Martial Law of December 1981. Communist Camp in the 1980s

1. Martial Law of December 1981. Communist Camp in the 1980s Meeting 14.

2. 1981, December 13 –Martial Law, general Wojciech Jaruzelski

5. 1981 13 December – gen. Jaruzelski and his clique introduce Martial Law; Jaruzelski announces that Wojskowa Rada Ocalenia Narodowego – WRON (Military Council of National Salvation) has been created and took over power in Poland in order to prevent chaos and anarchy; the decree introducing martial law forbids and public gatherings, strikes, demonstrations etc.; special regulations are introduced to stop Solidarity activity and ban all underground actions; some 150,000 soldiers and policemen take part in action; about 3500-5000 activists are detained on the night 12/13 December 16 December – pacification of strike in the “Wujek” coal mine (nine miners were killed) 16-17 December – pacification of the Gdańsk Shipyard 23 December – Ronald Reagan introduces economic sanctions against Poland 28 December – last strike in the “Piast” coal mine suppressed 29 December – Reagan introduces economic sanctions against USSR December and on – humanitarian aid from Western Europe

16. Note: In December 1981 ALL social organisations, labour unions, societies were suspended. In the following two years most of them were dissolved or declared illegal by the Military Regime.

17. 1982 6 January – Solidarity Labour Union is dissolved; Student Association dissolved 10 January – telephone connections done manually resumed 13 January – underground Solidarity Committee is formed 14 January – first edition of state daily newspaper Rzeczpospolita printed 25 January – parliament issues certain laws concerning procedures during Martial Law January – schools resume classes; phones connected, albeit controlled 30 January – Reagan proclaims „Soldiarity day with the Polish Nation” 1 February – prices go up: food at 241%; coal and energy at 171% 5 February – Great Britain introduces economic sanctions against Poland and USSR 24-25 February – first plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the PZPR after the introduction of the Martial Law (the Committee backs Jaruzelski’s action) February – some periodicals and radio resume work March – automatic telephone connections resumed 26 March – announcement that a Constitutional Tribunal will be called to life

18. 22 April – underground Solidarity called to life 1-3 May – demonstrations in all major towns 20 July – Patriotyczny Ruch Odrodzenia Narodowego (Patriotic Movement of National Avakening) called to life by authorities 31 August – demonstrations (five people killed; 200 injured) 1 September – Gomułka dies 3 September – Jacek Kuroń, Adam Michnik, Jan Lityński, Henryk Wujec – hitherto interned are sentenced to jail based on court verdict. They are accused of an attempt to overhrow the Communist system. 8 October – parliament passes new law on labour unions (Solidarity and other social and workers’ organisations declared illegal) 13 October – demonstrations in Gdańsk and Nowa Huta (one person killed) 10 November – Brezhnev dies; on 12 November Jurij Andropov becomes Secretary General of the CPSU 12 November – Lech Wałęsa freed from the place of internment 1 December – artists’ union dissolved as a consequence of a boycott of radio and TV by artists 23 December – last internment camps closed; Solidarity leaders were freed and immediately arrested 31 December – the Martial Law is suspended

19. 1983 17 February – court verdicts against the organisers of Radio “Solidarity” (7 months through 4.5 years) 22 March – gen. Kiszczak informs the parliament about 700 dissolved labour groups and 1310 printing devices confiscated 23 March– Reagan announces the “Star Wars” program (SDI) 1,3 May – demonstrations 14 May – high school student, Grzegorz Przemyk dies after being beaten up by the police 28 May – Zdzisław Najder, director of Radio Free Europe sentenced to death; earlier Romuald Spasowski and Zdzisław Rurarz, former ambassadors to USA and Japan were sentenced to death as well. 16-23 June – John Paul II visits Poland for the second time June– Conservative victory in Great Britain; Margaret Thatcher continues as prime minister 22 July – Martial Law is levied 28 July – changes in the criminal code (more repressive laws); changes in the law concerning censorship 24 August – Polish PEN Club dissolved 31 August – demonstrations 1 September– Soviet fighter planes shoot down South Korean civilian plane; 269 casualties 5 October – Lech Wałęsa awarded Nobel Peace Price (Danuta Wałęsa collects it on 11 December in Oslo)

20. 1984 26 January – new press law passed 18-21 January – J.Peres de Cuellar visits Poland; receives honoris causa degree at the Jagiellonian University 9 February – Andropov dies; 13 February – Konstantin Chernienko becomes Secretary General of the CPSU 26 April-1 May – Reagan visits PRC 1,3 May – demonstrations 21 July – amnesty 28 July-12 August – Olympic Games in Los Angeles boycotted by 17 Communist states (except Romania) 19 October – priest Jerzy Popiełuszko kidnapped and murdered 17 November – Poland pulls out of the International Work Organisation 27 November – official, party controlled labour union called to life under Alfred Miodowicz 27 November – court hearing against murderers of Popiełuszko starts

