ABSTRACT
Over a decade after its introduction the apologists of martial law still maintain that its immediate trigger was the alleged call to anus by
Solidarity delegates at an emergency debate held in Radom on 3 December 1981. Three days after the meeting, secretly recorded and edited extracts of the proceedings were broadcast on Warsaw Radio. The tapes allegedly exposed the true nature of Solidarity's plans to overthrow the state. In simple tenus this was the basis for the claim that martial law was justified in order to deal with the 'internal' threat to Poland's security. The other threat was of course the anticipated offer of 'fraternal assistance' from the Soviet Union or members of the Warsaw Pact, concerned that the Polish disease might spread.
