Talk:Wojciech Jaruzelski
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This is mostly communism propaganda. Taw 13:36 Jan 9, 2003 (UTC)
THIS MAN SHOULD BE SHOT FOR WAR CRIMES AND MURDER
[edit] Biography
Jaruzelski fought in World War II and became a general in 1956. He began his rise in the Polish Communist party in 1960.
As a leading figure in the Polish High Command he played a major role in oppressive ending of strikes in Gdansk and Szczecin in 1970. It was a military and special police forces operation that was characterized by brutality and bloodshed. Unofficial figures say several hundreds of protesters killed, many more wounded.
During the 1981 crisis involving Solidarity and other democratic movements in the country, Jaruzelski became prime minister and secretary general of the Communist Party. Known as a moderate, he was often viewed as a benevolent dictator. Jaruzelski sought a compromise but finally ordered a military crackdown, placed Poland under martial law in December 1981, outlawed Solidarity, and ordered the arrest of Solidarity leaders including Lech Walesa. By the end of 1982, Solidarity had been suppressed, the martial law was lifted, and Walesa was released.
By 1987 however, Jaruzelski found his attempts at economic reform thwarted by Solidarity, which forced him to a dialogue through a series of strikes which crippled the country. In April 1989 Solidarity was legalised and granted the right to campaign for the upcoming elections. In June, Solidarity members won almost every seat of the granted 35% margin in the Sejm. This restriction allowed Jaruzelski to be elected president by a one-vote margin in the national assembly. However, he was unable to maintain a Communist-led government, he was forced in September to agree to a Solidarity prime minister - Tadeusz Mazowiecki. Jaruzelski was succeeded as president by Walesa in the first fully democratic presidential elections, which were held in December 1990.
In 1993 Jaruzelski and others were put on trial charged with criminal conduct during 1970 protests. However, court proceedings, which began in 1996, have progressed slowly because of deliberate delays by Jaruzelski lawyers.
see also History of Poland, Presidents of Poland
[edit] Returned cross
“Due to a large protest amongst the population and Kaczynski admitting his mistake, Jaruzelski returned the medal.”
This is not true. Jaruzelski was exiled to Siberia in 1940 (his father died there), and was nominated to the cross by veteran organisations. Jaruzelski, when informed about the given decoration, said that he is happy that president Kaczyński was able to rise upon historical divisions. Later on, when the Head of Presidents Chamber (Kancelaria Prezydenta) announced that Jaruzelski was put on the list of people to decorate without the knowledge of the president, general decided to sent the crossl back (along with a Syberian Exile identity card). [1]
In an open letter to the president, Jaruzelski has written that he is sending the decoration back because doesn't want the renewal of old divisions, because much more important is acting with the future of Poland in mind. [2]
There where no protests against giving the cross to the general, since this is just a formal decoration, which he simply deserves as a Syberian Exile. The reason for returning it was the statement of Presidents Chamber claiming that it was given unintentionaly. In my opinion, returning the cross, was a clear demonstration of officer's honor.
