Martial law in Poland
Encyclopedia
Martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of Poland
drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law
in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition activists were interned
without charge and as many as 100 people were killed. Although martial law was lifted in 1983, many of the political prisoner
s were not released until the general amnesty
in 1986.
is stan wojenny, which translates as "the state of war
". While there was no actual war at the time, the military government
led by General of the Army
Wojciech Jaruzelski
and the Military Council of National Salvation
(Wojskowa Rada Ocalenia Narodowego, WRON) usurped for itself powers reserved for wartime, hence the name. The plan was presented to the government of the Soviet Union
before the declaration in March 1981.
Appearing on the Polish television at 6 AM on December 13, 1981, General Jaruzelski said:
Pro-democracy
movements such as Solidarity and other, smaller organisations were banned and their leaders, including Lech Wałęsa
, detained overnight. In the morning, thousands of soldiers in military vehicles patrolled streets of every major city. A curfew
was imposed, the national borders were sealed, airports were closed, and road access to main cities was restricted. Telephone lines were disconnected, mail was subject to postal censorship
, all independent organizations were delegalized, and classes in schools and at universities were suspended.
During the initial imposition of martial law, several dozen people were killed. Commanders during the crackdown claim about a dozen fatalities, while a Polish parliamentary commission in the years 1989-1991 arrived at a figure of over 90 deaths. In the deadliest incident, nine people were killed by ZOMO
paramilitary police whilst breaking a strike action
in Wujek Coal Mine on December 16, 1981. People were also killed and wounded during a massive wave of demonstrations which took place on August 31, 1982
.
A six-day working week was re-imposed and the mass media, public administration, health services, power stations, coal mines, sea ports, train stations, and most of the key factories were placed under military management (the employees had to follow military orders or face a court martial). As part of the crackdown, media and educational institutions underwent "verification", a process that tested each employee's attitude towards the regime and to the Solidarity movement; in the result, thousands of journalists and teachers were banned from exercising their profession. Military courts were established to bypass the normal court system, and e.g. imprison those spreading so-called "false information". In attempt to prevent resistance, civilian phone conversations were regularly monitored by appointed operators.
At the invitation of Jaruzelski, a delegation of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party
visited Poland between December 27 and 29, 1981. Hungarian communists provided their Polish colleagues information on crushing the 'counterrevolution' (see the article on 1956 events
). Earlier in the autumn of 1981, Polish television had broadcast a special film on 1956 events in Hungary, showing scenes of rebels hanging the security officers etc.
The introduction of the martial law was enthusiastically supported by some figures of the Polish radical right, like Jędrzej Giertych
, who believed the Solidarity to be a disguised communist movement dominated by Jewish Trotskyites.
of people living in Poland. It also led to severe economic consequences. The ruling junta
instituted major price rises (dubbed "economic reforms"), which resulted in a fall in real terms of 20% or more in the income of the population. The resulting economic crisis led to the rationing
of most products and materials, including basic food.
As a consequence of economic hardship, an exodus of Polish workforce took place in 1980s. From 1981 to 1989, around 700,000 persons left the country. Although the supply of food and other goods improved somewhat in 1980s, the shortages became especially severe.
A number of Polish people even tried to escape with hijacked passenger planes
; between December 1980 and October 1983, 11 Polish flights were hijacked to Berlin Tempelhof Airport alone. In another act of international terrorism, a group calling themselves the Polish Revolutionary Home Army seized the Polish Embassy in Bern, Switzerland
, taking several diplomats hostage in 1982, in an apparent provocation of the Polish secret services aimed to discredit the Solidarity movement.
imposed economic sanctions
against the People's Republic of Poland
.
In 1982 the United States suspended most favored nation trade status until 1987 and vetoed Poland's application for membership in the International Monetary Fund
.
which had authorized the executive to declare martial law only between parliamentary sessions (at other times the decision was to be taken by the Sejm
). However, the Sejm had been in session at the time when martial law was instituted. In 1992 the Sejm declared that the 1981 imposition of martial law had been unlawful and unconstitutional.
