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Yesterday Poles celebrated the 20th anniversary of the collapse of communism in their country. There were concerts, events, festivals. Also, a special golden plane flew to Brussels with an unusual crew. Golden aliensinvasion officially started the festival which is called: It all began in Poland. What exactly happened 20 years ago? Communism finished in Poland. Poles are not good at advertising their merits. That is why few people know that Polish contribution to the collapse of communism 20 years ago was crucial for Europe. Communism had lasted in Poland since 1945, the year when the WW2 finished and the country became one of satellites of the Soviet Union, against Poles will and expectations. But Poles never gave up their aspirations. They resisted communist regime and fought for freedom throughout all this time, from 1945 to 1989.
Let me present a story of how Poles defied communism during these years. I hope you will find it interesting. Poles already resisted communism when it was being introduced into the country, controlled by Stalin and his Soviet-educated puppets. Partisans stayed in the forest and attacked communist prisons where WW2 underground soldiers, great patriots, were kept and tortured by red secret police. FIlm about anticommunist forces
Soon stalinist terror suppressed all independent activity and the nation seemed subdued. But in June 1956 the workers revolt in Poznań proved that Poles never gave up dreams of freedom. We demand bread!First tank units fraternised with protesters.Next units crushed the revolt. Under fireBlood on the flag
The protesting inhabitants of Poznań lostbut the fight went on. Later in November 1956, when the Hungarian Revolution against communists broke out, Poles wholeheartedly supported Hungarians.Hands off Hungary!Support rallyBlood collection for wounded HungariansGuard ceremony in honour of fighting HungaryDispatching medical help to HungaryA poster advertising a poetic and musical event to honour Hungarians and collect funds for aid. Even in 1970, POles still remembered the Hungarian Revolution.After a few years of silence, the ferment rose again. In March 1968, two months before similar protests in Western countries, Polish university students and intellectuals decided to openly critisize the communist government.They did it during street demonstrations and rallies at universities. They were tear-gassed, beaten and imprisoned. Rally The church where chased students hid was gassed
Even when the Polish army, on Soviet orders, together with other communist armies invaded Czechoslovakia in August 1968, there were Poles who didnt accept it.Ryszard Siwiec burnt himself (suicide by self-immolation) to protest against the invasion, 8 September 1968, during the Harvest Festival celebration in a giant stadium.
Czech hero of Czechoslovakia, Jan Palach, chose the same form of protest 6 months later. Students of March 68 were defeated. However, in two yearstime, in 1970, workers revolted again in the main cities on the Polish coast: Szczecin, Gdańsk, Gdynia, Elbląg. Mad communists ordered the police and army to shoot at protesters. There were regular fights in streets during which workers burnt party headquarters but were finally massacred by machine guns, tanks, even helicopters. A dead worker carried on the door by his mates through streets Like in 1956, some soldiers didnt want to shoot at people and fraternised.Party buildings burnt all over Poland. Film about 1970Workers lost their fight in 1970. But they didnt forget and in 1971, on Labour Day, a communist holiday, they went out into streets with protest. and in 1976 they protested again in a few cities in central Poland. Again party headquarters were in flames. This time communists were more humane, they didnt shoot, but “only” beat and imprisoned people. New inventions appeared in 1976At last workers and the intelligentsia started cooperating after the events of 1976.. They realised that only united they were able to defeat communism. A few anti-communist organizations appeared. They defended human rights, organized patriotic marches, hunger strikes, demonstrations and illegal lectures on Polish history, published books beyond censorship etc. Patriotic demonstration in 1979.
In 1978 Karol Wojtyła was chosen the Pope. He adopted the name of John Paul II. From then on, the Polish fight for freedom gained a powerful supporter. Though communism was still inhumanely strong, it was doomed to collapse……The Pope came to Poland in 1979. It was an incredible event, Poland witnessed things which couldn`t be seen in other countries of the communist block. Millions of people gathered in cities visited by the Pope. I also saw him, during his visit to Krakow. I was just a boy, but already aware of the importance of the events. John Paul II spoke about the people?s right to “have God in their lives,” and the “right to freedom.” People realized that strength lay in numbers and this broke the barrier of fear. Thus, the Pope?s visit in June 1979 was an important prelude to the birth of Solidarity in August 1980.to be cont
This is an interesting chronicle of events. But I must ask – what do the golden aliens have to do with it?
This is an interesting chronicle of events. But I must ask - what do the golden aliens have to do with it?
