Martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland | |||||||
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Part of the | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Supported by: Soviet Union (Intelligence support and military equipment) |
Supported by: Polish government-in-exileUnited States (Financial support) United Kingdom (Financial support) | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Lech Wałęsa | |||||||
Strength | |||||||
Initial strength:[1]
| 23,000 members of Solidarity, protesters, governmental defectors and other unprivileged belligerents armed mostly with small arms | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
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Martial law in Poland (Polish: Stan wojenny w Polsce) existed between 13 December 1981 and 22 July 1983. The government of the Polish People's Republic drastically restricted everyday life by introducing martial law and a military junta in an attempt to counter political opposition, in particular the Solidarity movement.
Since the late 1970s, communist Poland had been in a deep
On 13 December 1981, Jaruzelski announced the introduction of martial law in a televised speech, following the vote of the
Some protests appeared in response to the introduction of martial law. On 16 December, the ZOMO squads
Prelude
Reforms of Edward Gierek (1970–1975)
When
Gierek maintained close ties with the
Crisis; debt, rationing and shortages (1976–1981)
As expenditures increased and debts accumulated, foreign creditors refrained from granting Poland loans. Moreover, the
In 1976, the communist government introduced
At the same time, the newly-founded Solidarity movement encouraged farmers to refrain from selling agricultural products (wheat, grain, fruit and others) to the state as a sign of protest. The actual shortage of goods on the market and in stores was caused by the fact that production was occasionally halted due to the strikes organized by Solidarity.[27] In 1980, the national income fell by 6% compared to previous year, and in 1981 by 12%.[28] The number of exports declined by 4.2%. Mismanagement and wastefulness were abundant.[29]
On 6 September 1980, Gierek was dismissed from his office, expelled from the Polish United Workers' Party (possibly under the pressure from the Soviet Union) and falsely charged with corruption.[30][31] A year later, on 10 September 1981, the Soviet authorities informed the Polish government that in connection with the prevailing situation in Poland the USSR would cut oil supply to Poland by 64% and gas by 47%.[32] The import of diesel from the Soviet Union was terminated immediately.[32] This action was intended to force the Polish communist authorities to suppress the demonstrations and dissolve Solidarity.[33] The situation was already dire and gradually worsened, which only fueled anti-communist sentiment. A civil war was hanging by a thread.[34]
In 1981, Poland notified
Introduction, restrictions, patrols
Secret preparations and provocation
After the short tenure of
On 5 December 1980, Kania spoke of the preparations relating to martial law at the
Zbigniew Brzezinski, chief security advisor to US president Jimmy Carter, stated that if the Soviet Union would undertake an armed intervention in Poland, the US would strike back in a riposte manner.[42] According to historian and publicist Paul Kengor, then-US president Ronald Reagan considered sending American troops to Poland to scare off the Soviets.[43] This claim was not supported by Brzezinski nor by Richard Pipes from Harvard University.[43] Kengor then elaborated that Reagan eventually abandoned the plan after he was convinced by his own advisors that the US army stationed across Europe was less capable and much weaker than the Soviet forces.[43] The United States eventually struck back with economic sanctions against Poland and the USSR.[42]
In February 1981, the
In July, the Soviets increased their military presence in the military base at Borne Sulinowo, where the Red Army stationed per Warsaw Pact agreement as in all other Eastern Bloc countries.[48] Without notifying the Polish authorities, the Soviets unexpectedly sent over 600 tanks to Borne Sulinowo. A month later, commander-in-chief of the Warsaw Pact, Viktor Kulikov, requested that Soviet military advisors be placed in the Polish General Staff and assigned to nearly all Polish regiments. It is suspected that Kulikov, acting on behalf of the Soviet Union, was tasked with sending undercover KGB agents to monitor the situation in Poland from the Polish military's perspective. His request, however, was immediately denied by the Polish government.[48]
Over 25,000 posters announcing martial law were secretly printed in the Soviet Union, transported to Poland by airplane and hidden in the large building housing the Ministry of Internal Affairs.[49] The full extent of the actions undertaken by Jaruzelski to instigate martial law was not known by even some of the highest notables in the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party or the Polish Sejm.[50]
12–13 December 1981; Operations Fir and Azalea
On 12 December 1981, shortly before
At precisely 00:00 (12:00 a.m.), the
Preceding Jodła was "Akcja Azalia" (English: Operation Azalea), which began at around 22:30 (10:30 p.m.) on 12 December.[54][55] Per Azalea, the SB secret services, paramilitary troops, the Militia, ZOMO and Border Protection Troops stormed 451 telecommunications exchange facilities and cut telephone lines to allegedly prevent the spread of misinformation.[55] However, the operation's true purpose was preventing Solidarity from contacting its branches in other cities to mobilize protesters. Radio and television stations were also besieged.[54] Any volunteers wishing to assist in the arrests were drafted into ORMO.
