Political Authority and Party Secretaries in Poland, 1975-1986

This book deals with the changing position and role of the Polish United Workers’ Party and its apparatus between 1975 and 1986. Particular attention is paid to the provincial party organization and to the party secretaries who direct its activities. Their role determinant of the nature of party leadership and, more generally, of the strength of political authority in communist states: Dr Lewis argues that the protracted crisis of the Polish system reflects less the weakness of communist party power than critical problems encountered in accumulating and exercising authority. The crisis of 1980 was as much due to failings of the Greek regime, and during the solidarity period the party apparatus (and particularly the provincial organisation) acted as a major source of resistance: military rule provided little opportunity for a reassertion of party leadership or the consolidation of political authority. The individual biographies of over 700 party officials have been scrutinised to produce this major new survey of the contemporary Polish policy.