1981 warning strike in Poland
Encyclopedia
In the early spring of 1981, the quickly growing Solidarity movement faced one of the biggest challenges in its short history
, when during the Bydgoszcz events
, several members of Solidarity, including Jan Rulewski
, Mariusz Łabentowicz and Roman Bartoszcze
, were brutally "pacified" by the Communist security services, such as Milicja Obywatelska
and ZOMO
. The Bydgoszcz events soon became widely known across Poland, and on March 24, 1981, Solidarity decided to go on a nationwide strike in protest against the violence. The strike was planned for Tuesday, March 31, 1981. On March 25, Lech Wałęsa
met Deputy Prime Minister Mieczysław Rakowski of the Polish United Workers' Party
, but their talks were fruitless. Two days later, a four-hour national warning strike took place. It was the biggest strike in the history of the Soviet Bloc
, it has also been called the largest strike in the history of Communism
. According to several sources, between 12 million and 14 million Poles took part in it.
, millions of Poles reacted angrily to the brutal beatings of the members of Solidarity. The atmosphere in the country got even more tense, when the Communist government of the People's Republic of Poland
denied any wrongdoings, stating that the security services were simply doing their duty to restore order and the information on the beatings was described as "claims by Solidarity sources". The mass-media informed that Jan Rulewski
, one of the beaten activists, had been hurt in a car accident, not as a result of the intervention of the Communist police. Furthermore, in early spring of 1981, the Soviet Army
was carrying out huge military exercises named Soyuz 81, which were taking place in Poland. The maneouvers were regarded by many Poles as the preparation of a Soviet invasion of their country and Marshall Viktor Kulikov
, Commander-in-chief
of the Warsaw Pact
, told Polish general staff that despite political situation, the exercises would continue indefinitely. In Washington
, the situation in Poland was described as "political tension at its highest level since last November". Soviet military exercises continued until April 7.
Meanwhile, leaders of Solidarity, gathered in the meeting of National Coordinating Commission
(Krajowa Komisja Porozumiewawcza), ordered all regional offices of the organization to stay alert and be prepared for a national strike. In Bydgoszcz, a two-hour warning strike took place (March 21), and in a special communique, Solidarity announced that the Bydgoszcz events was a provocation, aimed at the government of Prime Minister Wojciech Jaruzelski
. The government responded by sending to Bydgoszcz a special commission, headed by General Jozef Zyto, Deputy Prosecutor-General, whose task was to clear out the situation and find out who was guilty of the beating of the Solidarity activists. However, its members were not interested in fulfilling their task and their inactivity was criticized by Solidarity. Opposition activists were personally insulted by the Bydgoszcz events, thinking that if the beatings could happen to Jan Rulewski
, they could happen to any of them. A statement of the Communist party
did not improve the situation, as it characterized the Bydgoszcz events as a "flagrant violation of law, which created new tensions".
Most members of Solidarity's National Coordinating Commission (NCC) were in favor of an all-national, general strike, which would completely paralyze the country until all details of the Bydgoszcz events had been explained and those guilty punished. Only few were against such action, among others, Bronisław Geremek, who said that the decision for an unlimited general strike would be a decision for a national insurrection. Finally, during the March 23, 1981 meeting in Bydgoszcz, majority of members of the National Coordinating Commission voted in favor of the moderate proposal, suggested by Lech Wałęsa
. According to this project, a four-hour national warning strike would take place on Friday, March 27, 1981, between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. Wałęsa's proposal was accepted only after a heated all-night session, during which the Solidarity leader threatened to walk out. The Polish Catholic Church
and its leader, Primate Stefan Wyszyński, did do its best to convince both sides to avoid open conflict. On March 22, during the service transmitted by the Polish Radio, Wyszyński appealed both to the government and Solidarity to "work out mutual rights and duties", he also mentioned several times the danger of a 'foreign factor'. On March 26, Wyszyński personally talked with General Jaruzelski, two days later, he met Wałęsa and other Solidarity activists.
