Edward Gierek: Visionary Leader of Communist Poland

1. Edward Gierek and his vision of Paradise. Meeting 10.

3. Edward Gierek (1913-2001) Polish miner, social worker, communist, politician. In 1926 he started working as a physical worker in France, where his family migrated. In 1931 he joins the labour union and Polish section of French Communist Party. In 1934 he organizes a strike and is expelled to Poland where he serves in the army. In 1936 he is married and migrates to Belgium, where he works as acoal miner and is active communist. During WW II he takes part in the underground. In 1948 he returns to Poland with whole family and joins first the Polish Workers’ Party and next the new Polish United Workers’ Party. Since 1952 deputy to the Parliament. Since 1956 speedy career in the Party. 1970 elevates him to the position of First Secretary.

4. 1971 • 22 January – strike in Szczecin shipyard • 6-7 February – changes in the Plenary Office of the PZPR • 15 February – meat prices are returned to pre-12th December • 6-11 December – 6th Congress of the PZPR

5. 1972 1 January – Polish – GDR border opened to free tourist movement 29 March– first time in 6 years West Germans are allowed through Berlin Wall to visit relatives 31 May-1 June – Richard Nixon visits Poland (earlier he visited Moscow and SALT 1 was signed) http://www.polishsite.us/index.php/history-and-people/modern-history/508-richard-nixon-in-poland-.html

10. 1973 • March – decision taken to build Katowice Steel Plant • 18-22 May – Leonid Brezhnev visits FRG; agreement for economic cooperation and assistance is signed • 18-25 June – Leonid Brezhnev visits USA • 25-26 June – Leonid Brezhnev visits France • 3 July – First meeting of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe takes place in Helsinki

11. 1974 13 June – 7 July – Polish football (soccer) team comes in third in the World Cup in Germany 19-22 July – spectacular manifestations celebrating 30th anniversary of People’s Republic of Poland 8-13 October– Gierek visits USA

13. http://www.newsweek.pl/galerie/obchody-22-lipca-w-prl,galeria,94216,1,1,10.htmlhttp://www.newsweek.pl/galerie/obchody-22-lipca-w-prl,galeria,94216,1,1,10.html

14. 1975 28 May – administrative reform (17 provinces changed into 49) 28-29 July – Gerald Ford visits Poland 30 July – 1 August – the “Helsinki Accords” are signed by 33 European states, Canada and the USA at the first summit meeting of the Conference of Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). The accords finalize the borders of European states and guarantee human rights. 8-12 December – 7th Congress of the PZPR

15. ALL DATA IN REFERENCE TO THE WESTERN PARTNERS, OR IN EXCHANGEABLE CURRENCIES 31 December 1970 Poland’s debt towards capitalist countries was $ 1.1 bln (6,4 bln in 2011 dollars) and was equal to 86 % of income from export 1973 Poland’s debt passes the level of income from export 1975 Poland’s annual payment (not debt) amounts to 32% of income from export 1976 Poland’s debt $ 8,4bln; short term payments account for 46% of income from export 1980 Poland’s debt $ 24,1 bln ($ 66,3 bln 2011) 1981 payments due $ 10,9 bln ($ 4,4 bln state loans; $ 3,1 bln bank loans; $ 2,6 bln interest; $ 0,8 bln current deficit); value of export $ 8,5 bln 1981 Jaruzelski announces, that Poland stops repaying its debt

21. 1976 • 10 February – changes in the Polish Constitution (friendship with USSR introduced into constitution) • 8-11 June – Gierek visits FRG • 24 June – p.m. Jaroszewicz announces rise of prices; strikes in Radom and Ursus follow; on 25 price raises are withdrawn, but severe action is taken against strikers • August – first rationing of sugar (2 kg per person per month) • 23 September – the calling to life of KOR (Committee for Workers’ Defence) – in reality KOR functions since July; in 1977 it takes the name of Komitet Samoobrony Społecznej KOR (Committee for Social Self-defence KOR)

24. KOR

25. 1977 • January – about 250 Czechoslovak intellectuals sign “Charter 77” – shows many similarities with KOR, but was never allowed to function as openly and dynamically as KOR in Poland. • February – amnesty in Poland for the majority of arrested in 1976. • 27 June – 1 July – W. Brandt visits Poland • 10-13 July – Kurt Waldheim visits Poland • 17 July– another amnesty in Poland – all political prisoners freed from arrest

26. 1978 • February/March – calling to life of first independent labour union in Katowice by Kazimierz Świtoń • April – WZZ (Wolne Związki Zawodowe) called to life at seashore (Gdańsk, Szczecin) – free labour union called to life. One of its organisers was Lech Wałęsa. • 27 June – 3 July – first Pole in outer space on a Soviet satellite • 16 October– Polish Cardinal, Karol Wojtyła elected pope in Rome

27. 1979 • Soviet Union installs rockets SS-20 • 2-10 – June – John Paul II visits Poland • 7-8 September – Gierek in France • December – NATO agrees to install “Pershing II” and “Cruise” missiles in Europe after 1983 • 27 December– Soviet Union enters Afghanistan