Wojciech Jaruzelski
| Wojciech Jaruzelski | |
|---|---|
Jaruzelski in 1968
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| 2nd President of the Polish People's Republic 1st President of the Republic of Poland |
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In office 19 July 1989 – 22 December 1990 |
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| Prime Minister |
Mieczysław Rakowski Czesław Kiszczak Tadeusz Mazowiecki |
| Preceded by |
office restored Himself (As Chairman of the Council of State) Bolesław Bierut (As President before office was abolished) |
| Succeeded by | Lech Wałęsa |
| 6th First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party |
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In office 18 October 1981 – 29 July 1989 |
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| Preceded by | Stanisław Kania |
| Succeeded by | Mieczysław Rakowski |
| 6th Chairman of the Council of State | |
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In office 6 November 1985 – 19 July 1989 |
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| Prime Minister |
Zbigniew Messner Mieczysław Rakowski |
| Preceded by | Henryk Jabłoński |
| Succeeded by |
office abolished Himself (As President) |
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8th Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Poland |
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In office 11 February 1981 – 6 November 1985 |
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| Chairman of the Council of State | Henryk Jabłoński |
| Preceded by | Józef Pińkowski |
| Succeeded by | Zbigniew Messner |
| Minister of National Defence of the People's Republic of Poland |
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In office 11 April 1968 – 22 November 1983 |
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| Prime Minister |
Józef Cyrankiewicz Piotr Jaroszewicz Edward Babiuch Józef Pińkowski himself |
| Preceded by | Marian Spychalski |
| Succeeded by | Florian Siwicki |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski 6 July 1923 Kurów, Poland |
| Died | 25 May 2014 (aged 90) Warsaw, Poland |
| Resting place | Powązki Military Cemetery, Warsaw |
| Political party |
Polish Workers' Party (1944-1948) Polish United Workers' Party (1948-1990) Independent (1990-2014) |
| Spouse(s) | Barbara Jaruzelska (1961-2014, his death) |
| Children | Monika Jaruzelska (b. 1963) |
| Profession | Military |
| Religion |
Roman Catholicism (born, baptised and reconciled) (May 2014) Atheism (before May 2014) |
| Awards | Virtuti Militari, Order of Polonia Restituta, Cross of Valor |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Official website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Poland |
| Service/branch | Polish People's Army |
| Years of service | 1943–1989 |
| Rank | General of the Army |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Battle of Berlin |
Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski (Polish: [ˈvɔjt͡ɕɛx jaruˈzɛlskʲi]; 6 July 1923 – 25 May 2014) was a Polish military officer and politician. He was First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party from 1981 to 1989, and as such was the last leader of the People's Republic of Poland. He also served as Prime Minister from 1981 to 1985 and the country's head of state from 1985 to 1990. He was also the last commander-in-chief of the Polish People's Army (LWP). He resigned from power after the Polish Round Table Agreement in 1989, which led to democratic elections in Poland.
Jaruzelski was chiefly responsible for the imposition of martial law in Poland on 13 December 1981 in an attempt to crush the pro-democracy movements, which included Solidarity, the first non-Communist trade union in Warsaw Pact history. Subsequent years saw his government and its internal security forces censor, persecute, and jail thousands of journalists and opposition activists without charge; others lost their lives during these same events. The resulting socio-economic crisis led to the rationing of basic foods such as sugar, milk, and meat, as well as materials such as gasoline and consumer products, while the median income of the population fell by as much as 40 percent. During Jaruzelski's rule from 1981 to 1989, around 700,000 people left the country.
Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski was born on 6 July 1923 in Kurów, into a family of Polish gentry. He was the son of Wanda (née Zaremba) and Władysław Mieczysław Jaruzelski, and was raised on the family estate near Wysokie (in the vicinity of Białystok). He was educated in a Catholic school during the 1930s.
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