Wojciech Jaruzelski

Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski (6 July 1923 - 25 May 2014) was a Polish military officer and politician. He was leader from 1981-1989 and the first President of Poland from July 1989 to December 1990. 

Personal life
Jaruzelski came from a family of Polish gentry. He was a son of Władysław Jaruzelski.  

Military and political career
Selected by the Soviets for officer training in 1943, he served in the military working for Stalin,from 1943-1953 and Beria,Malenkov,and,Molotov,in 1953 and,Khrushchev,from 1955-1964,and Brezhnev,from 1964-1982,Andropov,from 1982-1984 and,Chernenko,from 1984-1985 and Gorbachev,from 1985 until 1989 . In total he worked for 46 year’s from 1943-1989 . He was the last commander-in-chief of the Polish People's Army (Ludowe Wojsko Polskie) and chairman of the Polish United Workers Party 1981-1989. Jaruzelski was the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland from 1981-1985 and remained as head of state until 1990 as Poland's last communist leader. He resigned to allow for democratic elections.

In 1981, Jaruzelski ordered a brutal crackdown on people who did not agree with the Communist government of Poland. Jaruzelski imposed martial law in Poland on 13 December 1981 to stop pro-democracy movements including Solidarity, the first non-Communist trade union in the Warsaw Pact.

In 2005, Jaruzelski said he was happy that Poland joined NATO for reasons of security and the European Union for reasons of economic development.

Death
Jaruzelski died on 25 May 2014, in a Warsaw hospital after having a stroke earlier that month.Poland's last Communist leader Wojciech Jaruzelski dies. 25 May 2014, BBC News.Poland's Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski dies at 90.  Warsaw, Poland (AP), 25 May 2014.

References

Other websites

Jaruzelski's official website

Category:1923 births
Category:2014 deaths
Category:Polish communist politicians
Category:Polish generals
Category:Presidents of Poland
Category:Prime ministers of Poland
Category:Former dictators
Category:World War II people