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;DIt is an artistic happening. Here is an article from Polish radioSpace travelers, or ET?s if you wish, in shimmering golden suits will fly from Warsaw to Brussels on June 4th on board a gold painted airplane. Their mission ? to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of communism.LOT Polish Airlines is painting a Boeing 737 plane gold specially for the mission codenamed ?Common Task.? This is the title of a project by a brilliant Polish artist Pawel Althamer, who turned his neighbors in a drab, working class Warsaw district of Brodno into extraterrestrial types.On June 4th they will descend on Brussels, wander around the city, visiting such key sights as the Atomium building, the European Parliament and the central Grand Place Square. They will also go on a picnic in the Royal gardens. The trip of the golden aliens is the idea of the National Centre of Culture, which decided to mark the anniversary of the fall of communism in on out-of-the-rut way. Katarzyna Mazurkiewicz says the motto is- it all began in Poland.Poles spoke overwhelmingly then in favor of free, democratic Poland and against the oppressive communist system in what were the first partially free parliamentary elections here after World War II, triggering an avalanche of changes in Central and Eastern Europe.Pawel Althamer says the space travelers bound for Brussels are a mixed group, not only people from his district. This project is about freedom, in the sense also that it is a grassroots initiative ? the participants themselves decide whether they want to join it or not.This will not be the first foreign tour of the space travelers? group rallied together by Pawel Althamer. Last year they visited the city of Brasilia. They also plan to go to Africa.
Great post, pawian. Welcome to the Western Civ forum! 🙂
Thanks. More on Polish defiance:1980, one year after Pope
s visit to Poland, workers of shipyards went on strike. They decided to lock themselves inside their workplaces as they still remembered the massacre of 1970 when the communist police and army had shot them like ducks in streets. <tt><tt>The biggest Polish shipyard in Gdańsk, at that time called Lenin Shipyard. <tt>[img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/01/Michalak%200880-65.JPG[/img]<tt><tt>Striking workers were led by Lech Walesa.<tt>[img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/03/1-2,%20MSZ.JPG[/img]<tt><tt>Workersfamilies gathered at the fence of the locked shipyard every day. People feared another massacre similar to one in 1970.[img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/14/T-004.JPG[/img][img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/16/5-1,%20MSZ.JPG[/img][img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/13/karta_30_14.JPG[/img]What struck foreign journalists and observers was the religiousness of workers. [img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/04/NAWROCKI_10.JPG[/img]Workers vowed to stand by each other. The idea of Solidarity was born.Count on me. [img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/02/P5170004.JPG[/img]After attempts to break workerss determination, the communist authorites sent a representative to run negotiations which took place in this room. Lenin bust on the right.<tt>[img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/07/7-1,%20MSZ.JPG[/img]<tt><tt>The members of the Strike Comittee. Their main postulate was the right to an independent trade union, not subjected to authorities control. <tt>[img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/06/TRYBEK-36.JPG[/img]<tt><tt>Negotiations<tt>[img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/16/Jalosinski_0002.JPG[/img]<tt><tt>Triumph. The government gave in, workers were allowed to register their independent trade union called Solidarity and gained the legal right to strike (in communist countries strikes were illegal). <tt>[img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/17/7-3,%20MSZ.JPG[/img]<tt><tt>[img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/14/OK%20008159.JPG[/img]<tt><tt>Signing the pact. Walesa is using a giant pen. :):):) <tt>[img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/18/p-31-1-02,%20Trybek.JPG[/img]<tt><tt><tt><tt>In this way Solidarity became another milestone in Polish history. <tt>[img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/13/AOPL_000010.JPG[/img]<tt><tt>The communist answer was typical: Propaganda<tt><i>Common road, common aim</i> <tt>[img]http://www.solidarnosc.gov.pl/gallery/gazeta/15/AOPL_000012.JPG[/img]<tt><tt>In December 1980 Poland avoided the Soviet invasion similar to the one in 1968 in Czechoslovakia. It is said that Soviet leaders were intent on implementing the invasion but eventually changed their mind, apparently after American president and otherswarnings. The next 12 months were very stormy. Polands economy ruled by communists was falling apart. The foreign debt amounted to incredible 26 billion $, with crushing interest rates to be paid. The export of goods to earn hard currency deprived Polish internal market of many nessecities. The authorities introduced rationing: meat, sweets, flour, fats, pasta (sugar was already rationed in 1976). Later on vodka, cigarettes, petrol, etc etc. <tt>Meat rationing card<tt><tt><tt>10 million Poles joined Solidarity (even socialist militiamen and other regime services tried to set up Solidarity cells in their work places but to no avail as they were immediately fired). Party members gave up their membership en masse. <tt>People