Arthur Maglin
2012-03-08 00:15:09 UTC
This comes from The News.PL.
Thatcher considered backing communists against Solidarity?
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle 27.02.2012 16:12
In 1981, then British prime minister Margaret Thatcher considered supporting the communist regime in Warsaw in suppressing the Solidarity trade union, a previously confidential German Foreign Ministry document reveals.
The Der Spiegel magazine writes that Thatcher's foreign secretary at the time, Lord Peter Carrington, told diplomats in New York that year, as the communist regime contiplated a crackdown against Lech Walesa and the Solidarity movement, that the British Conservative government only backed Solidarity out of respect for public opinion, but from a more rational position, they would actually be, "on the side of the Polish [communist] government".
Thatcher's government was apparently concerned that too radical demands by Solidarity could trigger a Soviet invasion of Poland and destabilise the region.
Observers have note4d that, if true, then the revelation that Thatcher was suspicious of Solidarity and Walesa and considered backing a communist regime in suppressing the movement would be a severe dent to her 'Iron Lady' image, which inspired the Oscar winning film of the same name.
In 2009 it was revealed that Prime Minister Thatcher was deeply impressed by the courage and patriotism that General Jaruzelski showed as the communist fell from power in 1989.
Previously classified Soviet documents showed that Thatcher had a positive attitude to Polish communist leader General Jaruzelski, who imposed martial law in Poland in December 1981, describing him as a Polish patriot.
The papers, previously part of the Mikhail Gorbachov foundations collection, reported that the then British prime minister, in a meeting with Gorbachov in the autumn of 1989, expressed her admiration for how calmly the Russian leader had taken the June elections in Poland, which brought the Mazowiecki government to power and toppled communism.
There has been a long running debate as to whether Jaruzelski was a Polish traitor by introducing martial law, with opinion polls frequently split down the middle on the issue even to this day.
Jaruzelski has always maintained that if he had not ordered the crackdown then a Soviet invasion was a real threat.
Documents declassified by NATO on the 30th anniversary of martial law last December, however, reveal that it did not believe there was a threat of Soviet military intervention in Poland.
There is no information about a [Soviet military] decision, or troop movements, one of the freshly released documents declares. (pg)
http://www.thenews.pl/9/7/Artykul/91533,Thatcher-considered-backing-communists-against-Solidarity
This is from Spiegel Online.
Shunning Solidarity
Thatcher was Supicious of Polish Solidarity Movement
Until now, Helmut Schmidt appeared to be the only top Western politician who was skeptical about the Polish trade union Solidarity in the early 1980s. But SPIEGEL magazine reveals British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher also had deep reservations about the movement and its leader Lech Walesa.
For reasons of data protection and privacy, your IP address will only be stored if you are a registered user of Facebook and you are currently logged in to the service. For more detailed information, please click on the "i" symbol.
With the trade union Solidarity, the charismatic leader Lech Walesa helped rattle the foundations of Soviet communism. But new evidence, reported in Monday's SPIEGEL magazine reveals British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was suspicious about the influential movement and Lech Walesa, the man who later became a Nobel Laureate.
In September 1981, British Premier Thatcher even considered supporting the Eastern bloc regime in Warsaw in quelling Solidarity, a German Foreign Ministry document, long treated as classified, showed.
According to the document, Thatcher's Foreign Secretary, Lord Peter Carrington, told colleagues in New York that Britain sympathizied with Solidarity. But if Solidarity got out of control and the government had to take repressive measures, it might make sense to help the government, he added.
Carrington had earlier outlined the UK's position, saying that his government only backed Solidarity out of respect for public opinion, but that perhaps, from a more rational position, they would actually be "on the side of the Polish government".
Back then, Warsaw was threatened with insolvency and Thatcher evidently feared that the demands of the workers' movement could trigger a Soviet invasion. A few months later, the Polish communist Leader Wojciech Jaruzelski imposed martial law and the US invoked economic sanctions against Poland. Britain, however, avoided levying sanctions on the country.
The imposition of martial law was a setback for Solidarity. About 100 "political dissidents" died in internment camps. But it did not prevent Solidarity from helping to bring about the end of communist rule in 1989-90.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,817778,00.html
Thatcher considered backing communists against Solidarity?
