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above all else we had to open the Plenum. They to the arguments of the Soviet comrades. More [Source: AAN, KC PZPR, paczka 12, teczka 46a,
would not agree to this. At Belvedere Palace the cold bloodedness. It is unnecessary to aggravate str. 66-68; translated from the Polish by L.W.
talks had a similar tone. They told us that we the situation.
Gluchowskii.]
actually spat in their faces because we did not
agree to meet with the delegation before the Comrade Witold [Jozwiak]: I am of the opinion
The long-awaited 8th Plenum began at
Plenum. They are upset with us because the that we should leave the Politburo in its old
10 a.m. Ochab opened the gathering with a
Politburo Commission proposed a new list of composition and co-opt only comrades Wieslaw
brief statement and added:  I shall limit
members to the Politburo without a number of and Loga-Sowinski.
myself in this introduction to a report on the
comrades who are supporters of a Polish-Soviet
latest decisions of the Politburo. He an-
union; namely, comrades Rokossowski, [Zenon] Comrade Gierek: I am of the opinion that the
nounced that the Politburo had decided to
Nowak, Mazur, Jozwiak. I explained to them decisions of the Politburo are correct and we
that we don t have such tendencies. We do not cannot overturn them. It is not pleasant to listen include Gomulka, Spychalski, Kliszko, and
want to break the alliance with the Soviet Union. to such malicious language.
Loga-Sowinski in the Central Committee.
It came to a clash. Comrade Khrushchev said [in
Ochab continued:  the Politburo proposes
Russian]:  That number won t pass here. We are Comrade [Zenon] Nowak: I agree with comrade
serious changes to its composition, for the
ready for active intervention. Gomulka. Let the Soviet comrades calmly ex-
number of its members to be limited to nine
[Here Gomulka quotes his own remarks to plain what they want.
in order to secure unity and greater effi-
Khrushchev:] I understand that it is possible to
ciency, and proposes the election of Com-
talk in an aggressive tone, but if you talk with a Comrades Nowak, Roman: I support in full the
rade Wladyslaw Gomulka for the post of
revolver on the table you don t have an even- resolutions of the Politburo.
First Secretary. 24
handed discussion. I cannot continue the discus-
sions under these conditions. I am ill and I cannot Comrade Rapacki: We cannot continue talks Ochab appealed to the Plenum for  re-
fill such a function in my condition. We can under the threat of intervention and under the
sponsibility and wisdom and declared:  We
listen to the complaints of the Soviet comrades, charge that we are less worthy than those com-
are meeting here in a difficult political situ-
but if decisions are to be made under the threat of rades from the old leadership who were not se-
ation. He told the delegates:  I would also
physical force I am not up to it. My first step in lected to form the new composition. I am for
like to inform you, Comrades, that a delega-
Party work, which I am taking after a long break, maintaining the decisions of the Politburo.
tion of the Presidium of the Central Commit-
must be interrupted.
tee of the CPSU, composed of Comrades
I don t want to break off Polish-Soviet Comrade Dworakowski: We have to do every-
Khrushchev, Kaganovich, Mikoyan, and
friendship. I believe what we propose will thing so as not to disturb our friendship with the
Molotov arrived in Warsaw this morning.
strengthen the friendship. Any other form of Soviet Union and we have to concede.
COLD WAR INTERNATIONAL HISTORY PROJECT BULLETIN 41
The delegation wishes to conduct talks with After the first Soviet encounter with Rokossowski s exclusion from the new Po-
our Politburo. Ochab suggested that the Gomulka, Khrushchev must have been reas- litburo. Gomulka continued to call for
Plenum accept Gomulka and his colleagues sured that the newly proposed PUWP First Rokossowski s return to the Soviet Union.
into the Central Committee and that the Secretary was not hostile to the Soviet Union. The Soviets continued to press Gomulka on
proceedings be delayed until 6 p.m.25 Khrushchev used the occasion to gauge the Rokossowski issue, but the Poles would
A number of the Central Committee Gomulka s views on a variety of matters. As not budge. Khrushchev later argued:  The
members demanded to know more details. he later put it:  our embassy informed us people of Warsaw had been prepared to
Helena Jaworska interjected and demanded that a genuine revolt was on the verge of defend themselves and resist Soviet troops
to know why it was necessary to adjourn the breaking out in Warsaw. For the most part entering the city... A clash would have been
Plenum. Ochab quickly explained:  It arises these demonstrations were being organized good for no one but our enemies. It would be
out of the necessity to conduct talks with the in support of the new leadership headed by a fatal conflict, with grave consequences
delegation of the Presidium of the CPSU, Gomulka, which we too were prepared to that would have been felt for many years to
which is already in Warsaw. Michalina support, but the demonstrations also had a come. 34 He added:  With Poland in par-
Tatarkówna-Majkowska wanted to know dangerously anti-Soviet character. The ticular, I always tried to be sympathetic to
who would represent the Polish delegation Soviet leader added that Gomulka held  a flare-ups of anti-Soviet sentiment. Sympa- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]