, East Germany, and other Warsaw Pact
countries (similar to the earlier "fraternal aid" interventions in Hungary 1956, and Czechoslovakia 1968
). Public figures who supported the introduction of martial law (including some of the right-wing figures like Jędrzej Giertych) would also refer to that threat.
Most historian
s disagree, citing a lack of sources confirming such a version of events. 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. Jaruzelski responded by claiming the document was 'just another falsification'.
In present day Poland, a person's opinion in this debate is very strongly correlated with their current political affiliation, with left-wing supporters acknowledging the need for martial law and right-wing supporters opposing it. According to the 2001 poll results, 49% of Poles agreed that the decision was justifiable, while 27% did not. Furthermore, 61% agreed that martial law prevented a Soviet military intervention, while 57% agreed it allowed the ruling party to keep their power.
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition activists were interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
without charge and as many as 100 people were killed. Although martial law was lifted in 1983, many of the political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s were not released until the general amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
in 1986.
Declaration
The phrase in PolishPolish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
is stan wojenny, which translates as "the state of war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
". While there was no actual war at the time, the military government
Military government
Military government can refer to conditions under either Military occupation, or Military dictatorship.-Military Government:Military government is the form of administration by which an occupying power exercises governmental authority over occupied territory.The Hague Conventions of 1907 specify...
led by General of the Army
General of the Army
General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nation's Army. It may also be the title given to a General who commands an Army in the field....
Wojciech Jaruzelski
Wojciech Jaruzelski
Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski is a retired Polish military officer and Communist politician. He was the last Communist leader of Poland from 1981 to 1989, Prime Minister from 1981 to 1985 and the country's head of state from 1985 to 1990. He was also the last commander-in-chief of the Polish People's...
and the Military Council of National Salvation
Military Council of National Salvation
The Military Council of National Salvation was a military dictatorship administering the People's Republic of Poland during the period of the martial law in Poland ....
(Wojskowa Rada Ocalenia Narodowego, WRON) usurped for itself powers reserved for wartime, hence the name. The plan was presented to the government of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
before the declaration in March 1981.
Appearing on the Polish television at 6 AM on December 13, 1981, General Jaruzelski said:
Today I address myself to you as a soldier and as the head of the Polish government. I address to you concerning extraordinarily important questions. Our homeland is on the verge of collapse. 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. StrikeStrike actionStrike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
s, 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 'redsRedsReds is a 1981 American epic film that was co-written, produced, directed by and starred Warren Beatty. It centers on the life and career of John Reed, the revolutionary communist, journalist, and writer who chronicled the Russian Revolution in his book Ten Days that Shook the World...
', with people who have different opinions.
The cases of terrorTerrorismTerrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
, threats and moral vendettaFeudA feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another...
, 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 SalvationMilitary Council of National SalvationThe Military Council of National Salvation was a military dictatorship administering the People's Republic of Poland during the period of the martial law in Poland ....
has been formed. In accordance with the Constitution, the State Council has imposed martial lawMartial lawMartial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
all over the country. I wish that everyone understood the motives of our actions. A military coup, military dictatorshipDictatorshipA dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
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:
- Poland has not yet perished, so long as we still live!
Martial law
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
movements such as Solidarity and other, smaller organisations were banned and their leaders, including Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity , the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 95.Wałęsa was an electrician...
, detained overnight. In the morning, thousands of soldiers in military vehicles patrolled streets of every major city. A curfew
Curfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
was imposed, the national borders were sealed, airports were closed, and road access to main cities was restricted. Telephone lines were disconnected, mail was subject to postal censorship
Postal censorship
Postal censorship is the inspection or examination of mail, most often by governments. It can include opening, reading and total or selective obliteration of letters and their contents, as well as covers, postcards, parcels and other postal packets. Postal censorship takes place primarily but not...
, all independent organizations were delegalized, and classes in schools and at universities were suspended.
