Poland's democratically elected coalition government was conflicted and in 1926 faced serious trouble of economic and other nature. On 12 May, the still-popular, semi-retired General Józef Piłsudski initiated a "coup d’etat". Pilsudski, who in his youth and before World War I was a leader of the Polish Socialist Party (PPS), retained in many circles a reputation as a friend of the Left and the Polish communists were among those confused by his present actions. When railway workers went on strike, the PPS declared a general strike. "Even the tiny and illegal Polish Communist Party announced support for what they termed Piłsudski's 'revolutionary armies'." The railway workers were vital, because during the fighting they blocked troop trains trying to deliver reinforcements for the government. On 14 May, the government leaders decided to stop resisting the "coup" and resigned.