Reflections on Soviet documents relating to Polish prisoners of war taken in September 1939

The recent opening of the Soviet archives and sudden availability of thousands of documents is a major opportunity for Western scholars. It enhances the understanding of the communist regime and in many case provides some enlightenment regarding the sources of political decisions made by the Soviet leaders. After nearly 50 years of denials and fabrications, the USSR has accepted responsibility for the Katyn massacre. The Katyn death lists of Polish prisoners seized by the Soviets in September 1939 have at long last been released