The Polish Radio informed about martial law being imposed at a 06:00 (6:00 a.m.) audition, and transmitted the speech made by General Jaruzelski.[56] Telewizja Polska network and its chief news program Dziennik (English: Journal) aired the speech in a slightly modified version.[57] The declaration was watched by millions of Polish citizens despite the early hour.
16 December 1981; Wujek Coal Mine
Three days after restrictions were imposed, miners at the Wujek Coal Mine in the industrial city of Katowice began striking against the declaration of martial law by General Jaruzelski.[58] Most of the miners and workers at Wujek were allied with the Solidarity Movement, with its leaders boycotting the state industries. Furthermore, coal was a precious fuel source that was used for generating electricity and heat, but also a major export material.[59] By selling and exporting coal, the communist government obtained enough money to gradually pay off the outstanding debt.[59] However, as Solidarity boycotted the mines in Silesia and demonstrations became more frequent, the production level dropped considerably along with revenue.
Jaruzelski perceived this as a threat to both state security and the economy. The forces used in the thrust consisted of eight ZOMO squads supported by ORMO, seven water cannons, three regiments with infantry combat vehicles and one tank regiment.[60] It was decided that the situation was far too serious for adopting the principles of morality to appropriately deal with the miners. Instead, the well-equipped ZOMO and army troops fired at the protesters with a "shoot to kill" technique.[60] 21 were wounded, 8 were killed on the spot and 1 died in hospital, with the youngest victim being only 19 years old.[61] The remaining crowd was violently dispersed. The miners repeatedly fought back with their work tools and, in retaliation, wounded dozens of soldiers and militiamen.[62] It was one of the deadliest single incidents during the martial law period.[63]
Gdańsk, Kraków, Lubin and continuing protests
On the same day as Wujek was pacified, a 30,000-strong
On the night of 29–30 April 1982, local miners in Wodzisław Śląski planted a bomb and blew up a monument dedicated to Soviet soldiers who took control of Poland from the Nazis in 1945.[68] It was the only incident involving explosives and the caught perpetrators became subsequently known as "Bombers from Silesia" (Polish: "Bombowcy ze Śląska").[68] The operation was a success as the monument was never reconstructed, though the bombers were sentenced and jailed soon after. Other suspects and hundreds of other miners across Silesia were sacked and removed from their job posts, which further weakened the economy.
In May 1982, the protests convened by Solidarity were receiving less attention and the struggle against the government was evidently weakening. However, by August, the social unrest again surged. On 31 August 1982, demonstrations took place in around 66[69] towns and cities, with at least 18 in the southwestern province of Lower Silesia. In Wrocław, one of the main centers of Fighting Solidarity, several thousand people for many hours clashed with ZOMO units.[70] One demonstrator was killed by a bullet.
