Polish Martial Law: The Crisis of Communism

In the summer of 1980, Polish workers revolted against Communist corruption and Polands failed economic system. In a wave of solidarity unprecedented in a Communist state, citizens challenged the governments authority as the legitimate decision making body. Striking workers throughout the country created the Solidarity Union. They demanded personal freedom, legalization of Solidarity, and an input into the government. Polish Communist leaders faced the choice of either executing the wishes of their citizens or preserving its Marxist-Leninist ideology. With the aid and coercion of the Soviet Union, as well as other fraternal states, the government secretly planned military action against its citizens. Within 18 months of the beginning of strikes and several changes in Polish leadership, General Wojciech Jaruzelski imposed Martial Law, which forced an end to the strikes, imprisoned Solidaritys leaders, and restored the status quo. This thesis examines three questions with respect to the reasons for imposing martial law that are disputed today. First, did General Jaruzelski, along with the Communist Party, use the military to bring order to a state that was nearing an economic catastrophe, and thus brought economic reform, saving people from chaos and starvation Second, did martial law protect Poland against a threat of foreign invasion from the Warsaw Pact states, especially the Soviet Union Third, was the imposition of martial law simply a means to remove potential political opposition to the Party and its aspirations to lead the nation indefinitely Was martial law the result of securitizing a non-existent threat to gain special powers that gave the authorities extra-constitutional and illegal means to secure power and deny development of political opposition to the Marxist-Leninist government