Poland: Behind the Crisis [Sam Marcy]

Appendix C

Secret "Solidarity" Meeting — Tape Excerpts

Ten days before the Polish Army took special measures to stop the growing counter-revolution, the leaders of "Solidarity" gathered in Radom, Poland, to plot a seizure of power.

This meeting of the group's "national presidium" was taped and the Polish government has since disclosed the discussions at that meeting for the country to hear. "Solidarity" boss Lech Walesa, following the initial disclosure on December 8, 1981, admitted to making all the statements in the tape.

Following are excerpts from the Radom tapes (Washington Post, December 20, 1981):

LECH WALESA: Confrontation is inevitable and it will take place. I wanted to get to this confrontation in a natural way, when virtually all social groups would be with us. However, I have miscalculated. ... I thought that we would progress further and that we would then overthrow this parliament, those councils and so forth. It turns out that we will not move along this road any further. So we are picking a road for a lightning-speed maneuver.

Since 1970 I have trusted no one under this system, no one in power. We really trust no one, they really want to outmaneuver us. After all let us realize that we are bringing this system down. Let us at last realize this. If we agree to have private storekeeping, buy up state farms, and ensure complete self-management, this system will cease to exist.

We should not say aloud that a confrontation is unavoidable. We must say: We love you, we love socialism and the party, and, obviously, the Soviet Union. But at the same time we must keep doing our work through faits accomplis and wait.

People must be taken into confidence to some extent and told what game we are playing. They should be told that we are playing for such high stakes that we are changing realities in general and this game can only end in one way. No change of system can take place without blows being exchanged. ...

ZBIGNIEW BUJAK: The government must at last be overthrown, laid bare and stripped of all credibility. ...

JAN RULEWSKI: ["Solidarity" leader from Bydgoszcz] The coming six months are needed to ensure a provisional arrangement in the country, but not in the form recently suggested by government circles. Such government should adopt the tactics of the Social Self-Defense Committee [KORI based not on the openness of contrary political programs but on taking over, hindering and laying bare the party's activities. ...

K. MODZELEWSKI: "The trade union ["Solidarity"] has not become stronger, it has become weaker. Much weaker, and all activists are aware of this. ... There are several reasons for this: weariness as a result of the crisis, weariness experienced by people waiting at the end of a line. Some people blame us for the prolongation of this state of affairs. ...

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Last updated: 13 April 2018