Primary Sources
U.S. Reaction to a New Prime Minister in Poland
Description
In early June 1989, Poland held its first semi-free elections since the inception of Communist Party rule in the post-World War II era. The elections resulted in a solid defeat of Communism and a sound victory for the Solidarity opposition. Following the election, at the advice of Solidarity leader Lech Walesa, president Wojciech Jaruzelski, a Communist Party leader and president of Poland at the time, appointed Tadeusz Mazowiecki to the position of prime minister. Mazowiecki, a well-known journalist and Solidarity activist, became the first non-Communist prime minister in all of Eastern Europe since the 1940s. These telegrams from August 24, 1989, the day on which Mazowiecki was chosen for this position, between the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw and the U.S. secretary of state, exhibit the elation that American government officials felt about this historic moment in Eastern European history. In Poland (and in the region as a whole), Communism was being dismantled piece by piece.
Source
U.S. Embassy Warsaw to U.S. Secretary of State and U.S. Secretary of State to U.S. Embassy Warsaw, "Request for Instructions," 24 August 1989, Cold War International History Project, Documents and Papers, CWIHP (accessed May 14, 2008).
Primary Source—Excerpt
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01 WARSAW 11383 241436Z ACTION EUR-00
INFO LOG-00 ADS-00 SS-00 EB-00 SSO-00 HA-09 AM&D-01 A-00 /010 W ------------------ 050321 241507Z /49 99 0 241414Z AUG 89 FM SMEMBASSY WARSAW TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7930
12.0. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: AMGT, PREL, PL SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR INSTRUCTIONS
REF: 88 STATE 212680 AND PREVIOUS
(C) I HAVE THE HONOR TO REPORT THAT MR. TADEUSZ
MAZOWIECKI, A LEADING MEMBER OF SOLIDARITY, WAS
TODAY CONFIRMED BY A VOTE OF THE POLISH SEJM
IN THE POSITION OF PRIME MINISTER OF POLAND
AND COMMISSIONED TO FORM A GOVERNMENT. I
BELIEVE THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT CONSTITUTES
ESSENTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE POLITICAL TASKS
ASSIGNED TO ME IN MY CURRENT LETTER OF
INSTRUCTIONS AND AWAIT FURTHER ORDERS.
DAVIS
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01 STATE 272512 ORIGIN EUR-00
INFO LOG-00 ADS-00 A-00 /000 R
DRAFTED BY: EUR/EEY:JWSWTHART APPROVED BY: EUR/EEY:JWSWIHART EUR/EEY:CRHILL (DRAFT) EUR/EEY:MMHORNBLOW (DRAFT) EUR/EEY:DFRIED (DRAFT) EUR/EEY:GAKROL (DRAFT) DESIRED DISTRIBUTION EUR/EEY - 3, PL - 2 ----------------- 074430 242331Z /38 O 242329Z AUG 89 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO AMEMBASSY WARSAW IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 272512
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR TAGS: AMGT, PREL, PL SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S INSTRUCTIONS
REF : WARSAW 11383
1. (C) DEPARTMENT NOTES WITH SATISFACTION THE ESSENTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE POLITICAL TASKS ASSIGNED IN YOUR LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS.
2 . (C) YOUR NEXT TASK IS TO PROMOTE AND ENSURE THE REALIZATION OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY IN POLAND, TO INCLUDE STABLE GROWTH, FULL EMPLOYMENT, LOW INFLATION, HIGH PRODUCTIVITY AND A MERCEDES (OR EQUIVALENT) IN EVERY GARAGE.< br>3. (U) BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS.
EAGLEBURGER