The West saves the General?! Paradoxes of Western Diplomacy during the Transformations in Poland (June–July 1989) Cover Image

Zachód ratuje generała?!Paradoksy zachodniej dyplomacji w czasie przemian w Polsce (czerwiec–lipiec 1989 roku)
The West saves the General?! Paradoxes of Western Diplomacy during the Transformations in Poland (June–July 1989)

Author(s): Patryk Pleskot
Subject(s): History
Published by: Instytut Pamięci Narodowej
Keywords: Western Diplomacy; Transformations in Poland; June–July 1989;1989; West; East

Summary/Abstract: From 1989 onwards, political situation in Poland started changing kaleidoscopically; for this reason, western diplomacy could not fully keep up with reassessing its strategies aimed at this part of Europe. That situation became clearly visible especially during the full of paradoxes period between the overwhelming victory of the “Solidarity” movement in first round of the parity elections on 4 June 1989 and swearing Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski in as the PRL’s President on 19 July 1989. The West, and mostly the USA, were amazed with changing political circumstances in Poland, therefore – in a surprising way – they started indirectly supporting Gen. Jaruzelski in his quest for presidency. Simultaneously, during the entire decade of 1980s, they tended to favour and lobby “Solidarity” movement in order to weaken significant Soviet influence in the Eastern Bloc.

  • Issue Year: 16/2010
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 193-210
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Polish