1923 Kraków riot
| 1923 Kraków riot | |||
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| Part of History of Kraków | |||
Main Market Square, site of mass demonstration
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| Date | 6 November 1923 | ||
| Location |  Krakow, Poland |
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| Caused by | Government crackdown on striking workers | ||
| Parties to the civil conflict | |||
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| Casualties | |||
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The 1923 Kraków riot was a violent riot that took place during a strike on 6 November 1923 in Kraków, Poland. The incident is also called the 1923 Kraków uprising, particularly by Marxist sources. Demonstrators took control of the Main Market Square area and disarmed some troops. Eventually troops and police were ordered to fire on the workers, though some soldiers refused. Three armored cars were used, one of which, named Dziadek ("Grandpa"), was captured by the workers in the Market Square area. Some 18–30 workers were killed, as well as 14 soldiers. No policemen died, but 31 were injured.
Poland regained independence in 1918 (see Partitions of Poland), in the aftermath of the First World War, but was involved in several military conflicts, such as Polish-Soviet War, till late 1920. After the wars, the newly reconstituted country had to deal with a difficult economic situation, including economic depression and hyperinflation. Workers rights were curtailed, their material situation drastically worsened, and Polish socialists were in opposition to the coalition government of Endecja and Chjeno-Piast, with Wincenty Witos as prime minister. At the same time, Witos and his men were afraid that Józef Piłsudski, who for the time being was staying in his estate in Sulejowek, would use any opportunity to return to power. The Marshall was officially presenting himself as a private person, but his house was carefully watched by the police.
In the fall of 1923, hundreds of strikes took place across the country. At first, Polish government adopted a lenient policy towards worker demonstration, but after a scandal in 1922, in which a carriage with Polish president was pelted by stones by the workers while police did nothing, this policy changed. In October 1923, railroads were militarized, and the striking rail workers were drafted into the army. In Kraków, where workers' strikes and demonstrations were occurring as well, local military commander, General Józef Czikiel, introduced special courts for striking rail workers. In response, on November 5, Polish Socialist Party proclaimed a general strike.
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