The demands of the opposition were:
If no agreement between the government and Solidarity had been reached, the general strike was planned for Tuesday, March 31. In between, a meeting between representatives of the NCC, headed by Wałęsa, and members of the Council of Ministers' Committee for Trade Unions, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Mieczysław Rakowski took place in Warsaw, but it ended without agreement. During this meeting, a Solidarity activist from Szczecin
, yelled at Rakowski: "What if your wife cheats on you once, twice, three times? Will you trust her? And we do not trust you any longer".
, who was in Poland at that time, wrote that Solidarity's mobilisation of its members was swift and effective, making it "the most impressive democratic mass mobilization of any modern European society in peacetime, against its rulers' wishes". In his opinion, Poland looked like a country going to war, with national red and white flags everywhere, and the women making red and white armbands for men who were to guard the occupied factories. The National Strike Committee was established in Gdańsk
, in the cradle of Solidarity — the Lenin Shipyard
. Its members were Lech Wałęsa, Andrzej Gwiazda
, Zbigniew Bujak
, Andrzej Cierniewski, Lech Dymarski, Krzysztof Gotowski, Marian Jurczyk
, Ryszard Kalinowski, Antoni Kopczewski, Bogdan Lis
and Andrzej Słowik.
Soon came three Solidarity's instructions to the workers:
Apart from the National Strike Committee, several Interfactory Founding Committees (MKZ) were created in major cities. For security reasons, these offices were moved to large factories for the time of the strike, no matter how long it was planned to be. Therefore:
The preparations of strike reflected an unprecedented level of planning, and in effect, Poland became dotted with worker fortresses, patrolled by round-the-clock guards and the strike itself is until today regarded as the biggest organizational success of Solidarity, with virtually all working people of Poland participating in it. Historians from the Institute of National Remembrance
claim that in late March 1981, Solidarity was at the "peak of its popularity", and this fact was reflected on Friday, March 27, 1981. The strike itself took place "in an atmosphere of calm, order, and dignity.".
Even though virtually all Polish workers took part in it, basic services and crucial industrial plants, such as steelworks and armament factories, were operating without breaks. Nevertheless, Solidarity announced that these plants would go on strike as well, in case of armed intervention. Almost all schools, universities and colleges joined the strike, as well as public TV (back then, there were no private TV stations in Poland). Television screens in Poland showed during the four hours of protest the words "Solidarity-Strike" and the whole country was brought to a halt. Those who had to keep working, like employees of hospitals, put on white-red armbands, to express their solidarity.
, especially when it turned out that members of the party had universally participated in it. (At that time, Solidarity had some 9 million members, but 12–-14 million people took part in the strike.) Meanwhile, Lech Wałęsa's advisors, such as Tadeusz Mazowiecki
, Bronisław Geremek and representatives of the Catholic Church, told the leader of Solidarity that the general strike, planned for March 30, would mean civil war and the risk was too high. Diplomats from Western countries were also aware of the tense situation in Poland; therefore, military attaches from the United Kingdom
, the United States
and West Germany
were ordered not to leave Poland. In case of a Soviet invasion of Poland, the Americans were planning a military blockade of Cuba.
On March 28, 1981, Lech Wałęsa, together with a delegation of Solidarity, met Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. The Primate appealed to them to act with moderation. Two days later, the government of Poland reached the so-called Warsaw Agreement with Solidarity. The Communists conceded to demands regarding police brutality, but the agreement to legalize Rural Solidarity was postponed, as well as further steps on the issue of political prisoners. The government acknowledged its mishandling of the Bydgoszcz events, and in return, Lech Wałęsa agreed to postpone the general strike.
History of Solidarity
The history of Solidarity , a Polish non-governmental trade union, begins in August 1980, at the Lenin Shipyards at its founding by Lech Wałęsa and others. In the early 1980s, it became the first independent labor union in a Soviet-bloc country...
