In the early months of 1943, the discovery of mass graves in the Katyń Forest in western Russia revealed the grim fate of thousands of Polish prisoners of war. During the invasion of Poland in 1939, Soviet forces captured thousands of Polish officers and intellectuals, primarily in the spring of 1940. Under orders from Soviet leadership, including Joseph Stalin, these individuals were executed in a bid to eliminate potential leaders and resisters against Soviet control. The unearthing of these graves, which contained the remains of over 4,000 individuals, spotlighted a dark chapter in the wartime history of Poland. The Polish government-in-exile, based in London, quickly called attention to the atrocities, citing the discovery as proof of Soviet war crimes. The revelation ignited a fervent debate over accountability for the massacre, as the Soviet government categorically denied any involvement, attributing the deaths to Nazi forces instead. This denial marked a significant downturn in diplomatic relations between Poland and the Soviet Union, as accusations and counter-accusations fueled a growing rift. The uncovering of the mass graves served not only as a critical point in Polish folklore but also as a reminder of the complicated political realities faced by the nation during the tumultuous period of World War II.