On the night of December 12-13, 1981 martial law was imposed. Power in Poland was taken over by a military junta led by General Wojciech Jaruzelski. The goal of the communist regime was to destroy the multi-million-strong "Solidarity" movement. A military coup d'état cost the lives of at least several dozen Poles.
The establishment of NSZZ "Solidarity" was a breach of the communist system. It was considered a bloodless revolution by many Western commentators. In the Kremlin, the creation of "Solidarity" was considered a defeat for "Polish comrades", which was to be repaired by all available means. On September 3, 1980, the Soviet authorities prepared guidelines for the new leadership of the Polish United Workers' Party. It was recommended to "prepare a counterattack" aimed at "returning to lost positions in the working class." The assumption of the USSR was to destroy the "Solidarity" movement with the forces of Polish communists.
Preparations for the introduction of martial law were supervised by the commander-in-chief of the Warsaw Pact troops, Marshal of the USSR, Wiktor Kulikow, and his staff officers. From the beginning, however, work was carried out in the General Staff of the Polish Army. Already on October 22, 1980, that is before the formal registration of NSZZ "Solidarność", the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party asked the General Staff to appoint a team that would prepare plans in the event of a general strike organized by "S". On the same day, at the staff meeting, it was decided to develop the assumptions for the "introduction of martial law for the sake of state security". At the same time, a scenario of direct intervention by the Warsaw Pact states was being prepared in the Kremlin. It was to be carried out on the basis of the great "Alliance-80" maneuvers scheduled for December 1980. Ultimately, as a result of US diplomatic pressure and assurances from the PRL authorities that they would "manage on their own", Leonid Brezhnev decided to recall them.
For the purposes of martial law, various legal acts were drafted, 100,000 copies were printed in the Soviet Union. copies of the announcement on the introduction of martial law, lists of military commissioners to take control of the state administration and larger workplaces, and selected institutions and enterprises that were to be militarized.
Since mid-October, over a thousand Military Field Operational Groups have been familiarizing themselves with the area of future activities. ZOMO units underwent intensive exercises in fighting the crowd. In prisons, places have been prepared for nearly 5,000. activists of "Solidarity" and the opposition who were to be interned on the basis of lists drawn up from the beginning of 1981. An element of preparations for martial law was also changed at the top of the PRL regime. On October 18, 1981, General Wojciech Jaruzelski was elected the new First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party. Thus, he concentrated his hand's control over the government, the party, and the army. It was favored by the growing tiredness of society caused by the permanent crisis and declining support for "Solidarity". Historian prof. Andrzej Paczkowski, in his recently reissued book, "Wojna Polska-Jaruzelska", believes that "S", the opposition, and the Church were not prepared for the imposition of martial law.
At the beginning of December 1981, the leadership of "Solidarity" was aware of the sudden increase in tension, but it was hoped that a confrontation with the communist authorities would only take place after the Sejm adopted the government law "On extraordinary measures in the interest of protecting citizens and the state". Many of the S's top activists, convinced of their strength and popular support, made overly optimistic political forecasts. Jacek Kuroń believed that General Jaruzelski would withdraw his hand at the last moment "in his own way". Some, incl. Janusz Pałubicki, they thought that the militia would not come out against the workers and would perhaps go over to their side. Only a small number of activists, mainly local ones, decided to secure funds and printing machines. After December 13, they turned out to be invaluable for underground structures.
The decision to introduce martial law was approved on December 5, 1981, by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party. Jaruzelski was free to choose a specific date for the commencement of the operation from his party comrades. On the night of December 8-9, 1981, during a meeting with Marshal Kulikov, who was staying in Warsaw, General Jaruzelski informed him about the planned activities but did not give a specific date of their commencement.
The course of this meeting is known from the note of Marshal Kulikov's adjutant, General Wiktor Anoszkin. It shows that Jaruzelski asked the Soviets for military support after the imposition of martial law if public resistance was massive. “Strikes are the best option for us. The workers will remain where they are. It will be worse if they leave their workplaces and begin to devastate party committees, organize street demonstrations, etc. If this is to spread to the whole country, you will have to help us. We cannot cope alone, ”argued the leader of the People's Republic of Poland.
