Stanisław Kania

Stanisław Kania
First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party
In office 6 September 1980 – 18 October 1981
Preceded by	Edward Gierek
Succeeded by	Wojciech Jaruzelski
Personal details
Born	(1927-03-08)8 March 1927 Wrocanka,Kraków Voivodeship,Poland
Died	3 March 2020(2020-03-03)(aged 92) Warsaw,Poland
Political party	Polish United Workers' Party

Stanisław Kania(Polish pronunciation:[staˈɲiswafˈkaɲa];8 March 1927 – 3 March 2020)was aPolishcommunistpolitician who served as thede factoleader of thePolish People's RepublicasFirst Secretaryof the rulingPolish United Workers' Party(PZPR) between September 1980 and October 1981.

Early life and career

Stanisław Kania was born on 8 March 1927 inWrocanka,Jasło Countyin theSecond Polish Republicinto aworking classfamily. Kania joined thePeasant Battalionsin 1944 at 17 years-old and thePolish Workers' Party(PPR) in April 1945, when the Germans were driven out of Poland by theRed Armyand Polishcommunistsbegan to take control of the country. He partook in campaigns organised by the PPR, such as theVolunteer Reserve of the Citizens' Militiaand the1946 Polish people's referendum.Kania became deputy representative of the constituency for Jasło County and in February 1947 he was elected chairman of theUnion of Youth Struggle(ZWM) board inJasło.In December he was appointed head of the Rural Youth Department inRzeszów.In 1948, the 21-year-old Kania was elected as delegate to the unification congress of thePolish United Workers' Party(PZPR).He attended courses at the PZPR's party school from 1950 to 1952 and was appointed head of the Rural Youth Department and to the main board of the ZWM. Kania was active in theWarsawProvincial Committee from 1957 and became its Secretary in September 1960, a position he would hold until November 1968.

Kania was elected a deputy member of theCentral Committee of the PZPRin June 1964 before being elected a full member in November 1968. He was appointed head of the Central Committee's Administrative Department until becoming Secretary of the Central Committee in April 1971. Kania was elected to thePolitburo of the PZPRin December 1975, effectively making him one of the most powerful men in Poland.

First Secretary

On 6 September 1980, Kania was electedFirst SecretarywhenEdward Gierekwas forced to resign for signing theGdańsk Agreementwith theSolidarityamidst much social and economic unrest in Poland. Gierek's actions were seen by some within the PZPR leadership as an attempt to renounce communism, and he was subsequently removed from power. Kania, having been the Central Committee's Secretary for most of Gierek's rule and a critic of his economic policies, was chosen to replace him. He admitted that the party had made many economic mistakes, advocated working withCatholicandtrade unionistopposition groups, and met with Solidarity leaderLech Wałęsaand other critics of the PZPR. Kania's attempts at reconciliation with opposition groups in Poland were largely unsuccessful, losing the confidence of both the party and the public.

Kania resigned as First Secretary in October 1981 when abugplanted by theKGBcaught him criticizing theSovietleadership, and succeeded by GeneralWojciech Jaruzelski,theChairman of the Council of Ministers(Prime Minister) andMinister of National Defence.

Later life and death

In 2012, Kania was tried for his role in Jaruzelski's introduction ofmartial law in Polandin December 1981, but he wasacquitted.

Kania died on 3 March 2020 ofpneumoniaandheart failure,five days before his 93rd birthday.At the time of his death, he was one of the last surviving leaders of a formerEastern Bloccountry.

References

• (in Polish)Stanisław KaniaArchived2016-03-04 at theWayback MachineinEncyklopedia WIEM