2: Vasily Blokhin and the Katyn Massacre

Send a text message to the show!This week's episode is crammed with enough villains to last several lifetimes, but Vasily Blokhin gets the title spot, because he still reigns as the current Guinness World Record holder for most prolific executioner/mass murderer, with more than 7000 killings to his name. And that's only for the Katyn Massacre. As Joseph Stalin's chief executioner, Blokhin's total death count likely ranks in the tens of thousands.Learn how the early days of the Soviet Union and the dueling pressure cookers of two world wars allowed a monster like Blokhin to grow and thrive. You'll also hear how Soviet allies in the west (including the United States) helped cover up his horrific deeds for nearly half a century, and how the tragedy of nearly 25,000 murdered Polish citizens continues to fuel political unrest between Russia and Poland to this very day.RESOURCE LINKS:https://allthatsinteresting.com/vasily-blokhinhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyn_massacrehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_TerrorSupport the showCredits:Main Theme Music -- Ken DicksonMain Graphics -- Nathaniel Dickson