Marshal Kulikov replied: "If you do not have enough of your forces, you will probably have to use Shield-81 [this code name was probably hidden behind the Warsaw Pact operation plan in Poland]". And he added: "The Polish Army will probably cope with this handful of revolutionaries on its own." Jaruzelski then noted that "eg. Katowice has about 4 million inhabitants. This is Finland, and there are no troops, apart from the anti-aircraft defense division. That's why we won't be able to do it without help. " Kulikov avoided an unequivocal answer. He said that "you should use your own abilities first," and asked if he could report to his supervisor that "you have made a decision to go ahead with the plan." In response, Jaruzelski replied: "Yes, as long as you help us." Kulikov did not react to these words. On December 11, the Soviet leaders were informed about the date of the imposition of martial law.
The military coup d'état began on the evening of December 12, 1981. Even before midnight, units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, consisting of special groups, ZOMO units, anti-terrorist units, SB officers, and units of the Vistula Units began operations with the support of the army.
As part of the "Azalia" operation, the forces of the Ministry of the Interior and the Polish Armed Forces seized the facilities of Polish Radio and Television and blocked domestic and foreign connections in telecommunications centers. As part of the operation code-named Jodła, groups of militiamen and SB officers began interning Solidarity activists and leaders of the political opposition.
ZOMO branches seized the premises of the regional boards of "Solidarity", arresting the people there and securing the found communication and printing devices. Armored and mechanized units were sent to the cities, which were located at the most important communication junctions, offices, and other strategic facilities. Arrests were carried out among independent intellectuals, including the organizers and participants of the Congress of Polish Culture in Warsaw.
The main blow took place in Gdańsk, where the National Commission of NSZZ "Solidarność" met on Saturday and where many union activists and advisers stayed. About 30 members of the National Commission and several advisers were detained in Gdańsk during the night. Only a few managed to avoid arrest.
At one o'clock in the morning, members of the State Council, formally the highest authority, gathered in Belweder Palace. Most of them, however, did not know what the purpose of this night council was. After an hour and a half of deliberations, the members of the Council of State adopted the decree on the introduction of martial law and the accompanying documents, only the PAX chairman, Ryszard Reiff, voted against. All adopted documents were backdated and dated December 12, 1981. The decree on the introduction of martial law was inconsistent with the law in force at that time, because the Council of State could issue decrees only between sessions of the Seym. Meanwhile, such a session was ongoing, and the next session of the chamber was scheduled for 15 and 16 December.
Most Poles found out about the introduction of martial law only in the morning. Just after 6:00 a.m., Polish Radio broadcast the speech by Wojciech Jaruzelski for the first time. A few hours later, it was also aired on both TV programs.
Lech Wałęsa, the chairman of "Solidarity", was treated in a special way by the authors of martial law. The authorities hoped that they would be able to use it politically. At around two o'clock in the morning, the voivode of Gdańsk, Jerzy Kołodziejski, and the first secretary of the Gdańsk Voivodeship Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party, Tadeusz Fiszbach, a member of the Political Bureau, appeared in his apartment. They informed Wałęsa about the introduction of martial law, stating that he should go to Warsaw immediately for talks with representatives of the authorities. In the end, Wałęsa stated that he was agreeing to go to Warsaw under duress. The chairman of "S" rejected the cooperation proposals presented to him. He was interned and isolated from other Solidarity activists. After his stay in Chylice and Otwock, he was finally placed in the government center in Arłamów.
The few leaders of "Solidarity" who avoided detention, incl. Zbigniew Bujak, Władysław Frasyniuk, Bogdan Borusewicz, Aleksander Hall, Tadeusz Jedynak, Bogdan Lis and Eugeniusz Szumiejko began to create underground structures under extremely difficult conditions.