, when during the Bydgoszcz events
Bydgoszcz events
Bydgoszcz events refers to a turning point in the early history of the Solidarity movement. Following the registration of the Solidarity by the communist authorities of Poland in 1980, the farmers were also pushing for creation of a separate trade union, independent from the official system of power...
, several members of Solidarity, including Jan Rulewski
Jan Rulewski
Jan Rulewski is a Polish politician, activist of Solidarity; a Member of the Polish Sejm and a Senator .He was in charge of the Bydgoszcz region of Solidarity...
, Mariusz Łabentowicz and Roman Bartoszcze
Roman Bartoszcze
Roman Bartoszcze is a former Polish agrarian politician from Polish People's Party .From 1969 to 1980 he was a member of Polish United Workers' Party satellite United People's Party . In 1980 he broke with ZSL and joined oppositional Peaseant Solidarity, which was merged into Solidarity movement...
, were brutally "pacified" by the Communist security services, such as Milicja Obywatelska
Milicja Obywatelska
Milicja Obywatelska was a state police institution in the People's Republic of Poland. It was created in 1944 by Soviet-sponsored PKWN, effectively replacing the pre-war police force. In 1990 it was transformed back into Policja....
and ZOMO
ZOMO
Zmotoryzowane Odwody Milicji Obywatelskiej , were paramilitary-police formations during the Communist Era, in the People's Republic of Poland...
. The Bydgoszcz events soon became widely known across Poland, and on March 24, 1981, Solidarity decided to go on a nationwide strike in protest against the violence. The strike was planned for Tuesday, March 31, 1981. On March 25, 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...
met Deputy Prime Minister Mieczysław Rakowski of the Polish United Workers' Party
Polish United Workers' Party
The Polish United Workers' Party was the Communist party which governed the People's Republic of Poland from 1948 to 1989. Ideologically it was based on the theories of Marxism-Leninism.- The Party's Program and Goals :...
, but their talks were fruitless. Two days later, a four-hour national warning strike took place. It was the biggest strike in the history of the Soviet Bloc
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...
, it has also been called the largest strike in the history of Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. According to several sources, between 12 million and 14 million Poles took part in it.
Background
After the Bydgoszcz eventsBydgoszcz events
Bydgoszcz events refers to a turning point in the early history of the Solidarity movement. Following the registration of the Solidarity by the communist authorities of Poland in 1980, the farmers were also pushing for creation of a separate trade union, independent from the official system of power...
, millions of Poles reacted angrily to the brutal beatings of the members of Solidarity. The atmosphere in the country got even more tense, when the Communist government of 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...
denied any wrongdoings, stating that the security services were simply doing their duty to restore order and the information on the beatings was described as "claims by Solidarity sources". The mass-media informed that Jan Rulewski
Jan Rulewski
Jan Rulewski is a Polish politician, activist of Solidarity; a Member of the Polish Sejm and a Senator .He was in charge of the Bydgoszcz region of Solidarity...
, one of the beaten activists, had been hurt in a car accident, not as a result of the intervention of the Communist police. Furthermore, in early spring of 1981, the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
was carrying out huge military exercises named Soyuz 81, which were taking place in Poland. The maneouvers were regarded by many Poles as the preparation of a Soviet invasion of their country and Marshall 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...
, Commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the 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...
, told Polish general staff that despite political situation, the exercises would continue indefinitely. In Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the situation in Poland was described as "political tension at its highest level since last November". Soviet military exercises continued until April 7.
Meanwhile, leaders of Solidarity, gathered in the meeting of National Coordinating Commission
National Coordinating Commission
National Coordinating Commission , later called the National Commission was the executive branch of the Solidarity trade union...
(Krajowa Komisja Porozumiewawcza), ordered all regional offices of the organization to stay alert and be prepared for a national strike. In Bydgoszcz, a two-hour warning strike took place (March 21), and in a special communique, Solidarity announced that the Bydgoszcz events was a provocation, aimed at the government of Prime Minister 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...
