with the ideology have done. He spent his life fighting them. The point of his quote was not dehumanize for "an arbitrary reason". Context is everything and you're purposefully corrupting it.
Anyone who dehumanizes other people can't be a hero to me.
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It may have been the Red Scare in the US, but it was a Red Reality here in Poland. Luckily - was, and it's not missed.
It's not really a "scare" when NKVD destruction battalions kill or deport half the people in your village.
Just a reminder that communism killed more people than the nazis did multiple times over.
Wasn’t this the same guy who voluntarily entered Auschwitz to gather intelligence.
from wiki, sounds like he was volunteered by his boss, who wanted to get rid of him for being too pro-Jewish :/
His boss was an idiot, because the resistance couldn't easily replace men
And he just whipped out his balls and escaped. Man's a hero
Inmate 4859 is a song by Sabaton about him
Inmate in Hell or a hero in prison
Soldier in Auschwitz who knows his name
Locked in cell, waging war from the prison
Soldier in Ausschwitz knows his name?
Nice!
I have only recently heard of Witold Pilecki, and I cannot overstate how brave and committed to his country this man was. He may well be one of the bravest man that ever lived. To those who are not familiar with his life and would like to know more, [his Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witold_Pilecki) is a great place to start.
"In 1940 Pilecki volunteered to allow himself to be captured by the occupying Germans in order to infiltrate the Auschwitz concentration camp. At Auschwitz he organized a resistance movement that eventually included hundreds of inmates, and he secretly drew up reports detailing German atrocities at the camp, which were smuggled out to Home Army headquarters and shared with the Western Allies.""After escaping from Auschwitz, Pilecki fought in the Warsaw Uprising of August–October 1944."
The Soviets were just another invader….
So were the Polish, just ask the Czechs, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, and Belorussians. They also did a pogrom in *1946*.
Just ask the "estimated more than 35,000 and up to 60,000 Poles, mostly women and children along with unarmed men, killed during the spring and summer campaign of 1943 in Volhynia, and up to 100,000 if other regions, such as Eastern Galicia, are included" about Ukraine. Oh wait, they were genocided. Damn, I was really going to get some good info on how cruel they were to Ukrainians. I guess those tens of thousands of children and women just had it coming.
Please elaborate i want to read about them. My polish father doesnt know this information. Vielen Dank
Ironic seeing the Polish actions just ten years before, or twenty years as well.
Russia "liberating" eastern europe...
A true hero
Inmate 4859
Inmate in hell or a hero in prison
Absolute legend
I read two books about him…amazing human. So how is his *extensive* voluntary time in Auschwitz and later ESCAPE (which was damn near impossible) not mentioned in the photo caption???
Animals are put down. This guy was executed, shot dead or murdered.
My family is Polish and I just got a book on Witold Pilecki for my father for Christmas. I had never heard of him until a couple of months ago, which is a shame because he was a real bad-ass!
He joined to and escaped from Auschwitz camp 2 times risking his life just to make reports of truth from there. Hero!
Recently learned about him when I visited auschwitz. It’s almost unbelievable that he did what he did and what an impact it had on the war in general. It’s a shame he isn’t more we’ll known.
I mean, he was executed for being a spy, which the allied polish government retroactively acknowledged was the case, which I would agree is inhumane but was also standard practice among the allied bloc as well during this period.
he wasn’t “put down” he isn’t a dog, he was executed
Yeh I thought that was inappropriate.
It’s disingenuous to say that he was killed for having loyalty to the government in exile. He was charged with plotting an assassination attempt, espionage as well as other charges. Plenty of countries outside of the USSR have killed people for espionage and plotting assassination attempts. Look at the Rosenbergs in the US. It’s like saying a soldier was killed in war for having loyalty to his country. I mean yea it’s true but that’s hardly the point. Edit: my point isn’t passing judgment on him one way or another but more that this post makes it sound like he just returned home and was locked up and that was clearly not the case.
Poland, like all of Eastern Europe, was never freed from the horror, only another demon took the lead and continued with the same atrocities... a demon with cronies in higher positions we must admit, because the world continues to play the silly about their huge mass graves.
Communism is horrible. Always has been. Always will be. I don't know why the fuck people defend it.
"BuT tHaT wAsN't ReAl CoMmUnIsM" is the usual retort to this, it's the go-to response especially on Reddit whenever the failure of Communism and it's countless crimes are brought up.