The copper-mining town of
To avoid further escalation, on 14 November, Lech Wałęsa was released from custody in a detention camp. Following his release, no major demonstration took place.[76]
Law, rules and censorship
From the very beginning in December 1981, a
The government imposed a six-day workweek while the mass media, public services, healthcare services, power stations, coal mines, seaports, railway stations, and most key factories were placed under military management, with employees having to follow military orders or face a
Synopsis
During the initial imposition of martial law, several dozen people were killed. Official reports during the crackdown claimed about a dozen fatalities, while a
At the invitation of Jaruzelski, a delegation of the ruling
-
Jaruzelski in a TV studio announcing the introduction of martial law
-
The proclamation of martial law by the State Council
-
Units of theZOMOrace to disperse crowds of protesters
Economic impact
Even after martial law was lifted, a number of restrictions remained in place for several years that drastically reduced the
As a consequence of the economic hardships and political repressions, an exodus of Poles saw 700,000 migrate to the West between 1981 and 1989.[86] A number of international flights were even hijacked in attempts to flee the country and its economic problems. Between December 1980 and October 1983, 11 Polish flights were hijacked to Berlin Tempelhof Airport alone.[87]
Around the same time, a group calling themselves the "Polish Revolutionary Home Army" seized the Polish Embassy in Bern, Switzerland on 6 September 1982, taking several diplomats as hostages. However, this turned out to be an apparent provocation by the communist Polish secret services aiming to discredit the Solidarity movement.[88]
International response
After the "Wujek" Coal Mine incident in Katowice on 23 December 1981, the
January 30, 1982, the first anniversary of the introduction of martial law in Poland, was declared by the
The
Pope
Aftermath
Ruling of unconstitutionality
After the
Soviet intervention debate
The instigators of the martial law, such as
In 2009, archive documents hinted that in a conversation Jaruzelski had with Viktor Kulikov, a Soviet military leader, Jaruzelski himself begged for Soviet intervention as his domestic control was deteriorating.[96][97] Jaruzelski responded by claiming the document was 'just another falsification' and denied all charges.[98]
Declaration script
Led by
Appearing on Polish television at 6:00 a.m. on 13 December 1981, General Jaruzelski said:[99]
Today I address myself to you as a soldier and as the head of the Polish government. I address you concerning extraordinarily important questions. Our homeland is at the edge of an abyss. The achievements of many generations and the Polish home that has been built up from the dust are about to turn into ruins. State structures are ceasing to function. Each day delivers new blows to the waning economy./.../
The atmosphere of conflicts, misunderstanding, hatred causes moral degradation, surpasses the limits of toleration. Strikes, the readiness to strike, actions of protest have become a norm of life. Even school youth are being drawn into this. Yesterday evening, many public buildings remained seized. The cries are voiced to physical reprisals with the 'reds', with people who have different opinions.
The cases of terror, threats and moral vendetta, of even direct violence are on the rise. A wave of impudent crimes, robberies and burglaries is running across the country. The underground business sharks' fortunes, already reaching millions, are growing. Chaos and demoralization have reached the magnitude of a catastrophe. People have reached the limit of psychological toleration. Many people are struck by despair. Not only days, but hours as well are bringing forth the all-national disaster./.../
Citizens!
The load of responsibility that falls on me on this dramatic moment in the Polish history is huge. It is my duty to take this responsibility – concerning the future of Poland, that my generation fought for on all the fronts of the war and for which they sacrificed the best years of their life. I declare, that today the Military Council of National Salvation has been formed. In accordance with the Constitution, the State Council has imposed martial law all over the country. I wish that everyone understood the motives of our actions. A military coup, military dictatorship is not our goal./.../
In longer perspective, none of Poland's problems can be solved with the use of violence. The Military Council of National Salvation does not replace constitutional organs of power. Its only purpose is to keep the legal balance of the country, to create guarantees that give a chance to restore order and discipline. This is the ultimate way to bring the country out of the crisis, to save the country from collapse./.../
I appeal to all the citizens. A time of heavy trials has arrived. And we have to stand those in order to prove that we are worthy of Poland.
Before all the Polish people and the whole world I would like to repeat the immortal words:
See also
- Cold War
- Able Archer 83
- Fighting Solidarity
- Pacification of Wujek
- Telephone tapping in the Eastern Bloc
- Soviet reaction to the Polish Crisis of 1980–1981
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Further reading
- Leopold Labedz, Poland Under Jaruzelski: A Comprehensive Sourcebook on Poland During and After Martial Law[ISBN missing]
- George Sanford, Military Rule in Poland: The Rebuilding of Communist Power, 1981–1983 [ISBN missing]