"I was in the building of the Regional Board [of Solidarity] ... on night duty. Before midnight ... a squad entered the building ... I cannot say what kind of squad—they were wearing battledress, helmets, masks. I tried to hide ... in the office of the chairman, but the office had a glass door. After 30 seconds, maybe a minute, I saw a military boot on the glass door. It broke the glass.
"They easily seized the office. They seized floor after floor. ... They cut telex cables with hatchets, pulled them from the wall. It looked like they were very determined." So recalls Jerzy Nowacki, Polish Solidarity activist in the 1980s, as reported in the Polish documentary "Decree."
This incident took place on a chilly winter night 25 years ago in Poland. Similar military actions occurred across the entire country that night and marked the beginning of war.
At 6 a.m. on Dec. 13, 1981, Polish General Jaruzelski, who was the head of the Polish Communist Party and the Prime Minister of Poland, declared a "state of war" in a speech broadcast from a TV studio located in a military barracks. But who was that war against? Was there any enemy who had invaded the country? The answer is: no. The war was declared by the Polish Communist Party against the Polish nation.
Solidarity was a trade union federation established by the Polish workers and the underground democratic opposition in 1980 and led by the legendary Lech Walesa. It was the first organization in the communist block independent of the Communist Party and the communist government. Solidarity offered hope for liberation to a Polish people deprived of basic freedoms, but it also scared stiff the Communist Party leaders. The Communist Party did not gain power through democratic election; it had usurped rule by military force.
The communists stopped at no means to maintain their power. In addition to the declaration of the "state of war" by General Jaruzelski, most of the media outlets were shut down; the telephones were cut off; gatherings and demonstrations were banned; critical state-run enterprises were militarized; trade unions and other organizations were suspended; people were not allowed to change their place of residence or buy gas for their vehicles. Among other restrictions, a curfew was imposed.
About 5,000 Solidarity activists, opposition activists, and intellectuals were interned in 49 internment camps. Approximately 100 people were killed by the communist oppressors from the declaration of the "state of war" until 1989, not to mention those who died because they did not receive medical help in time due to their telephone lines having been cut.
A Warsaw resident who was a high school student when the "state of war" was declared recollects how students at his school used to wear electric resistors as pins in the lapels of their school uniforms to protest against the communist oppression. They were harassed by the school teachers for that, as most of the teachers were Communist Party members.
Despite this ruthless oppression, the Polish people still had hope in their hearts and tried not to cooperate with the communist oppressors. The same Warsaw resident recalls how military patrols were sent to cruise the streets of Warsaw on the first anniversary of the "state of war" declaration to prevent and suppress any potential protest. Many of the soldiers did not want to cooperate with the communists and persecute innocent people. Instead of patrolling the streets, they hid in the gates of big buildings. If this had been discovered they would have faced ruthless punishment for their acts of mercy.
The "state of war" is now history, and Poland has been a democratic country for 17 years. We can observe the persistent efforts of the Polish nation to completely eradicate all relics of communist rule in all areas of life.
Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who was among those interned as an oppositionist during the "state of war," stated in the speech he gave at the ceremony to commemorate the 25th anniversary of this tragic event, that the act of declaring the "state of war" was illegal and was subject to penalty even when judged by the communist legislation at that time. According to President Kaczynski, those who were responsible for introducing the "state of war" should be brought to justice and at least their honors should be taken away.
History does not forgive those who betray their nations for personal gain. The Polish people believe that justice will prevail.