23. January 13 – Martial Law (1981) 22/23 – Uprising (1863) February 13 – Martial Law (1981) March 8 – „March Events” (1968) 13 – Martial Law (1981) 24 – Kościuszko Rising (1794) April 13 – Martial Law (1981) May 1 – Labor Day 3 – Constitution Day (1791) 13 – Martial Law (1981) June 13 – Martial Law (1981) 25 – Riots (1976) 28 – Poznań (1956) July 13 – Martial Law (1981) August 1 – Warsaw Rising (1944) 13 – Martial Law (1981) 31 – August Agreement (1980) September 1 – World War II begun (1939) 13 – Martial Law (1981) October 13 – Martial Law (1981) 16 – John Paul II (1978) 19 – the Thaw (1956) November 11 – Poland’s Independence (1918) 13 – Martial Law (1981) 29 – Uprising (1830) December 13 – Martial Law (1981) 16 – „Wujek” coal mine (1981) 17 – riots put down (1970)

24. 1985 7 February – murderers of Popiełuszko sentenced up to 15 years of jail 13 February – a group of dissidents (A. Michnik; W. Frasyniuk) arrested and sentenced for 2.5-3.5 years 1 March – prices go up 10 March – Chernienko dies; 11 March – Mikhail Gorbatchev becomes Secretary General of the CPSU 1 April – prices of energy go up 11 April – Enver Hodza dies in Albania 29 April – Constitutional Tribunal called to life 30 April – party Labour Union receive Solidarity property 1 July– prices of meat go up 27 September – Jaruzelski visits UN in New York 6 November – Jaruzelski becomes head of State Council retaining the seat of the head of the party, but vacating position of prime minister; Z. Messner becomes p.m. 19-21 November – Gorbatchev – Reagan meeting in Geneva 4 December – Jaruzelski visits France and Mitterand Number of political prisoners in Poland is estimated at 360, with about 150 political court hearings in 1985.

25. 1986 26 April – nuclear plant explosion in Chernobyl 12 June– Poland accepted into IMF 25 June – Ryszard Kulkiński sentenced to death by Military Court 29 June-3 July – Party Congress; Jaruzelski remains 1st secretary 31 June – Poland’s debt passes 31 billion dollars 17 July – partial amnesty 11 September – Kiszczak announces that all political prisoners will be released; soon later all political prisoners leave prisons and Poland becomes the first socialist state without political prisoners: some 225 persons were to be freed 17 September – all political prisoners freed from prisons, making Poland first Communist country without political prisoners 29 September – underground Solidarity reveals its first open structure 11-12 October– Gorbatchev – Reagan meeting in Reykjavik 19 December – Sacharov released from Gorki returns to work in Moscow

26. 1987 12-14 January – Jaruzelski visits Italy and meets with John Paul II 27 January– at a plenary meeting of Central Committee of the CPSU Gorbatchev calls for reform (pierestroika) and openness of public life (glasnost) 10 February– amnesty for political prisoners in USSR 19 February – US restrictions on Poland’s trade end 28 March – prices go up (food, energy, fuel) 8 May – Jaruzelski proposes the reduction of arms in 9 Central East European states, referred to as „Jaruzelski Plan” it is a visible sign of Gorbatchev’s influence 8-14 June – pope’s third pilgrimage 26-29 September – vicepresident George Bush visits Poland; reestablishing of full diplomatic relations and exchange of ambassadors 29 November – referendum about economic reform and democratisation in Poland fails 8-10 December – Gorbatchev – Reagan meeting in Washington; a treaty concerning the liquidation of short and medium range missiles signed 17 December – Gustav Husak resigns as secretary general of the CPCz.; he is replaced by M.Jakeš; Husak remains president

27. 1988 1 January – Poland stops to jam Radio Free Europe 1 February – prices go up 22 May – Janos Kadar resigns in Hungary; he is replaced by K.Grósz May/August– strikes in various parts of Poland 11-16 July – M. Gorbatchev visits Poland 15 August – September – strikes 27 August – Kiszczak announces readiness to start talks 31 August – Kiszczak meets with Wałęsa 15-16 September – talks preparing the “Round Table” 19 September – government of p.m. Zbigniew Messner resigns; M.Rakowski becomes P.M. 4 November – Margaret Thatcher visits Poland and meets with Wałęsa 8 November– George Bush elected US president 18-19 November – final talks about the future Round Table 30 November – TV debate Miodowicz-Wałęsa 9-12 Decmber – Wałęsa visits France and Mitterand 18 December – Citizens Committee by Lech Wałęsa called to life (abou 100 professionals divided into 15 committees)