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Gierek and the "propaganda of success"
The end of Gomułka's rule, much like his rise to power in 1956, was brought about largely due to workers' discontent.
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A monumental sculpture in the Socialist Realist style |
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| In December 1970, after a price rise, there were strikes in several coastal cities, and street fights between dockers and the police and army, in which several dozen protesters were killed. Eventually, an opposition group within the Party removed Gomułka and appointed Edward Gierek the new First Secretary. In the 1970s the People's Republic of Poland enjoyed a period of phoney prosperity. Thanks to foreign credit, the shops were full of consumer goods, new companies sprang up and the standard of living rose. The first sign of crisis came in 1976, with riots in Radom and at the Ursus industrial plant. The Communist economy was highly inefficient, and real wages fell and the supply of consumer goods dwindled. More strikes and workers' protests followed. Repressions directed against the 1976 rioters led to the creation of an illegal workers' defence committee (KOR). Other illegal opposition groups and clandestine publications began to appear. The Church played a significant role, organising widespread educational activities and addressing the most urgent social needs. Widespread strikes also engulfed other regions, especially Szczecin and the coal mines of Silesia. Throughout the country, the totalitarian regime found itself in serious danger. This was the beginning of a general strike.
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