December 1970 uprising in Poland
1970년 12월 봉기
A wave of strikes and demonstrations by workers on Poland’s Baltic coast from 14 to 22 December 1970, triggered by sharp food-price increases and wage grievances. The authorities deployed the militia and army to suppress it, killing at least 44 people; the crisis brought down Władysław Gomułka and installed Edward Gierek, while leaving the underlying cycle of price shocks and worker resistance unresolved.
In depth
Background and course
The government of the Polish People's Republic sharply raised the prices of meat and other foodstuffs shortly before Christmas. On 14 December, workers at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk stopped work and marched toward the party's provincial committee, after which protests spread to Gdańsk, Gdynia, Szczecin, Elbląg, and other cities. Workers demanded the reversal of the increases, wage regulation, punishment of those responsible for the economic crisis, and the release of detainees.
Suppression and deaths
The authorities deployed the Citizens' Militia and the army and used live ammunition. The shooting of workers travelling to the Gdynia Shipyard on 17 December became known as Black Thursday. Official accounts give totals of 44 or 45 dead, depending on the source, more than 1,000 wounded, and over 3,000 detained.
Political consequences and historical meaning
The bloodshed destroyed Gomułka's authority, and Gierek became First Secretary of the Central Committee on 20 December. Gierek reversed the price increases and promised political renewal, but the structure in which the state managed crises through price regulation and coercion against worker resistance remained. The worker struggles of 1976 and 1980 showed that this unresolved contradiction was recurring.
Sources
- Wikipedia (EN) (supports the 14–19 December protests, price increases, armed suppression, at least 44 deaths, leadership change from Gomułka to Gierek, and later 1976 and 1980 protests)
- pl.wikipedia.org (supports the Polish chronology, worker demands, repression, official casualty figures, and Gomułka's replacement by Gierek)
- polishhistory.pl (Polish History article by Piotr Abryszeński, supports the price decision, worker action in Gdańsk and Gdynia, suppression, and the political crisis)