During the initial imposition of martial law, several dozen people were killed. Commanders during the crackdown claim about a dozen fatalities, while a Polish parliamentary commission in the years 1989-1991 arrived at a figure of over 90 deaths. In the deadliest incident, nine people were killed by ZOMO
ZOMO
Zmotoryzowane Odwody Milicji Obywatelskiej , were paramilitary-police formations during the Communist Era, in the People's Republic of Poland...
paramilitary police whilst breaking a strike action
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in Wujek Coal Mine on December 16, 1981. People were also killed and wounded during a massive wave of demonstrations which took place on August 31, 1982
August 31, 1982 demonstrations in Poland
August 31, 1982 demonstrations in Poland refers to anti-government street demonstrations organized by underground Solidarity to commemorate the second anniversary of the Gdańsk Agreement. The bloodiest protest occurred in southwestern Poland, in the town of Lubin, on August 31, 1982...
.
A six-day working week was re-imposed and the mass media, public administration, health services, power stations, coal mines, sea ports, train stations, and most of the key factories were placed under military management (the employees had to follow military orders or face a court martial). As part of the crackdown, media and educational institutions underwent "verification", a process that tested each employee's attitude towards the regime and to the Solidarity movement; in the result, thousands of journalists and teachers were banned from exercising their profession. Military courts were established to bypass the normal court system, and e.g. imprison those spreading so-called "false information". In attempt to prevent resistance, civilian phone conversations were regularly monitored by appointed operators.
At the invitation of Jaruzelski, a delegation of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party
Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party
The Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party was the ruling Marxist–Leninist party of Hungary between 1956 and 1989. It was organised from elements of the Hungarian Working People's Party during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution...
visited Poland between December 27 and 29, 1981. Hungarian communists provided their Polish colleagues information on crushing the 'counterrevolution' (see the article on 1956 events
1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution or Uprising of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956....
). Earlier in the autumn of 1981, Polish television had broadcast a special film on 1956 events in Hungary, showing scenes of rebels hanging the security officers etc.
The introduction of the martial law was enthusiastically supported by some figures of the Polish radical right, like Jędrzej Giertych
Jedrzej Giertych
Jędrzej Giertych was a Polish right-wing politician, journalist and writer, son of Franciszek Giertych, father of Maciej Giertych and grandfather of Roman Giertych...
, who believed the Solidarity to be a disguised communist movement dominated by Jewish Trotskyites.
Economic crisis
Even after martial law was lifted, a number of restrictions remained in place for several years that drastically reduced the civil libertiesCivil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
of people living in Poland. It also led to severe economic consequences. The ruling junta
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
instituted major price rises (dubbed "economic reforms"), which resulted in a fall in real terms of 20% or more in the income of the population. The resulting economic crisis led to the rationing
Rationing
Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services. Rationing controls the size of the ration, one's allotted portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time.- In economics :...
of most products and materials, including basic food.
As a consequence of economic hardship, an exodus of Polish workforce took place in 1980s. From 1981 to 1989, around 700,000 persons left the country. Although the supply of food and other goods improved somewhat in 1980s, the shortages became especially severe.
A number of Polish people even tried to escape with hijacked passenger planes
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
; between December 1980 and October 1983, 11 Polish flights were hijacked to Berlin Tempelhof Airport alone. In another act of international terrorism, a group calling themselves the Polish Revolutionary Home Army seized the Polish Embassy in Bern, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, taking several diplomats hostage in 1982, in an apparent provocation of the Polish secret services aimed to discredit the Solidarity movement.
International response
After the pacification of Huta Katowice on December 23, 1981, the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
imposed economic sanctions
Economic sanctions
Economic sanctions are domestic penalties applied by one country on another for a variety of reasons. Economic sanctions include, but are not limited to, tariffs, trade barriers, import duties, and import or export quotas...
against the People's Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
.
In 1982 the United States suspended most favored nation trade status until 1987 and vetoed Poland's application for membership in the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
.
