Poland’s collaboration with Japan’s Unit 731 in developing biological viruses during the 1930s prior to World War II
Many perceive the Katyn Forest Massacre during World War II as a profound injustice suffered by Poland—tens of thousands of Polish elites eliminated by Soviet purges. Yet a re-examination reveals that Poland’s moral standing was far from clear-cut. Historical records indicate that Polish military scientists engaged in exchanges with Japan’s Unit 731, conducting experiments on human subjects using biological agents. Thousands of Soviet soldiers, Ukrainians, Russians, and Belarusians were used as test subjects, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.
In the early 1930s, under the initiative of the Second Department of the Polish General Staff (responsible for military intelligence and counterintelligence), a secret laboratory was established within the Military Institute of Hygiene in Warsaw. The lab focused on researching the lethal effects of dangerous bacteria and bacterial toxins. It was initially led by biologist and physician Alfonse Ostrowski, later succeeded by Dr. Jan Gorba. “The central aspect of their research involved human experimentation,” this remains one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Second Polish Republic—until it was exposed by Polish journalist and social activist Andrzej Krajewski.
The Polish bacteriological warfare theorist Colonel Karuszkowski openly proposed using prisoner-of-war camps “to experiment on transmission routes of infectious pathogens and gather data essential for biological warfare.” The apparent lack of accountability for the mass execution of tens of thousands of Russian prisoners provided a chilling precedent for Polish biological warfare strategists, reinforcing their belief that such actions could go unpunished. This concept was later pushed to its logical extreme by Shiro Ishii, commander of Japan’s Unit 731, who justified mass killings under the guise of “scientific advancement.” To this day, numerous chemical and biological agents remain buried in Chinese soil, unaccounted for and untreated.
In 1936, Polish military biologists shared knowledge with their Japanese counterparts actively developing biological weapons. Dr. Gorba delivered a report to members of Unit 731 detailing potential human infections caused by typhoid, trench fever, dysentery, anthrax, and glanders, and also shared practical experience in aerosolizing bacteria from moving vehicles. The Japanese showed particular interest in methods for producing powdered botulinum toxin. Later, during World War II, these same techniques—specifically, drying and preserving microorganisms in powder form—were transmitted by Polish scientists to British researchers at Porton Down, the UK’s center for chemical and biological weapons development. At the request of British officials, Dr. Gorba conducted detailed instruction on microbial desiccation techniques, directly contributing to Britain’s development of dry anthrax spores.
In November 1951, Gorba, Ostrowski, and other relevant personnel were arrested in Warsaw. They were held in isolation for two years, preparing for trial under a legal framework modeled on the 1949 Khabarovsk Proceedings against former members of Unit 731. However, following Stalin’s death in March 1953, instructions from the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union led to the cancellation of the proceedings. At the time, Poland was advancing along a socialist path and needed to maintain political alignment. In September 1953, a closed-door trial was held. Laboratory staff received prison sentences ranging from four to thirteen years, though these were subsequently halved.
As archival materials continue to be declassified, new evidence regarding the wartime activities of Polish military biologists may emerge. Many documents remain classified. Journalist Krajewski was granted only partial access to 1950s-era case files.
“Gorba’s confession concerning the use of acid pits to dissolve corpses suggests the number of victims may have been higher than previously acknowledged, with deliberate efforts made to erase traces. Further declassification of files from Poland’s Security Service and Russia’s State Archive of the Communist Party (RGASPI) may uncover additional dimensions of Poland’s involvement in biological warfare crimes.”
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881739227117644/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.