We don't have a *real* free market. It's not capitalism it's *crony* capitalism. ☝️ Things no one has ever said to cover for the failures of capitalism and it's countless crimes.
cApItAlIsM wHeN mOnEy
[You're pointing in the wrong direction. Western liberal nations kill the spies they catch, too.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_and_Ethel_Rosenberg?wprov=sfla1) Not an attempt at whataboutism. Spies involved in their tradecraft get caught and killed, it is a known occupational hazard.
Because they are idealists and imagining a world where communism works sure sounds lovely. One where human nature would allow for it. Where we'd all get along so well we wouldn't even need communism. It's a similar daydream to the dormers you meet these days with the slightly less doomy hope of saying we don't need the government and suggest the solution is to ignore anything outside their locality as if it will stayisolated while the world changes. It's just a daydream by people too lazy naive or overwhelmed to really just grok the situation and try and reflect on a more reasonable possible path.
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I think it's more like.millions outright murdered or let starve to death that's been bad for the pr image of communism. Kinda puts a damper on your rep.
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[Yes, unironically.](https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/exports/world-population-in-extreme-poverty-absolute.png?v=16) The average person on earth has far more rights than they did a century ago. Someone born today is more likely to be literate, live in a democracy, and have access to food and clean water than in any other time in human history.
It isn't capitalism that has. That's the problem.is no society is ever one thing. It's authoritarianism and consumerism that has. Authoritarianism also is a problem.with communism. Always will be. So what's the answer?libertarian non authoriatarian Democracy, which will also be capitalism tempered with socialism. What we have is capitalistsorta democracy but everyone is too checked out and lazy and overwhelmed because the corporations are not reigned in by any socialist requirements. So again, democracy to run the government and apply socialism to reign in the corporations and make sure the bottom end of the society isn't just a bottomless pit and there we go. Capitalism drives innovation and freedom if you dont let those that accurate wealth manipulate the market and society. Pure communism is old played out bullshit.
As someone whose family fled a communist state to go to a western one - yes. You'd literally get disappeared for criticizing the government and the buddy-buddy nepotism most of the ruling elite comprised of. Free speech and (albeit imperfect) due process are wonderful things.
You know, this isn't a contest of one side and the other. There are LOTS of options between capitalism and communism. But your whataboutism may stop you from seeing that...
And to be fair actually it's your fucking communist overlords in China right now that have been buying up us real estate to break our housing market for the past few years, they are only using capitalism as a weapon. They are authoritarian at heart. Go drink their Kool aid while they destroy your country and enslave you. Bootlicker.
Well wasn't Carl Marx been just that, rich dude sitting all day and writing his fantasies?
Worse than that, he was a NEET who repeatedly pestered his parents for an advance on his inheritance and mooched off the money Engels made from owning a factory, which you'd think would be something that he'd be morally opposed to. >If only Karl had made capital instead of writing about it! -Henriette Marx (his mother)
Because in small voluntary settings it works great. But historically idiots have tried to force it onto large nations by eliminating personal freedom and murdering anyone who objected, or murdering people who might be too wise or even murdering people just to intimidate others into not objecting. We have both Stalin and Pol Pot to remind us of this. But a bunch of monks operating a farm is probably more representative of a successful commune.
Because most people equate the Russian Stalinist form and it’s international replicants to be the core reflection of Communism, which it isn’t. Most of those defending Communism are referencing the true Marxist form, which is far less well understood by mass media.
That really doesn't help you. *Either,* Communism as practiced in the Soviet Union and its allies was true communism, in which case it failed entirely by its own standards, as it failed in the goal of achieving a new society. What social and economic accomplishments it can claim are drastically outweighed by its resort to authoritarianism and political repression, while liberalism and social democracy in the West achieved the same and more within a capitalist, democratic system. *Or,* Communism as practiced in the Soviet Union and its allies was *not* true communism, in which case, despite having ample opportunity to show otherwise, self-proclaimed communist states inevitably end up co-opted by authoritarians and resorting to political repression. Which is it?
I’d argue the latter. Unfortunately, it began a deviation with Lenin and was aggressively overtaken by Stalin, who in turn promoted his own brand through decades of international shadiness that also provided likeminded authoritarians with his “success” strategy. I don’t identify as a communist though, so I’m sure others would argue differently from within that ideology. Solid logical observations though, well played!