. The government responded by sending to Bydgoszcz a special commission, headed by General Jozef Zyto, Deputy Prosecutor-General, whose task was to clear out the situation and find out who was guilty of the beating of the Solidarity activists. However, its members were not interested in fulfilling their task and their inactivity was criticized by Solidarity. Opposition activists were personally insulted by the Bydgoszcz events, thinking that if the beatings could happen to Jan Rulewski
Jan Rulewski
Jan Rulewski is a Polish politician, activist of Solidarity; a Member of the Polish Sejm and a Senator .He was in charge of the Bydgoszcz region of Solidarity...
, they could happen to any of them. A statement of the Communist party
Polish United Workers' Party
The Polish United Workers' Party was the Communist party which governed the People's Republic of Poland from 1948 to 1989. Ideologically it was based on the theories of Marxism-Leninism.- The Party's Program and Goals :...
did not improve the situation, as it characterized the Bydgoszcz events as a "flagrant violation of law, which created new tensions".
Most members of Solidarity's National Coordinating Commission (NCC) were in favor of an all-national, general strike, which would completely paralyze the country until all details of the Bydgoszcz events had been explained and those guilty punished. Only few were against such action, among others, Bronisław Geremek, who said that the decision for an unlimited general strike would be a decision for a national insurrection. Finally, during the March 23, 1981 meeting in Bydgoszcz, majority of members of the National Coordinating Commission voted in favor of the moderate proposal, suggested by 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...
. According to this project, a four-hour national warning strike would take place on Friday, March 27, 1981, between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. Wałęsa's proposal was accepted only after a heated all-night session, during which the Solidarity leader threatened to walk out. The Polish Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and its leader, Primate Stefan Wyszyński, did do its best to convince both sides to avoid open conflict. On March 22, during the service transmitted by the Polish Radio, Wyszyński appealed both to the government and Solidarity to "work out mutual rights and duties", he also mentioned several times the danger of a 'foreign factor'. On March 26, Wyszyński personally talked with General Jaruzelski, two days later, he met Wałęsa and other Solidarity activists.
The demands of the opposition were:
- The immediate punishment or suspension of officials considered responsible for the Bydgoszcz incident;
- Permission for the peasants to form their own union: Rural SolidarityRural SolidarityRural Solidarity is a trade union of Polish farmers, established in late 1980 as part of the growing Solidarity movement...
; - Security for union members and activists in their activities and the unions' right of reply to any criticism of their work (this right is to be exercised through the media);
- Annulment of a government directive giving only half pay to strikers;
- The closure of all pending cases against people arrested for political opposition to government policies between 1976 and 1980, "even if in the light of existing laws their activities constituted offenses."
If no agreement between the government and Solidarity had been reached, the general strike was planned for Tuesday, March 31. In between, a meeting between representatives of the NCC, headed by Wałęsa, and members of the Council of Ministers' Committee for Trade Unions, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Mieczysław Rakowski took place in Warsaw, but it ended without agreement. During this meeting, a Solidarity activist from Szczecin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
, yelled at Rakowski: "What if your wife cheats on you once, twice, three times? Will you trust her? And we do not trust you any longer".
The strike
Timothy Garton AshTimothy Garton Ash
Timothy Garton Ash is a British historian, author and commentator. He is currently serving as Professor of European Studies at Oxford University. Much of his work has been concerned with the late modern and contemporary history of Central and Eastern Europe...
, who was in Poland at that time, wrote that Solidarity's mobilisation of its members was swift and effective, making it "the most impressive democratic mass mobilization of any modern European society in peacetime, against its rulers' wishes". In his opinion, Poland looked like a country going to war, with national red and white flags everywhere, and the women making red and white armbands for men who were to guard the occupied factories. The National Strike Committee was established in Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, in the cradle of Solidarity — the Lenin Shipyard
Gdansk Shipyard
Gdańsk Shipyard is a large Polish shipyard, located in the city of Gdańsk. The yard gained international fame when Solidarity was founded there in September 1980...