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle 27.02.2012 16:12
In 1981, then British prime minister Margaret Thatcher considered supporting the communist regime in Warsaw in suppressing the Solidarity trade union, a previously confidential German Foreign Ministry document reveals.
The Der Spiegel magazine writes that Thatcher's foreign secretary at the time, Lord Peter Carrington, told diplomats in New York that year, as the communist regime contiplated a crackdown against Lech Walesa and the Solidarity movement, that the British Conservative government only backed Solidarity out of respect for public opinion, but from a more rational position, they would actually be, "on the side of the Polish [communist] government".
Thatcher's government was apparently concerned that too radical demands by Solidarity could trigger a Soviet invasion of Poland and destabilise the region.
Observers have note4d that, if true, then the revelation that Thatcher was suspicious of Solidarity and Walesa and considered backing a communist regime in suppressing the movement would be a severe dent to her 'Iron Lady' image, which inspired the Oscar winning film of the same name.
In 2009 it was revealed that Prime Minister Thatcher was deeply impressed by the courage and patriotism that General Jaruzelski showed as the communist fell from power in 1989.
Previously classified Soviet documents showed that Thatcher had a positive attitude to Polish communist leader General Jaruzelski, who imposed martial law in Poland in December 1981, describing him as a Polish patriot.
The papers, previously part of the Mikhail Gorbachov foundations collection, reported that the then British prime minister, in a meeting with Gorbachov in the autumn of 1989, expressed her admiration for how calmly the Russian leader had taken the June elections in Poland, which brought the Mazowiecki government to power and toppled communism.
There has been a long running debate as to whether Jaruzelski was a Polish traitor by introducing martial law, with opinion polls frequently split down the middle on the issue even to this day.
Jaruzelski has always maintained that if he had not ordered the crackdown then a Soviet invasion was a real threat.
Documents declassified by NATO on the 30th anniversary of martial law last December, however, reveal that it did not believe there was a threat of Soviet military intervention in Poland.
There is no information about a [Soviet military] decision, or troop movements, one of the freshly released documents declares. (pg)
http://www.thenews.pl/9/7/Artykul/91533,Thatcher-considered-backing-communists-against-Solidarity
This is from Spiegel Online.
Shunning Solidarity
Thatcher was Supicious of Polish Solidarity Movement
Until now, Helmut Schmidt appeared to be the only top Western politician who was skeptical about the Polish trade union Solidarity in the early 1980s. But SPIEGEL magazine reveals British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher also had deep reservations about the movement and its leader Lech Walesa.
For reasons of data protection and privacy, your IP address will only be stored if you are a registered user of Facebook and you are currently logged in to the service. For more detailed information, please click on the "i" symbol.
With the trade union Solidarity, the charismatic leader Lech Walesa helped rattle the foundations of Soviet communism. But new evidence, reported in Monday's SPIEGEL magazine reveals British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was suspicious about the influential movement and Lech Walesa, the man who later became a Nobel Laureate.
In September 1981, British Premier Thatcher even considered supporting the Eastern bloc regime in Warsaw in quelling Solidarity, a German Foreign Ministry document, long treated as classified, showed.
According to the document, Thatcher's Foreign Secretary, Lord Peter Carrington, told colleagues in New York that Britain sympathizied with Solidarity. But if Solidarity got out of control and the government had to take repressive measures, it might make sense to help the government, he added.
Carrington had earlier outlined the UK's position, saying that his government only backed Solidarity out of respect for public opinion, but that perhaps, from a more rational position, they would actually be "on the side of the Polish government".
Back then, Warsaw was threatened with insolvency and Thatcher evidently feared that the demands of the workers' movement could trigger a Soviet invasion. A few months later, the Polish communist Leader Wojciech Jaruzelski imposed martial law and the US invoked economic sanctions against Poland. Britain, however, avoided levying sanctions on the country.
The imposition of martial law was a setback for Solidarity. About 100 "political dissidents" died in internment camps. But it did not prevent Solidarity from helping to bring about the end of communist rule in 1989-90.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,817778,00.html