1923 Kraków riot 1923 Kraków riot refers to a riot that took place during a strike on 6 November 1923 in Kraków , Poland . The riot is also called " 1923 Kraków uprising " , particularly by the Marxist sources . Background . Poland regained independence in 1918 ( see Partitions of Poland ) , in the aftermath of the First World War , but was involved in several military conflicts , such as Polish - Soviet War , till late 1920 . After the wars , the newly reconstituted country had to deal with a difficult economic situation , including economic depression and hyperinflation . Workers rights were curtailed , their material situation drastically worsened , and Polish socialists were in opposition to the coalition government of Endecja and Chjeno - Piast , with Wincenty Witos as prime minister . At the same time , Witos and his men were afraid that Józef Piłsudski , who for the time being was staying in his estate in Sulejowek , would use any opportunity to return to power . The Marshall was officially presenting himself as a private person , but his house was carefully watched by the police . In the fall of 1923 , hundreds of strikes took place across the country . At first , Polish government adopted a lenient policy towards worker demonstration , but after a scandal in 1922 , in which a carriage with Polish president was pelted by stones by the workers while police did nothing , this policy changed . In October 1923 , railroads were militarized , and the striking rail workers were drafted into the army . In Kraków , where workers ' strikes and demonstrations were occurring as well , local military commander , General Józef Czikiel , introduced special courts for striking rail workers . In response , on November 5 , Polish Socialist Party proclaimed a general strike . Riots in Kraków . On 5 November the government forbade any demonstrations , yet this decree was disregarded by the workers of Kraków . Therefore , troops , some of them armed with machine guns , were deployed on the streets of the city , and on crucial positions across the city early in the morning on November 6 . A day earlier , Polish Socialist Party ( " Polska Partia Socjalistyczna " , PPS ) had declared a general strike as in response to government militarization of the railways ( ordered in order to end a month - long strike of the railway workers ) and other restrictions . Workers clashed with the police , but the situation didn ' t progress further on that day . Another large workers demonstration begun in late morning of 6 November , resulting in events described in some sources as " Bloody Tuesday " . It all started when the protesters approached " Worker ' s House " , located at Dunajewskiego Street , where a demonstration was planned for that day . However , the House was locked , and in front of it were the police , some of them with rifles and bayonets . Angry workers came closer to the police , and then one of the officers , positioned in a nearby hotel , fired at the crowd . It was the spark that ignited the crowd . The demonstrators rushed at the police , disarming some of the officers . At the same time , a Polish Army regiment , called to help the police , appeared in the Planty Park . The workers began chanting " Long live Józef Piłsudski " , and upon hearing that , the soldiers put down their weapons , honoring their beloved commandant . Soon afterwards , rifles were in the hands of the demonstrators , many of whom were well - trained veterans of the Polish - Soviet War . Since the situation was getting very serious , local authorities called uhlan s of the 8th Regiment , under Rotmistrz Lucjan Bochenek , an experienced soldier , who ordered his subordinates to charge on the crowd , but horses were unable to run on the wet sidewalks , and many of them slipped and fell . The workers dispersed , with a number of them hiding in nearby houses , where they opened fire . Bochenek , and his deputy Mieczyslaw Zagorski were killed , and shocked uhlans were disarmed . Another cavalry unit was also disarmed , and its commandant , shot in both legs , was unable to control the soldiers , who , after hearing workers chant " Long live Pilsudski ! Down with the government of Witos ! " , mingled with the crowd , giving up their weapons . Upon order of General Czikiel , Colonel Becker was left in charge of the army units sent to fight the demonstrators . Becker , finding out about failure of the mounted troops , sent into action infantry regiments , which on previous night had been transported from Katowice and the area of Lwow . Meanwhile , workers were erecting barricades and clashing with the police and troops units again . The Internationale was sung . The demonstrators took control of the Main Market Square area and disarmed some troops . Eventually , troops and police were given orders to fire on the workers , although some soldiers refused to do so . Three Armored car s were used ; one of which , named " Dziadek " , was captured by the workers in the area of the market square . The driver of the armored car was killed , two other soldiers inside were seriously wounded . Around midday of November 6 , the center of the city was under control of the workers , with police and army units stationed around Kraków Main station , and offices of the voivode . At that time , rumors began circulating among the demonstrators , which had it that large army units with artillery were on their way . However , the government in Warsaw , anxious about the situation , had already began negotiations with the opposition , and a five - hour truce was declared , which prevented further fighting . Altogether , about 18 to 30 workers and 14 soldiers were killed ( including 11 cavalryman from an ill - fated charge ) , and there were 101 soldiers wounded . No policeman were killed , but 31 were injured . Among the civilians , 10 were seriously wounded . Also , the demonstrators killed 61 army horses . Aftermath . By 6 November the Polish government declared that it was willing to negotiate with PPS , a ceasfire was agreed upon , and the riots subsided . The government agreed to reverse its decision about militarization of the railways , unpopular voivode of Kraków Voivodeship , Kazimierz Gałecki was replaced by Karol Olpiński and general Józef Czikel ( commander of the Kraków Military District No . V ) was replaced by Lucjan Żeligowski . In return , the socialists promised to end the strike , and urged all workers to return to work the next day . In Kraków , the police withdrew from the streets , which temporarily were patrolled by the armed workers . Increasingly unpopular Chjeno - Piast government would resign in December 1923 , partly due to its handling of the Kraków riots . Apart from Kraków , in early November 1923 there were violent street demonstrations and clashes with police in other southern Polish cities , such as Tarnów , and Boryslaw , with a number of people wounded , as well as killed . All killed cavalrymen were buried at Kraków ' s Rakowicki Cemetery , where a monument with their names was erected .