Martial Law in Poland - Martial Law

Martial Law

General Jaruzelski had ordered the Polish General Staff to update plans for martial law on a nationwide scale on October 22, 1980. After the introduction of the martial law, pro-democracy movements such as Solidarity and other, smaller organisations were banned and their leaders, including Lech Wałęsa, detained overnight. In the morning, thousands of soldiers in military vehicles patrolled streets of every major city. A curfew was imposed, the national borders were sealed, airports were closed, and road access to main cities was restricted. Telephone lines were disconnected, mail was subject to postal censorship, all independent organizations were delegalized, and classes in schools and at universities were suspended.

During the initial imposition of martial law, several dozen people were killed. Commanders during the crackdown claim about a dozen fatalities, while a Polish parliamentary commission in the years 1989-1991 arrived at a figure of over 90 deaths. In the deadliest incident, nine people were killed by ZOMO paramilitary police whilst breaking a strike action in Wujek Coal Mine on December 16, 1981. People were also killed and wounded during a massive wave of demonstrations which took place on August 31, 1982.

A six-day working week was re-imposed and the mass media, public administration, health services, power stations, coal mines, sea ports, train stations, and most of the key factories were placed under military management (the employees had to follow military orders or face a court martial). As part of the crackdown, media and educational institutions underwent "verification", a process that tested each employee's attitude towards the regime and to the Solidarity movement; in the result, thousands of journalists and teachers were banned from exercising their profession. Military courts were established to bypass the normal court system, and e.g. imprison those spreading so-called "false information". In attempt to prevent resistance, civilian phone conversations were regularly monitored by appointed operators.

At the invitation of Jaruzelski, a delegation of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party visited Poland between December 27 and 29, 1981. Hungarian communists provided their Polish colleagues information on crushing the 'counterrevolution' (see the article on 1956 events). Earlier in the autumn of 1981, Polish television had broadcast a special film on 1956 events in Hungary, showing scenes of rebels hanging the security officers etc.

The introduction of the martial law was enthusiastically supported by some figures of the Polish radical right, like Jędrzej Giertych, who believed the Solidarity to be a disguised communist movement dominated by Jewish Trotskyites.