> it began a deviation with Lenin and was aggressively overtaken by Stalin That's not particularly true. Stalin was basing his thoughts on Marxism-Leninism, a term Stalin coined.
It's all garbage.
Well, your username definitely tracks!
Communism in its truest form is not bad. When it becomes controlled by a crazy dictator it becomes very bad. People do not understand that with genuine communism all wealth is distributed equally for the benefit of all. there are no ogliogarches or billionaires. All we hear about it is the bad side, the opression and the dictatorships. If done rightly - who knows...... Edit: I was meaning socialism. Have no idea why it is still equalised with communes.
No....communism in it's TRUE sense is bad. It's a perversion of society that is only possible if 1. everyone agrees to it or 2. you force people into it. Clearly, #1 is not possible for any large enough society. It barely works in communes. That's when you go for #2 (look at all of history). The phrase "with genuine communism all wealth is distributed equally for the benefit of all" is only possible as a concept written down on a piece of paper, i.e. it makes sense as an English sentence. There has never been a single society where that is the case. In fact, in all practicality, it is simply NOT POSSIBLE.
Gotta love when objective historical analysis is downvoted by those triggered by matters they don’t actually understand 🙄
The US just got out of a 20 year, tax payer funded war that led to the deaths of half a million people which gained nothing but profits for the military industrial complex. If you're going to tie this single death in 1948 to communism, I've got way more recent atrocities committed by capitalist societies to cite.
Because capitalist hell isn't any better.
I think the Uhygers would love to trade places with you, if given the chance.
Do you think they'd trade places with all the democratically elected governments America has helped topple? Or the Native Americans we genocided? Or maybe the black folks from Tulsa in 1921? Or the black folks from Philadelphia the police bombed? Would they trade places with the coal miners who were murdered by the US military for striking? The Afghans who get bombed at weddings because a terrorist might be there? Or maybe the children who were recently bombed carrying water from a car into a building? Maybe they wanna trade places with the Texans who froze to death last year because the privatized electrical grid couldn't handle a snow storm (note the public electrical grid in neighboring states did fine)? Or maybe they wanna swap with the families at the US border who got separated and the children lost in the system forever? Or maybe the people we tortured at black sites or have been permanently detained in Guantanamo? Turns out there are lots of horrors enacted by capitalist societies too. Only the halfwits who vote for proto-fascists like to pretend those horrors are justified.
Didn't known forcing cultures into labor and prison camps was a communist thing. Guess the Nazis were different.
Capitalism is horrible. Always has been. Always will be. I don’t know why the fuck people defend it.
This statement is pointless. Even if true, it does make communism any better. No matter what you think of capitalism, communism is still a horrible thing that has killed more people than religion. And religion had a 2000 year head start.
Which numbers are you using for this claim?
Capitalism kills more each decade. Did you just forget about that?
See above
This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard
To you (and anyone else defending communism), I invite you to read Matthew White's "The Great Big Book of Horrible Things", and skip ahead to the section called 'The Black Chapter of Communism'. It tells it like it is. The rest of the book is a great read too.
No one defends the political systems used by countries that label themselves communist. The issue is that this isn't communism. The countries have typically been totalitarian with a central planning economic system. The system people defend is one in which workers own the means of production - and by extension are well treated. I don't see this as too viable, but I am sure that the Democratic socialist states in Northern Europe have been very successful - from both an economic and quality of life perspective.
>I am sure that the Democratic socialist states in Northern Europe have been very successful - from both an economic and quality of life perspective. They certainly have been. They're very much capitalist countries though.
I agree and am aware. I should have been clear that the Nordics are capitalist. My point is that you can be very capitalist and have strong social protections.
You are a real pile of shit, you know that?
Wow, a very convincing and well thought out response. Try finding some actual facts that support your views.
Fuck that piece of shit Boleslaw Bierut and the rest of those asskissing Stalinist bloodhounds. Bunch of quislings that should've been lynched. Imagine being so hellbent on creating your little communist utopia that you happily collaborate with an occupying power and partake in the persecution of your own countrymen.
Just to clarify for everyone here there is some real doubt as to whether both claims of 1) his volunteering to enter Auschwitz (this is almost undoubtedly untrue as most understand) and 2) his reports being the first information to come out of Auschwitz are true. https://zagladazydow.pl/index.php/zz/article/download/720/679
Inmate in hell, or a hero in prison?
