Solidarity. The Martial Law in Poland. First days

The introduction of martial law on December 12th 1981 was one of the turning points in Polish history. It was on that night when all hope for changing the economically insufficient, ideologically foreign communist political system – which disregarded Polish culture and history – was lost. After nearly sixteen months of slow liberalisation of communism in the country, the repressions towards dissidents (far more severe than during Edward Gierek’s rule), intensified censorship, party-controlled culture and science, and the omnipotence of the communist leaders made a comeback. Underground structures of Solidarity emerged as an answer to the violence spreading all around, making it impossible for the government’s Security Service to handle the situation.
This book is meant to portray the social and political moods which accompanied the introduction of martial law in Poland, as well as describe in detail the preparation procedures and analyse the course of events during this coup d’etat in December 1981. The demonstrations, protests, conspiracy and forming of Solidarity’s structures are described in a separate chapter. Finally, we touch upon the Catholic Church’s attitude towards the national situation and the legal aspects of the martial law introduction. The book’s chronology range is focused mostly on December 1981, although in some cases there was a need to present the
earlier and later events as well.

Index of Abbreviations / 9
Introduction / 13

Chapter 1
CRITICAL SITUATIONS DURING THE MONTHS LEADING TO THE INTRODUCTION OF MARTIAL LAW IN POLAND (AUGUST 1980–DECEMBER 1981) / 25
Chapter 2
DIRECT PREPARATIONS FOR THE INTRODUCTION
OF MARTIAL LAW / 59
Chapter 3
CODENAME: “SYNCHRONISATION” / 73
Chapter 4
BIG POLITICS, SMALL POLITICS / 83
Chapter 5
THE BEGINNING OF THE OPERATION / 93
Chapter 6
INTERNMENTS / 103
Chapter 7
TAKING OVER SOLIDARITY’S HEADQUARTERS AND OPERATION
“RHODODENDRON” / 141
Chapter 8
THE MIDDLE-OF-THE-NIGHT COUNCIL OF STATE MEETING / 145
Chapter 9
THE MARTIAL LAW LEGISLATION AND ITS REALISATION / 149
Chapter 10
THE LEGAL ISSUES CONCERNING THE MARTIAL LAW / 155
Chapter 11
13TH OF DECEMBER 1981, MORNING / 161
Chapter 12
PROTESTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS / 167
Chapter 13
THE CHURCH’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE MARTIAL LAW ▪ 215
Chapter 14
FOREIGN REACTIONS / 235
Chapter 15
THE BEGINNINGS OF THE UNDERGROUND SOLIDARITY / 247
Chapter 16
REPRESSION / 293
Chapter 17
THE GOVERNMENT’S PROPAGANDA / 315

CONCLUSION / 325
Bibliography / 329
Photos / 349
Index of persons / 373

Wojciech Polak