demanded more political freedom but also expected that the government would introduce some sane measures to improve the tragic economic situation. They didnt realise that the condition of inefficient economy was hopeless. The inside of the butchers at the time. <tt><img class="bbcode_img" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Towary.jpeg" alt="Towary.jpeg" /><tt><tt>People got tired by shortages and hard conditions. Also they got tired by communistsresistance to give more freedom to people. Concessions that communists had already made (e.g., less strict censorship in the press, journalists could write about many things which had been banned before) were not enough, e.g, T.V. still was controlled by the regime, and spread lies and misinformation, making people really angry. Solidarity members organized strikes, marches, protests.Free political prisoners!Communist regime organised dirty provocations, e.g, Solidarity members were beaten by the police. But nobody expected what it was planning to do:to be cont...On 13 December 1981 General Jaruzelski, backed by the communist police, secret police, the army and party leaders and members, introduced the martial law in order to suppress Solidarity and crush the nation
s aspirations for more soveignty and independence in the communist block.<tt><tt>The martial law had been prepared for months. The date of 13 December wasnt chosen by pure accident. Firstly, the regime was ready to strike. Secondly, on 15 December, a lot of drafted soldiers were to go home after a 2 year service in the army. The leave of experienced soldiers would substantially diminish the armys capacity to introduce the martial law. Thirdly, desperate Solidarity planned mass demonstrations and strikes on 17 December. Solidarity leaders had been getting impatient with the regimes reluctance to reach a serious compromise, thats why some of them became radical hawks and openly called for showdown with the regime. The regime seemed weak in comparison with powerful Solidarity which boasted of having 10 million members, while the party had 2 million, continually abandoning the ship. Solidarity leaders and common people thought it was enough to press harder and the regime would collapse. Events soon proved how wrong they were.<tt><tt>The regime managed to keep their plans secret. There were a few leaks from befriended policemen but nobody knew anything for sure at lower levels of the forces, that is why their vague warnings were ignored. Some people reported the discreet movement of troops in the country, but that was ignored too.<tt><tt>The regime attacked on many fronts on the night of 13 December. The most important actions and regulations:<tt><tt>1. They cut off phone lines in the whole country to reduce the possibility of Solidarity members warning each other. Phones didnt wirk for about two months (?). Nobody estimated how many seriously ill people died because the ambulance service didnt get to them on time.<tt><tt>2. All radio and TV programmmes stopped. At 6 am there was a speech by General Jaruzelski, repeated for many hours, intertwined with classical music and war marches. Of course, there was the news in the evening, the speakers were wearing military uniforms without ranks.<tt><tt>3. About 3 thousand people were arrested and sent to detention centers. It was called the internment. They were dragged out of their beds by police teams, often after breaking the door. Altogether about 10 thousand people were interned during the martial law. Not only Solidarity leaders, also celebrity people who where suspected of being in opposition to the regime, e.g., artists and writers. Most of the latter ones were soon released but interning them was a very bad publicity for the regime anyway.<tt><tt>4. Heavy armoured vehicles appeared on the streets of major cities. Tanks, personnel carriers and trucks, next to them armed soldiers and militiamen. They blocked the roads, checked peoples papers, ransacked cars.5. Military commissars i.e. army officers, were appointed as directors or managers to factories, ministries, offices, organizations etc.6. All independent trade unions, both worker and peasant, were made illegal. Some organizations, e.g. The Union of Polish Journalists (it had gotten too independent before) and PenClub were dissolved. Only two government papers were allowed for publication.7. Factories had to adopt the military style of work - heavy punishments awaited those who committed the slightest offence. Going on strike and showing disobedience to martial law regulations was a major offence.8. Travels to other cities or countries were halted, all those waiting at Ok?cie Airport were turned back. To travel to another city you had to have a pass.9. Schools broke up for two months.10. The censorship was imposed on mail. Envelopes were opened and letters were looked through.The declaration of martial law:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG4SbX26G60Broadcast of Wojciech Jaruzelski declaring martial law (December 13, 1981)Probably the most famous photo of the martial law, full of symbolic messages. The armoured vehicle is standing in front of the "Moscow" cinema. The film on is "Apocalypse Now" by Francis Coppola. The photo was taken by a foreign reporter.Those men introduced the martial law. WRON - The Military Council of National Rescue.The TV news presenters wore military uniforms.General Jaruzelski pays a visit to soldiers on a patrol.Streets looked like in a sieged city[img]http://www.ofertaforum.onyx.pl/324pm2vx/powiekszenia/11967FF.JPG[/img][img]http://www.ofertaforum.onyx.pl/324pm2vx/powiekszenia/NICH_291106_113.JPG[/img]The