In total, about 5,000 people were interned in the first days of martial law. people who were held in 49 isolation centers across the country. During the martial law, the total number of internees reached 10,000, and a significant part of the national and regional Solidarity leaders, advisers, members of factory commissions of large factories, activists of the democratic opposition, and intellectuals associated with "S" were imprisoned. For propaganda purposes, several dozen people from the previous team in power were also detained, incl. Edward Gierek, Piotr Jaroszewicz and Edward Babiuch.
On the basis of the decree on martial law, basic civil rights and freedoms were suspended, ad hoc procedures were introduced in courts, strikes and demonstrations were forbidden, the police and the army could legitimize anyone and search citizens. A curfew has been introduced from 22 to 6 am, and a pass was needed for trips away from home. The correspondence was officially censored, telephones were turned off, preventing, inter alia, calling an ambulance and fire brigade. Most of the most important institutions and workplaces were militarized and were managed by over 8,000 people. military commissioners. The publishing of the press, apart from the "People's Tribune" and "Żołnierzem Wolności", was suspended. The activities of all social and cultural organizations were suspended, as well as classes in schools and universities.
The formal "architect" of martial law was the twenty-one-person Military Council for National Salvation headed by General Jaruzelski. In practice, however, it was a façade body, but without any legal basis, usurping the right to sovereignty over other authorities. The most important decisions during the martial law period were made by an informal group of military and party members known as the directorate. Apart from Jaruzelski, it was composed of: general Florian Siwicki (deputy minister of national defense), general Czesław Kiszczak (minister of internal affairs), general MO Mirosław Milewski (secretary of the Central Committee), Mieczysław F. Rakowski (deputy prime minister), Kazimierz Barcikowski (secretary of the Central Committee) ) and Stefan Olszowski (secretary of the Central Committee).
On December 14, independent occupation strikes began in many large industrial plants. Steel mills protested, including the largest in the country "Katowice" and the Lenin, most mines, ports, shipyards in the Tri-City and Szczecin, the largest factories, such as WSK in Świdnik, Dolmel and Pafawag in Wrocław, Ursus in Warsaw, and Zakłady Przemysłu Materiałowego named Marchlewski in Łódź. A total of 199 plants were struck (in 50 there were strike committees), for nearly 7,000. enterprises existing in Poland at that time. The authorities found the scale of social opposition relatively small and manageable with the available means.
Strikes were brutally pacified in dozens of plants with the help of ZOMO units and the army equipped with heavy equipment. Strikes in mines in Upper Silesia were particularly dramatic, where miners put up active resistance. On December 16, 1981, in the "Wujek" Coal Mine, during several hours of fighting, militiamen used firearms, killing nine miners. On December 23, with the support of tanks and a helicopter landing, the strike at Huta Katowice was suppressed. The protests in the mines "Ziemowit" (until December 24) and "Piast" (until December 28) lasted the longest, in which it was decided to strike underground.
By introducing martial law, the communist authorities decided not to attack the Church directly. From the very beginning, Primate Józef Glemp appealed for peace and an end to fratricidal fights, demanding at the same time the release of the internees and those arrested and a return to dialogue with Solidarity. On December 13, in a sermon delivered at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Graces in Warsaw, he appealed to avoid bloodshed: "I will call for a reason even at the cost of exposure to insults and I will ask, even if I have to walk barefoot and on my knees to beg: do not fight a Pole against a Pole".
The United States and other Western countries opposed the imposition of martial law. On December 23, 1981, US President Ronald Reagan announced economic sanctions against the People's Republic of Poland, and a few days later announced that they would also apply to the Soviet Union, which, in his opinion, was "seriously and directly responsible for the repression." In the following weeks, other Western countries joined the sanctions against Poland, although some governments considered the imposition of martial law as "the lesser evil" and avoided the risk of destabilizing the situation in the People's Republic of Poland.
On December 31, 1982, martial law was suspended, and on July 22, 1983, it was recalled while retaining part of the repressive legislation. The exact number of people who died as a result of the imposition of martial law is not known. The presented lists of victims range from several dozen to over a hundred names. The number of people who lost their health during this period as a result of persecution, beatings during investigations or street demonstrations, or as a result of the inability to call for help due to blocked telephone connections, is also unknown.
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