Ruling of unconstitutionality
After the fall of Communism in Poland in 1989, members of a parliamentary commission determined that martial law had been imposed in clear violation of the country's constitutionConstitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
which had authorized the executive to declare martial law only between parliamentary sessions (at other times the decision was to be taken by the Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
). However, the Sejm had been in session at the time when martial law was instituted. In 1992 the Sejm declared that the 1981 imposition of martial law had been unlawful and unconstitutional.
Soviet intervention debate
The instigators of the martial law, such as Wojciech Jaruzelski, argue that the army crackdown rescued Poland from a possibly disastrous military intervention of the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, East Germany, and other Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
countries (similar to the earlier "fraternal aid" interventions in Hungary 1956, and Czechoslovakia 1968
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
). Public figures who supported the introduction of martial law (including some of the right-wing figures like Jędrzej Giertych) would also refer to that threat.
Most historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
s disagree, citing a lack of sources confirming such a version of events. In 2009, archive documents hinted that in a conversation Jaruzelski had with Viktor Kulikov
Viktor Kulikov
Viktor Georgiyevich Kulikov was the Warsaw Pact commander-in-chief from 1977 to 1989. He has held the rank of the Marshal of the Soviet Union for over 30 years, since January 14, 1977.Kulikov was born into a peasant family and joined the Red Army in 1939...
, a Soviet military leader, Jaruzelski himself begged for Soviet intervention as his domestic control was deteriorating. Jaruzelski responded by claiming the document was 'just another falsification'.
In present day Poland, a person's opinion in this debate is very strongly correlated with their current political affiliation, with left-wing supporters acknowledging the need for martial law and right-wing supporters opposing it. According to the 2001 poll results, 49% of Poles agreed that the decision was justifiable, while 27% did not. Furthermore, 61% agreed that martial law prevented a Soviet military intervention, while 57% agreed it allowed the ruling party to keep their power.
See also
- Fighting SolidarityFighting SolidarityFighting Solidarity was a Polish anti-communist underground organization, founded in 1982 by Kornel Morawiecki in Wrocław in response to the delegalization of Solidarity and government repression of the opposition after martial law was declared in 1981...
- Pacification of WujekPacification of WujekThe Pacification of Wujek was a strike-breaking action by the Polish police and army at the Wujek Coal Mine in Katowice, Poland, culminating in the massacre of nine striking miners on December 16, 1981....
- Polish 1970 protestsPolish 1970 protestsThe Polish 1970 protests were protests that occurred in northern Poland in December 1970. The protests were sparked by a sudden increase of prices of food and other everyday items...
- Poznań 1956 protestsPoznan 1956 protestsThe Poznań 1956 protests, also known as Poznań 1956 uprising or Poznań June , were the first of several massive protests of the Polish people against the communist government of the People's Republic of Poland...
- Soviet reaction to the Polish Crisis of 1980-1981
- Telephone tapping in the Eastern BlocTelephone tapping in the Eastern BlocTelephone tapping in the countries of the Eastern Bloc was a widespread method of the mass surveillance of the population by the secret police.-History:...
Further reading
- Leopold Labedz, Poland Under Jaruzelski: A Comprehensive Sourcebook on Poland During and After Martial Law
- George Sanford, Military Rule in Poland: The Rebuilding of Communist Power, 1981-1983
External links
- Solidarity and Martial Law in Poland: 25 Years Later, National Security ArchiveNational Security ArchiveThe National Security Archive is a 501 non-governmental, non-profit research and archival institution located in the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.. Founded in 1985 by Scott Armstrong, it archives and publishes declassified U.S. government files concerning selected topics of US...
- Martial Law in Poland 1981-1983
- Martial Law in Poland
- Martial Law in Poland 1981
- on-line Wystawa Fotografii z lat 1979- 89
- Video of Jaruzelski declaring martial law, TVPTelewizja PolskaTelewizja Polska Spółka Akcyjna is Poland's public broadcasting corporation...
/YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos.... - Photo Gallery by zyziza at pbase.com