. Its members were Lech Wałęsa, Andrzej Gwiazda
Andrzej Gwiazda
Andrzej Gwiazda in Gdańsk engineer and prominent opposition leader, who participated in Polish March 1968 Events and December 1970 Events; one of the founders of Free Trade Unions, Member of the Presiding Committee of the Strike at Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk in August 1980, Vice President of the...
, Zbigniew Bujak
Zbigniew Bujak
Zbigniew Bujak was an electrician and foreman in 1980 at the Ursus tractor factory near Warsaw, Poland. He became engaged with trade union activists, and during the strike action, he organized strike committees at the Ursus factory...
, Andrzej Cierniewski, Lech Dymarski, Krzysztof Gotowski, Marian Jurczyk
Marian Jurczyk
Marian Jurczyk is a Polish politician and Solidarity trade union activist.He was a Senator in the Polish Senate from 1997 to 2000, and Mayor of Szczecin from 18 November 1998 to 24 January 2000...
, Ryszard Kalinowski, Antoni Kopczewski, Bogdan Lis
Bogdan Lis
Bogdan Lis is a Polish politician, known for his involvement with the anti-communist Solidarity social movement.Born in Gdańsk in 1952, he worked in Port of Gdańsk and Elmor company. Between 1971 and 1972 he was imprisoned for his participation in the anti-governmental coastal cities protests...
and Andrzej Słowik.
Soon came three Solidarity's instructions to the workers:
- In case of a General Strike. It specified a countrywide occupation-strike, where worker guards would be on a 24-hour watch, forbidding possession or consumption of any alcoholic beverages;
- In case of a State of Emergency. It specified steps to be taken in case of militarization of factories, urging the formations of shadow strike committees;
- In case of a Foreign Intervention. It suggested possible means of passive resistance to foreign troops in case of an invasion.
Apart from the National Strike Committee, several Interfactory Founding Committees (MKZ) were created in major cities. For security reasons, these offices were moved to large factories for the time of the strike, no matter how long it was planned to be. Therefore:
- Białystok Committee was placed in the Factory of Instruments and Handles in Białystok,
- KatowiceKatowiceKatowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
Committee was placed in the Baildon Steelworks in Katowice, - KrakówKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
Committee was placed in the Vladimir LeninVladimir LeninVladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
Steel Works in Nowa HutaNowa HutaNowa Huta - is the easternmost district of Kraków, Poland, . With more than 200,000 inhabitants it is one of the most populous areas of the city.- History :...
, - Łódź Committee was placed in the Julian MarchlewskiJulian MarchlewskiJulian Baltazar Marchlewski was a Polish communist. He was also known under the aliases Karski and Kujawiak....
Cotton Plant in Łódź, - LublinLublinLublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
Committee was placed in the Automotive FactoryFabryka Samochodów CiezarowychFSC is a large automotive factory established in Poland while it was part of the Soviet bloc. It was founded in 1950 and the first vehicle left its assembly line on November 7, 1951...
in Lublin, - OpoleOpoleOpole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 125,992 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County...
Committee was placed in the Frotex Factory in PrudnikPrudnikPrudnik is a town in Poland, located in the southern part of Opole Voivodeship. Its population numbers 26,400 inhabitants . It is the capital of Prudnik County.- Education :* * * II Liceum Ogólnokształcące w Prudniku...
, - PoznańPoznanPoznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
Committee was placed in the Cegielski FactoryH. Cegielski - Poznan S.A.H. Cegielski - Poznań S.A. is a well-known Polish manufacturing company from the city of Poznań. The company is locally known as Ceglorz, and since 1923 has also used the HCP symbol.-History:...
in Poznań, - PrzemyślPrzemyslPrzemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
Committee was placed in the Plywood Factory in Przemyśl, - RzeszówRzeszówRzeszów is a city in southeastern Poland with a population of 179,455 in 2010. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River, in the heartland of the Sandomierska Valley...
Committee was placed in the Communications Equipment Factory in Rzeszów, - SandomierzSandomierzSandomierz is a city in south-eastern Poland with 25,714 inhabitants . Situated in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship , previously in Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship . It is the capital of Sandomierz County . Sandomierz is known for its Old Town, a major tourist attraction...