raid on one of Solidarity headquarters.DetentionIf you are interested in history, you will see a striking similarity to scenes from Czech and Slovakian cities in 1968 when Warsaw Pact troops, including Polish, invaded Czechoslovakia to stop the peaceful revolution there.The setting and decorations are the same, the emotions too.The question "Why are you doing this to us???" resonates both in Prague and Warsaw.Prague 1968Poland 1981Flowers in barrelsWorkers decided to barricade themselves in their mines, factories and steel plants. One by one they were taken by the regime forces. The army sent tanks to break through defences, the police beat and arrested workers.A truck barricading the entrance to a factory.Pacification tank unitBlockadeBefore the attackWorkers forged primitive weapons.The greatest tragedy happened in Wujek coal mine in the industrial region od Silesia. Workers got very determined, they decided to defend at all cost. They armed themselves with metal bars, clubs, stones and bricks, slings and metal bolts. After the tanks crushed the gate, a regular battle started. It was a hand-to-hand fight lasting for a few hours, during which miners overpowered a tank and defended themselves very gallantly. Eventually, the special police unit started shooting, 7 defenders were killed on the spot, two died in hospital, about 20 were injured. The defence was stopped. The policemen and soldiers were so brutal they initially didnt allow ambulances to take the wounded to hospitals.<tt><tt>The massacre at Wujek mine has always been seen as the symbol of workerssacrifice for freedom and the shocking brutality of the communist regime who fought against its own peoples and was ready to kill in order to defend socialism. Defend socialism against workers.Coal wagon as a barricade.Desperate brick throwerFirst woundedTear gas attack. Miners are trying to barricade the hole in the fence after it has been crushed by a tank.A miner is drinking to an overpowered tank.The tragedyToday`s monumentMemoryIn the film Śmierć jak kromka chleba you can see the strike, the battle and the massacre in Wujek mine.Diorama visualisation of miners overpowering a tank.Comic storyThe martial law was implemented by Poles against other Poles. Soviet troops didn
t participate in it. General Jaruzelski had consulted his Soviet military superiors, thats natural, apart from being the Prime Minister, he was also the head of Polish Armed Forces and as such he stood to attention before Marshall Kulikow, the commander of the Warsaw Pact.Can you tell the story without overwhelming us with pictures? There are so many pictures that they actually take away from the narrative.
Can you tell the story without overwhelming us with pictures? There are so many pictures that they actually take away from the narrative.
Sorry I can
t. I specialise in photo stories here and in every forum I take part. <tt><tt>I must say that your request is a bit surprising. You are probably one of few who prefer text to pictures. Unfortunately, the majority prefers the opposite. Dont you know the saying: a picture is worth a thousand words?There were more victims of the martial law. Altogether - about 100. Grzegorz Przemyk, a 19 yo high school student, beaten up to death at the police station in 1983.http://homepage.mac.com/zbigniew/past_present/1983_stan_wojenny/a2_zmarl_Grzegorz_Przemyk.jpgFuneralhttp://homepage.mac.com/zbigniew/past_present/1983_stan_wojenny/a_grzegorz_przemyk_pogrzeb.jpghttp://homepage.mac.com/zbigniew/past_present/1983_stan_wojenny/a_grzegorz_przemyk_grob.jpgPrzemyks grave<tt>http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Grzegorz_Przemyk_Grob.JPG<tt><tt>One more death which shocked Poles. Solidarity priest Jerzy Popiełuszko was assassinated by the communist secret police. The murder was so blatant that the regime was forced to react. The murderers were arrested and received due punishment.<tt><tt><i>On October 19, 1984, a frail, young priest was savagely beaten and drowned by government security agents in the woods of rural Poland. The brutal death of this holy priest, carried out in the dark of night, captured the attention of the world, and his martyrdom is increasingly seen as a sacrifice leading not only to the resurrection of his own country as a free and independent nation of Christian people, but a bloody sacrifice redeeming all enslaved European peoples from the Baltic to the Urals.</i><tt><tt><tt><tt><tt><img class="bbcode_img" src="http://www.popieluszko.net.pl/xJerzy/images/cialo2.jpg" alt="cialo2.jpg" /><tt><tt><tt><tt>Funeral<tt><tt><tt><img class="bbcode_img" src="http://homepage.mac.com/zbigniew/past_present/1984_stan_wojenny/1apogrzeb_popieluszko_nov_84.jpg" alt="1apogrzeb_popieluszko_nov_84.jpg" /><tt><tt>Clandestine Christmas szopka display in a car.<tt><img class="bbcode_img" src="http://homepage.mac.com/zbigniew/past_present/1985_stan_wojenny/popieluszko_kalinaa.jpg" alt="popieluszko_kalinaa.jpg" /><tt><tt>The nations answer: But they can`t kill the soul.Bogdan Włosik, shot during a demonstration in 1983.MonumentA film in tribute to victims of martial law with a list of victims..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlkyefZWbo0&feature=relatedThis man was lucky. Though he was deliberately run over by the police truck during a protest demonstration, he survived. Today he is a middle aged manThis man was beaten by the police in 1982.Can you tell the story without overwhelming us with pictures? There are so many pictures that they actually take away from the narrative.
