ABSTRACT
The alignment of Soviet propaganda after the Moscow summit suggests that Kremlin leaders welcomed an act of violence in Poland which almost sparked a confrontation between Solidarity and the regime. Soviet military moves accompanying the propaganda were seemingly intended to pressure Kania and Jaruzelski into imposing martial law as a counter to Solidarity’s threat to call a general strike in protest over the Bydgoszcz affair. The item did everything but say that Polish authorities were on the verge of declaring martial law. Sessions of the Politburo and steering committee of the parliament were held “in connection with the sharp increase of tension in the country.” The Kremlin may still have hope to use its military movements to drive Kania into invoking martial law. In that case it would have been inopportune for Soviet media to have boosted the foremost critics of the Party head when reporting on the Central Committee meeting.
