Edward Gierek

Edward Gierek (January 6 1913 - July 29 2001) was a Polish Communist leader.

Related Topics:
January 6 - 1913 - July 29 - 2001 - Polish

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Born in Zagorze, a suburb of Sosnowiec. When he was 4, his father died in a mining accident. His mother married again and emigrated to France, where he was raised. He joined the French Communist party in 1931 and was later deported to Poland for organizing a strike. After his military service in Stryj, Galicia, G. went to Belgium, joining the Communist party, and worked in the coal mines of Waterschei. He returned to Poland in 1948 and rose through the party ranks to become by 1957 a member of the Polish parliament. As first secretary of the Katowice voivodship party organization (1957-70), Gierek created a personal power base and became the recognized leader of the young technocrat faction of the party. When rioting over economic conditions broke out in late 1970, Gierek replaced

Related Topics:
Zagorze - Sosnowiec - France - 1931 - Waterschei - 1948 - 1957 - Katowice - Voivodship - 70

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W?adys?aw Gomu?ka as party first secretary. Gierek promised economic reform and instituted a program to modernize industry and increase the availability of consumer goods. This process was helped by foreign loans. His easiness to deal with Western leaders, especially of France (Giscard) and Germany (Schmidt) was also a catalysator of foreign assistance.

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The standard of living increased markedly and for a time he was hailed a miracle-worker. The economy, however, began to falter during the 1973 oil crisis, and by 1976 price increases became necessary. New riots broke out (especially Radom, 1976), and although they were forcibly suppressed, the increases were cancelled. High foreign debts, food shortages, and an outmoded industrial base compelled a new round of economic reforms in 1980. Once again, price increases set off protests across the country, especially in the Gdansk (Danzig) and Szczecin (Stettin) shipyards. Gierek was forced to grant legal status to Solidarity and to concede the right to strike.

Related Topics:
1973 - 1976 - 1980 - Solidarity

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Shortly thereafter, he was replaced as party leader by Stanis?aw Kania. The next strongman to rule Poland was General Wojciech Jaruzelski who subsequently introduced martial law on December 13, 1981.

Related Topics:
Stanis?aw Kania - Wojciech Jaruzelski - December 13 - 1981

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The books of Rolicki, one with conversations and another one being a biography, give strong impressions of a tragic figure of Polish history, whose character was rather different from other communist leaders.

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