Political Dissent and Opposition in Poland

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Political Dissent and Opposition in Poland The Workers' Defense Committee "KOR"

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By Robert Zuzowski

ISBN: 0-275-94138-8

ISBN-13: 978-0-275-94138-3

DOI:

320 pages, photograph

Praeger Publishers

Publication: 10/30/1992

List Price: $126.95 (UK Sterling Price: £70.00)

Availability:

Media Type: Hardcover

Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4

Subjects:

Political Science » Comparative Politics

Reviews:

A detailed, scholarly study of the dissident intellectuals who did much to prepare the way for the Solidarity revolution of 1980. Zuzowski traces the antecedents of the Workers' Defense Committee back to 1956, but features the years of activity from the Committee's formation in 1976 through 1981. The author uses this historical case to reflect on the different forms of dissent engendered in a society such as socialist Poland's and on the payoffs of different strategies pursued by dissenting intellectuals.
—Foreign Affairs
...an admirable contribution to the literature on Poland in the twilight of communism and to the broader field of communist and post-communist studies. Well written and documented and contains good photographs of some of the main players in the KOR-Solidarity drama, which add further to the book's attractiveness. It is highly recommended.
—
Australia Journal of International Affairs
The major strength of Zuzowski's book is a solid and detailed reconstruction of facts. It can serve then, as a basic reference source on KOR and its role in bringing down communism.
—The Polish Review

Endorsement From
Leszek Kolakowski

All Souls College, Oxford
: The book is well written, lucid, well argued and based on an excellent knowledge of all relevant material. A reader who has little or no acquaintance with recent Polish history will find in the book all necessary explanation.

Description: Political dissent in Poland after World War II had changed considerably by the early 1980s. In the 1950s and 1960s it was characterized by spontaneity and lack of strategy; the opposite held true in the 1980s. The people of Poland became highly politicized and openly acting dissident organizations, hostile toward the communist state, flourished. Robert Zuzowski presents a comprehensive portrait of the unique pattern of dissent, exemplified by the Workers' Defense Committee KOR, which finally triumphed in Poland. He examines the rise of the opposition in Poland, a country which has experienced more political crises than any other East European nation. Zuzowski argues that KOR, by introducing an innovative approach to political dissent in Poland, contributed significantly to the transformation of Polish politics. The volume also explores dissent in Poland during the two decades prior to the formation of KOR. The reasons for the formation of the Workers' Defense Committee are analyzed and its activities from its inception until the summer of 1980 are chronicled. The author then examines the Committee's relations with the Roman Catholic Church and dissident organizations. Concluding chapters discuss KOR's formal dissolution and the organization's influence on Polish political culture.

This volume will interest students of communism and/or sociopolitical change, as well as all those concerned with East European politics.

Table of Contents:

Introduction
Dissent in Poland: 1956-1976
The Formation of KOR
KOR's Activity: September 1976-June 1980
The Roman Catholic Church and KOR
KOR's Relations with Other Dissident Organizations
KOR and Solidarity: July 1980-September 1981
KOR after KOR
Why Were There Organizations Like KOR in Poland?
Conclusion: The Significance of KOR
Appendix A: List of KOR Members
Appendix B: An Interview with Wolodzimierz Schilling-Siengalewicz, Former Chairman of the Seamen's and Deep-Sea Fishermen's Trade Union
Bibliography
Index

LC Card Number: 92-2685

LCC Class: HD8537

Dewey Class: 322


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