Land Committee was placed in the Steel Works in Stalowa WolaStalowa WolaStalowa Wola is the largest city and capital of Stalowa Wola County with a population of 64,353 inhabitants, as of June 2008. It is located in southeastern Poland in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship...
, - SzczecinSzczecinSzczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
Committee was placed in the Szczecin ShipyardSzczecin ShipyardSzczecin Shipyard or New Szczecin Shipyard was a shipyard in northwestern city of Szczecin, Poland. Formerly known as Stocznia Szczecińska Porta Holding S.A. or Stocznia im. Adolfa Warskiego. The shipyard specialized in the construction of container ships, chemicals transport ships, multi-purpose...
, - WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
Committee was placed in the Ursus Factory in Warsaw, - Wrocław Committee was placed in the joined factories of PafawagPafawagPafawag is a Polish locomotive manufacturer based in Wrocław. The company became part of Adtranz in 1997 as Adtranz Pafawag, and in 2001 part of Bombardier Transportation...
and Dolmel in Wrocław.
The preparations of strike reflected an unprecedented level of planning, and in effect, Poland became dotted with worker fortresses, patrolled by round-the-clock guards and the strike itself is until today regarded as the biggest organizational success of Solidarity, with virtually all working people of Poland participating in it. Historians from the Institute of National Remembrance
Institute of National Remembrance
Institute of National Remembrance — Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation is a Polish government-affiliated research institute with lustration prerogatives and prosecution powers founded by specific legislation. It specialises in the legal and historical sciences and...
claim that in late March 1981, Solidarity was at the "peak of its popularity", and this fact was reflected on Friday, March 27, 1981. The strike itself took place "in an atmosphere of calm, order, and dignity.".
Even though virtually all Polish workers took part in it, basic services and crucial industrial plants, such as steelworks and armament factories, were operating without breaks. Nevertheless, Solidarity announced that these plants would go on strike as well, in case of armed intervention. Almost all schools, universities and colleges joined the strike, as well as public TV (back then, there were no private TV stations in Poland). Television screens in Poland showed during the four hours of protest the words "Solidarity-Strike" and the whole country was brought to a halt. Those who had to keep working, like employees of hospitals, put on white-red armbands, to express their solidarity.
Aftermath
After four hours, at midday, the sirens across the country sounded and Poland went back to work. The magnitude of the strike shocked the leadership of the Polish Communist partyPolish United Workers' Party
The Polish United Workers' Party was the Communist party which governed the People's Republic of Poland from 1948 to 1989. Ideologically it was based on the theories of Marxism-Leninism.- The Party's Program and Goals :...
, especially when it turned out that members of the party had universally participated in it. (At that time, Solidarity had some 9 million members, but 12–-14 million people took part in the strike.) Meanwhile, Lech Wałęsa's advisors, such as Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Tadeusz Mazowiecki is a Polish author, journalist, philanthropist and Christian-democratic politician, formerly one of the leaders of the Solidarity movement, and the first non-communist prime minister in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.-Biography:Mazowiecki comes from a Polish...
, Bronisław Geremek and representatives of the Catholic Church, told the leader of Solidarity that the general strike, planned for March 30, would mean civil war and the risk was too high. Diplomats from Western countries were also aware of the tense situation in Poland; therefore, military attaches from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
were ordered not to leave Poland. In case of a Soviet invasion of Poland, the Americans were planning a military blockade of Cuba.
On March 28, 1981, Lech Wałęsa, together with a delegation of Solidarity, met Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. The Primate appealed to them to act with moderation. Two days later, the government of Poland reached the so-called Warsaw Agreement with Solidarity. The Communists conceded to demands regarding police brutality, but the agreement to legalize Rural Solidarity was postponed, as well as further steps on the issue of political prisoners. The government acknowledged its mishandling of the Bydgoszcz events, and in return, Lech Wałęsa agreed to postpone the general strike.