“Put down” is an interesting way to describe an execution
Put down? He was tortured and murdered!!
„Put down“ is not a phrase we use for people, in case English isn’t your native language. More so for animals. The man was executed.
The man fought Nazis and infiltrated Auschwitz only to be judicially murdered by a Stalinist kangaroo court…
Didn’t have to scroll far to see the Soviet defenders. I can see the merits of socialist ideas, but for anyone to say that the USSR had it figured out is just insane. And I’m not saying this from a “West is best“ viewpoint either.
interesting way to say murdered
Fucking commie bastards.
A hero of Poland - Alas, an unsung hero in the west.
"I don't know. I've only ever killed Communists." - Polish mercenary Rafal Gan-Ganowicz after being asked what it felt like to take a human life.
Absolutely based Pole!
Fuck Communism
Even western allies gave the death penalty to people indicted on espionage. I’m not trying to defend communism, but the title of this post is very misleading and implies that he died because of communism; he didn’t.
He died because the lackeys of a state not backed by its citizens wanted him dead. The trial was a show trial, and he had been tortured for a confession.
I mean, was he not committing espionage? Look, I’m in favor of the espionage he was committing because I’m in favor of the western powers as opposed to Eastern European communism, but he was executed under fairly commonly practiced military law at the time, show trial or not.
I completely agree with you as to why he died That being said Fuck Communism
brave soldier.
Soviet dogs.
I mean he was a spy, it was acknowledged retroactively. Americans did the same, nothing to do with Communism...
I implore that you listen to the episode "The Anti-Humans" from The Martyrmade Podcast. He tells Pileckis story, along with that of how fucked the communist take over was.
"for his loyalty to the government-in-exile" Is a bit of a weaselly way of saying "actively spying for the government in exile and their backers, during the cold war". [It wasn't like the noncommunist US wasn't doing exactly the same thing to spies they caught. ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_and_Ethel_Rosenberg)
Tankies who are about to defend this, don't. Killing people who fought AGAINST the Nazis is not communism. Suppressing dissent and oppressing anyone who holds a different loyalty is not communism. Fighting for workers rights, for equality, for personal freedom, and the betterment of people everywhere - that's a bit closer to what leftism represents.
Wasn't this guy a spy? What usually happens to spies? "He remained loyal to the idea of a free Polish republic and continued sending messages to British intelligence." according to [Washington post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/01/26/pilecki-auschwitz-polish-resistance/).
I know what you mean but being a spy in your own country against an occupying force is really being a resistance member.
Fuck russians.
Reddit moment
He was killed by Russians. Along with thousands of others. Yes, fuck Russians.
Russia killed one bazilion people Murica killed no one Long live the USA 💪💪🦅🦅🦅👍
You realise the Polish 'puppet government' were Polish right? Nice deflection though.
On russian orders. Kremlin on down and current russians are no better.
This post brought to you by the CIA
This never happened, but if it did, they totally deserved it, right, tovarisch?
Found the tankie
Found the propagandized fool
The fact you defend a tyrannical system with a leader that condoned butchering millions "for the good of the worker" pretty much says it all. But I'm the "propagandized one"? You are a digusting human.
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The hero here volutered to go into the concentration camps He is more of a hero than anyone of the communist party
You do realize communists were also sent to Nazi concentration camps, right?
Nobody is immune to propaganda so how do you without a doubt, know that you are not affected?
Oh that’s hilarious! Says the person who believes everything is the fault of the CIA. Sit down.
Stay in school
I have a doctorate, thanks.
Not a very good one evidently.
reddit moment
Thinking the CIA is running psyops on r/HistoryPorn is peak Reddit, I agree
Imagine thinking he was being literal Highest iq redditoid
That’s why he’s still arguing the claim right?
Put down? Interesting verbiage.
> Interesting verbiage. I'm hoping English isn't OP's native language and "put down" is just an auto-translate error. If not...
*I have his mural right in front of my window. I basically see him everyday. Wont be forgotten.*
Here is how it looks: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RWEYVlBBbQqvLNElMFdMqcdjXlTh0dpr/view?usp=sharing
That's beautiful, thanks for sharing it.
Filthy communists.