Why did Wojciech Jaruzelski impose martial law in Poland in 1981?
Jaruzelski imposed martial law on the 13th of December 1981, citing purported recordings of Solidarity leaders planning a coup. He later claimed the move was necessary to prevent a Soviet invasion, though documents released under Boris Yeltsin's presidency show that senior Soviet figures, including Yuri Andropov, had already decided against intervening and unanimously rejected Jaruzelski's own requests for military support three days before the proclamation.
How many people died under martial law in Poland under Jaruzelski?
The total number of deaths during martial law is estimated at 91, though the figure remains uncertain and disputed. At the Wujek coal mine, nine demonstrators were killed and 21 others wounded after Motorized Reserves of the Citizens' Militia units received a shoot-to-kill order.
What happened to Jaruzelski in Siberia during World War II?
Jaruzelski was deported with his family to Siberia in June 1941 after Lithuania was incorporated into the Soviet Union. Assigned to forest clearing near Turochak, he developed snow blindness and suffered permanent damage to his eyes and back. His father, who was sent separately to a gulag, died of dysentery on the 4th of June 1942.
What role did Jaruzelski play in Poland's transition to democracy in 1989?
Jaruzelski authorised the Round Table Talks held from the 6th of February to the 4th of April 1989, across 94 sessions, which legalised Solidarity and established a semi-free election. After Solidarity won 99 of 100 Senate seats, Jaruzelski allowed the results to stand and appointed Tadeusz Mazowiecki as the first non-Communist prime minister of an Eastern Bloc country in four decades.
What did Polish public opinion polls show about Jaruzelski over time?
Jaruzelski began his presidency with a 74 percent approval rating, which fell to 32 percent by the end of his term, according to CBOS polls. A 2008 CBOS poll found 46 percent approved of his historical political activity, but a 2018 poll showed only 28 percent rated him positively and 42 percent negatively.
Where is Wojciech Jaruzelski buried and when did he die?
Jaruzelski died on the 25th of May 2014 in a Warsaw hospital after suffering a stroke. He was buried with full military honours at Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw on the 30th of May, near the grave of Bolesław Bierut, the first Communist leader of Poland after World War II.