Sorry I can`t. I specialise in photo stories here and in every forum I take part. I must say that your request is a bit surprising. You are probably one of few who prefer text to pictures. Unfortunately, the majority prefers the opposite. Don`t you know the saying: a picture is worth a thousand words?
My cynicism tells me that is because the vast majority of people are only semi-literate and too many words make their heads hurt. I know that I often shake my head when people where I work ask me to look at their writing for grammar. The unintelligible writing makes me want to pound my head on the desk over the failures of the modern educational system.I also don?t buy the picture is worth a thousand words clich?. That saying is a refuge for those with the inability to adequately express their thoughts with words.Don?t get me wrong, you present compelling images, but captions alone do not tell a story. Pictures with minimal context leave me wandering what the true story is.
My cynicism tells me that is because the vast majority of people are only semi-literate and too many words make their heads hurt. I know that I often shake my head when people where I work ask me to look at their writing for grammar. The unintelligible writing makes me want to pound my head on the desk over the failures of the modern educational system.
Well, I am a teacher myself, but I don`t have time to educate people and develop their reading skills on the Internet. I accept the reality and present pictures without overwhelming people with the text because I know that only single guys like you like reading. 😀 Sorry.....
I also don?t buy the picture is worth a thousand words clich?. That saying is a refuge for those with the inability to adequately express their thoughts with words.
Hmm, we have a difference of opinion here because I strongly believe in the saying. :):):)
Don?t get me wrong, you present compelling images, but captions alone do not tell a story. Pictures with minimal context leave me wandering what the true story is.
As for more info, you can look through the complete thread about Polish opposition to communism here. http://polandsite.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=polishhistory&action=display&thread=70&page=1is an insightful omen of what happened in 1988 and later.
Free political prisoners!
Communist regime organised dirty provocations, e.g, Solidarity members were beaten by the police. But nobody expected what it was planning to do:to be cont...
The TV news presenters wore military uniforms.
General Jaruzelski pays a visit to soldiers on a patrol.
Streets looked like in a sieged city[img]http://www.ofertaforum.onyx.pl/324pm2vx/powiekszenia/11967FF.JPG[/img][img]http://www.ofertaforum.onyx.pl/324pm2vx/powiekszenia/NICH_291106_113.JPG[/img]The raid on one of Solidarity headquarters.Detention
If you are interested in history, you will see a striking similarity to scenes from Czech and Slovakian cities in 1968 when Warsaw Pact troops, including Polish, invaded Czechoslovakia to stop the peaceful revolution there.The setting and decorations are the same, the emotions too.The question "Why are you doing this to us???" resonates both in Prague and Warsaw.Prague 1968
Poland 1981Flowers in barrelsWorkers decided to barricade themselves in their mines, factories and steel plants. One by one they were taken by the regime forces. The army sent tanks to break through defences, the police beat and arrested workers.A truck barricading the entrance to a factory.Pacification tank unitBlockadeBefore the attackWorkers forged primitive weapons.The greatest tragedy happened in Wujek coal mine in the industrial region od Silesia. Workers got very determined, they decided to defend at all cost. They armed themselves with metal bars, clubs, stones and bricks, slings and metal bolts. After the tanks crushed the gate, a regular battle started. It was a hand-to-hand fight lasting for a few hours, during which miners overpowered a tank and defended themselves very gallantly. Eventually, the special police unit started shooting, 7 defenders were killed on the spot, two died in hospital, about 20 were injured. The defence was stopped. The policemen and soldiers were so brutal they initially didn
