The economy in communist Poland was subordinated solely to political decisions. The economy has begun to crumble. The government-owned stores began to run out of basic food and industrial products. The situation was further worsened by the atmosphere of fear. People were afraid to demand their rights or improvements in their working conditions. In the 1950s in Czechoslovakia and East Germany, people began to demand a softening of the political course. All protests were suppressed by the Soviet military.
In the city of Poznań and the surrounding area, as well as in other parts of Poland, the communists declared war on private shop owners and farmers, who owned small and medium-sized farms. Shops began to run out of products (mainly meat and butter). There was also a shortage of coal.
At the Joseph Stalin Plant, where June 1956 began, working conditions continued to deteriorate. People were forced to work harder, without bonuses or special benefits. Workers repeatedly complained about the company's poor management.
Desperate workers of Poznań factories decided to organize a general strike. It began on June 28, 1956, at 6:30 a.m., the workers took to the streets of Poznań. Soon they were joined by others.
As witnesses later recalled, the crowd marched calmly and obediently, although the mood was very nervous. Initial slogans such as "We want bread" or "We are hungry" were soon joined by anti-communist and pro-Polish slogans such as "Down with Bolshevism", "Down with the Russians", "We want a free Poland", "We want God". The marchers sang religious songs and the Polish national anthem.
The workers' delegation attended talks at the Municipal Council and then proceeded to the seat of the Voivodeship Committee of the United Workers' Party, where they demanded that the highest authorities of the Polish People's Republic come to Poznań.
At that time, a rumor spread among the demonstrators that the workers' delegation had been arrested. The angry crowd moved towards the prison on Młyńska Street, where the delegates were supposedly being held. In the prison building, the strikers entered an armory, where they acquired approximately 80 rifles and pistols. Devices used to jam Western radio broadcasts were thrown from the roof of the government buildings.
At the same time, some demonstrators were walking towards the Provincial Office for Public Security Service building. There, from the windows of the building, the police officers started shooting at the protesting workers. This was the beginning of clashes on many streets of Poznań. Armed demonstrators also opened fire on the policemen. The fighting lasted many hours, until late at night.
The following day, June 29, the atmosphere in Poznań was still very tense. Many plants did not resume work. A crowd gathered again in front of the Public Security Service offices, but people withdrew upon seeing the tanks. The communists decided to deal with civilians with the help of the army. Two armored divisions and two infantry divisions were deployed to Poznań, comprising over 10,000 soldiers and 300 tanks. The “pacification” was personally led by the Deputy Minister of National Defense.
That same evening, Prime Minister Cyrankiewicz delivered his infamous speech, during which he assured that: "...every provocateur or madman who dares to raise his hand against the people's government, let him be sure that the people's government will chop it off (...)"
During the fighting in Poznań, almost 60 people died. Up to 650 people were injured.
PN: This is why when I hear the mayoral candidate promise city-owned grocery stores in NYC, I get the goose bumps.
- Based on Dorzeczy(.)pl
