Polish Foreign Policy in the 1970’s

Abstract

Foreign policy was somewhat of an exception to the gloom surrounding the twilight of the GomuHca era. While in the domestic sphere, on the government side there was deepening stagnation and widespread popular dissatisfaction which culminated in the explosion of December 1970, in external relations, especially from the spring of 1969, there was an upsurge of activity.1 Taking its cue from the appeal for allEuropean cooperation issued by the meeting of Communist leaders in Budapest in March 1969, Polish diplomacy increased its contacts with various Western European capitals. The attempts to reduce tensions in Europe were linked to earlier Polish proposals, especially the Rapacki and the GomuMca plans, and Poland soon emerged as a major proponent of a European conference. On 17 May 1969 Gomutka offered to undertake negotiations aimed at normalization of relations between Poland and West Germany. His speech maintained that the FRG must accept the Polish western boundary, but otherwise was surprisingly moderate in its tone. In the fall, after Brandt's coming to power, Bonn responded favourably to Warsaw's overture, and by February 1970 Polish-German talks were underway. The negotiations, in which the Poles displayed a good deal of flexibility, went on until late that year. By November the treaty providing for acceptance by the FRG of the Polish western boundary and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries was agreed upon. It was signed during Chancellor Brandt's visit to Warsaw on 7 December 1970.2 Two weeks later, after the workers' rebellion in