Remembering Poznań June 1956 - The Polish Uprising in East Europe after The II World War against Stalinist terror!

[StefanM]

Fifty-four years ago yesterday, on the morning of 28 June 1956 the workers of the largest Poznań factory (Hipolit Cegielski’s factory which was at the time named after Joseph Stalin) gathered in the Wilda district and walked towards the city centre. Workers from other Poznań factories joined them on the way. Almost all city factories stopped working....

After protesters stormed the the secret police prison at Młyńska Street freed the political prisoners and got hold of weapons. The demonstration moved through Kochanowskiego Street towards the headquarters of UB secret police. This is where the first shots were fired at the protesters, starting a regular fight between the militia and the protesting workers.

According to the official statistics over 60 civilians and 10 UB soldiers were killed.

The city authorities called on the military for help and altogether over 10 000 soldiers, 400 tanks and 30 armed transporters were used in the pacification process.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Very interesting and something I had not read about before, so thanks for posting it.

Cheers, Ade.

[StefanM]

Very interesting and something I had not read about before, so thanks for posting it.

Cheers, Ade.

Hi Ade,

You are right, most people know of the Hungarian Uprising in 1956 but not the events in Poland.

There is some debate as to the influence of the earlier defection of Colonel Światło, deputy director of 10th Department, Ministry of Public Security (Ministerstwo Bezpieczeństwa Publicznego or MBP) who with backing of the CIA financed Radio Free Europe (based in Munich, West Germany) spread a lot of false allegations (mixed with some truth) against various members of the communist elite in an Machevelian attempt to destabilise (with some success) the regimes of several Eastern Bloc countries. As paranioa spread in the communist regime about who next would be denounced by Światło as "western spies" the CIA through Światło was ultimately responsible for the arrests and deaths of hunderds (maybe thousands) of falsely accused innocent people in Eastern Europe. On the positve Światło's defection helped in part to create the polictal climate for reform that led to the "October Thaw".

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Stefan, thanks for this post. As you say, the events in Poland at this time have been overshadowed by the ‘Hungarian Revolution’, no doubt because the loss of life was much greater. However, as you also correctly state, the uprising in Poland is significant because it was the Poles who first dared rise up against the Soviet occupiers in Europe.

. . . the CIA through Światło was ultimately responsible for the arrests and deaths of hunderds (maybe thousands) of falsely accused innocent people in Eastern Europe . . .

Here I must respectfully disagree. The communists are the ones ultimately responsible for the murders. The carelessness of the CIA is trumped by the corruption of the Soviet judicial system in trying the accused. There should be no confusion as to exactly who the executioners were. They are the guilty ones.

Regards,
Tony

[ian]

my mother told me that the uprising of 56 was covertly organised through out soviet ocupied europe but the west failed to help and capitalise on the events
and as a result many people died
my mums was hungarian by the way for those who didnt know
read the thread gizella toth , she was a hell of a woman
cheers ian

[ian]

there were many countries acording to my mother whoes resistance movements had been organised to revolt and not only by the cia
but most of the other countries anti russian movements bottled out and left the poles and the hungarians to go it alone
the west panicked ,,, it all went tits up and the rest is history
again loads of brocken promises

[GFC]

It should be remembered that the events in Budapest in 1956 when our Hungarian brothers demonstrated their sympathy for the events in Poznan in front of the statue to Jozef Bem.

When walking up Exhibition Road to Sikorski, I always look at the bronze plaque on the Ognisko commemorating the events in Budapest in 1956.

Just one of MANY versions on Youtube (of varying quality):

YouTube - Poland and Hungary always together forever

[StefanM]

Here I must respectfully disagree. The communists are the ones ultimately responsible for the murders. The carelessness of the CIA is trumped by the corruption of the Soviet judicial system in trying the accused. There should be no confusion as to exactly who the executioners were. They are the guilty ones.

Hi Tony,

'Operation Splinter Factor' may provide a different perspective.

[StefanM]

there were many countries acording to my mother whoes resistance movements had been organised to revolt and not only by the cia
but most of the other countries anti russian movements bottled out and left the poles and the hungarians to go it alone
the west panicked ,,, it all went tits up and the rest is history
again loads of brocken promises

It is a matter of fact that the CIA funded Radio Free Europe in Munich was broadcasting into Hungary for the Hungarians to continue their uprising and resistance with the broadcasts implying that American military assistance was on its way. But it never arrived.

Despite the fact that in 1955 hundreds of East Europeans had undergone guerrilla warfare tactics training at Fort Brag under the Green Berets and even hundreds more were being trained at secret locations in West Germany by CIA paramilitary instructors. They were never deployed by the CIA.

[StefanM]

Anyone know which Polish tank units were involved in the supression of the Poznań rising? I have just started adding some new photos to my collection from this period.

Should have looked at wiki first

The Polish 10th Armoured Division, Polish 19th Armoured Division, Polish 4th Infantry Division and Polish 5th Infantry Division, totaling about 10,300 troops and the Internal Security Corps under the command of Poplavsky entered Poznań.