Polish-Jewish Relations: 1,300 Keyword-Phrase-Indexed Book Reviews (by Jan Peczkis)

Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar, by Simon Sebag Montefiore. 2005

Crucial Jewish Complicity in the GULAGS, and in the Decision to Murder Tens of Thousands of Polish Officers at Katyn

The author, a Briton of Jewish descent, minces no words about the Zydokomuna (Judeo-Bolshevism). One of the early leaders of the Cheka was Genrikh Yagoda (Iagoda), who is thus described by Montefiore: “His great achievement, supported by Stalin, was the creation by slave labor of the vast economic empire of the Gulags.” (p. 85). For more on the magnitude of Yagoda’s role in creating the Soviet gulags, see:

https://www.jewsandpolesdatabase.org/2026/03/22/zydokomuna-created-gulags-stalin-subordinate/

In no sense was the Zydokomuna marginal. Bearing in mind that Jews constituted only 1-2% of the Soviet Union’s population, Montefiore points out, “In 1937, 5.7 per cent of the Party were Jews yet they formed a majority in the Government.” (p. 270).

The decision-making process that precipitated the Katyn Massacre (1940) is described in considerable detail. (pp. 333-334). Both Montefiore-identified Jews in Stalin’s inner circle (Lev Mekhlis and Lazar Kaganovich) supported the slaying of the Polish officers. Soviet military officials were opposed to it. Lavrenti Beria, according to his son’s unverified statements, was opposed to the massacre (Montefiore thinks probably on practical grounds: The Poles may be needed later), but had to go along.

Montefiore writes, “When Stalin was undecided about an issue, there was surprisingly frank discussion. Kulik, commander of the Polish front, proposed freeing all the Poles. Voroshilov agreed, but Mekhlis was adamant there were Enemies among them.” (p. 333).