--- title: Sofia Domestic Service on Jaruzelski declaring martial law in Poland, FBIS Daily Report, 14 December 1981 url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/sofia-radio-jaruzelski-martial-law-1981/ description: Page C 1 of the FBIS Daily Report for Eastern Europe, 14 December 1981, carrying two Bulgarian state-radio items of 13 December on the imposition of… section: Collection --- [Collection](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/) **Content note:** Bulgarian state radio relaying the imposition of martial law in Poland; it labels Solidarity leaders 'extremist' and 'adventurers' and omits the internments. This object is shown as it was published. [Why](https://propagandaarchive.org/about/#as-it-was) [![Sofia Domestic Service on Jaruzelski declaring martial law in Poland, FBIS Daily Report, 14 December 1981](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/sofia-radio-jaruzelski-martial-law-1981.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/sofia-radio-jaruzelski-martial-law-1981.jpg) # Sofia Domestic Service on Jaruzelski declaring martial law in Poland, FBIS Daily Report, 14 December 1981 Page C 1 of the FBIS Daily Report for Eastern Europe, 14 December 1981, carrying two Bulgarian state-radio items of 13 December on the imposition of martial law in Poland. Both relay the Polish authorities' justification, naming Solidarity's 'extremist leaders' and 'adventurers' provoking 'confrontation', and the second ends with the announcer's own endorsement: 'I think we have to agree with this formulation.' The page omits the arrests and the suspension of Solidarity that accompanied the decree. ## Text on the object Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked ``` II. 14 Dec 81 BULGARIA C 1 JARUZELSKI DECLARES MARTIAL LAW IN POLAND Speech Reported AU131159 Sofia Domestic Service in Bulgarian 1030 GMT 13 Dec 81 [Text] In a speech delivered this morning over radio, Wojciech Jaruzelski, first secretary of the PZPR Central Committee and chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Polish People's Republic, said that [words indistinct] openly striving to seize power, a 13 December decree of the State Council of the Polish People's Republic introduced martial law in the country. A military Council of National Salvation has been set up. Military commissars, representatives of the authorities have been appointed with the right to inform the organs of the state administration about [words indistinct] the ministries and municipalities. They have been given the right to relieve officials from responsible posts who do not fulfill their obligations. A decision has been taken to inform the extremist leaders of Solidarity and also of the illegal anti-socialist organizations [words indistinct] and those responsible for the political and socioeconomical order in Poland. Among them are [words indistinct]. The government is consistently struggling to set up a national front of accord and to unite all patriotic forces of the people in the name of saving Poland. He called for the introduction of order and calm in the country so that the national economy can run normally and that confidence in and respect for the state organs and power can be restored. Jaruzelski called on a rallying of the party ranks -- the leading power of society -- which is consistently struggling to strengthen and further build socialism in the Polish People's Republic. He emphasized that the Polish people highly value the friendship of the Soviet Union and the other countries of the socialist community and also their fraternal assistance. Poland, Wojciech Jaruzelski said, will remain an unbreakable link of the socialist community. Commentary Backs Moves AU131110 Sofia Domestic Service in Bulgarian 1000 GMT 13 Dec 81 [Unidentified commentary on situation in Poland] [Text] As I have already said, Polish radio this morning broadcast an appeal by Army Gen Wojciech Jaruzelski, first secretary of the PZPR Central Committee and chairman of the Council of Ministers. Our fatherland is in danger, Jaruzelski said in the appeal: Demonstrations of protest have became a norm in our life and the cases of terror and attacks against party members have not been rare. During the last few months the government has been confronted with tremendous (?difficulties) and unfortunately, our state has become an arena of political struggle. All this, as was stressed in the appeal, [words indistinct] misery and hunger. (?As the appeal says, in order) to block the attempts of the adventurers to provoke a confrontation, Gen Jaruzelski issued an order declaring martial law. Power is being undertaken by a military Council of National Salvation, the only task of which is to protect the country's constitutional order. The appeal also stresses the proposals and attempts to achieve a national accord which were rejected. Thus, this measure is determined as a basic step toward the last extreme possibility which should start bringing the country out of the crisis. I think we have to agree with this formulation. ``` English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader) ``` The page is FBIS's English translation of Bulgarian-language state radio items (the Polish original of Jaruzelski's address was in Polish). Letters that are blotted or ambiguous on the scan are read as the evident word ('emphasized', 'economy', 'morning'); 'became' is as printed. ``` Transcribed from the page image; Single characters that are blotted or ambiguous on the scan are read as the evident word; FBIS's own indistinct/uncertain marks are kept as printed. [← Tripoli radio on the Gulf of Sidra incident ('terrorist Ronald Reagan'), FBIS Daily Report, 21 August 1981](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/tripoli-radio-gulf-of-sidra-reagan-terrorist-1981/) ["Na atoomreagan geen zonneschijn": banner at a Dutch anti-nuclear demonstration →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/na-atoomreagan-banner-1982/) ## Using the same techniques - [Passional Christi und Antichristi: the emperor kisses the pope's foot (leaf 'Antichristus')](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/passional-christi-antichristi-emperor-kisses-pope-1521/) (Electoral Saxony · 1521 · Name-calling, Card stacking) - [Anacoana fut pendue sans raison (engraving in Le miroir de la cruelle et horrible tyrannie espagnole)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/anacoana-hanged-miroir-tyrannie-espagnole-1620/) (Dutch Republic · 1620 · Fear appeal, Name-calling). 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Content note: Hand-coloured engraving of bloodied dead and wounded colonists after soldiers fired on a crowd. - [Marche du Dom Quichotte moderne pour la deffence du Moulin des Abus (March of the Modern Don Quixote in Defence of the Mill of Abuses)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/dom-quichotte-moulin-des-abus-1791/) (France · 1791 · Name-calling, Transfer) - [Sans-Culottes, feeding Europe with the Bread of Liberty (James Gillray)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/sans-culottes-bread-of-liberty-gillray-1793/) (Kingdom of Great Britain · Jan 12, 1793 · Fear appeal, Name-calling)