Word: spychalski
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...however, expected that it would be so soon or so severe. In addition to Gomulka, who ostensibly resigned his post for reasons of health (in fact, he has long had a heart condition), four of his close associates were dropped from Poland's twelve-man Politburo. President Marian Spychalski, 64, felt so completely disgraced that he never even appeared before the Sejm (Poland's rubber-stamp parliament) to resign from office in person...
...reigning figure who did come to the Sejm, apologizing for his mistakes, was the durable Józef Cyrankiewicz, 59, who moved up to Spychalski's ceremonial position as President after 21 years as Premier. He was succeeded by Deputy Premier Piotr Jaroszewicz, 61, who was also promoted from deputy Politburo member to full member. In his placating acceptance speech, Jaroszewicz announced that the new regime intended to seek "full normalization of relations" with the Roman Catholic Church, to which 95% of all Poles nominally belong. Full normalization was more than Gomulka had ever sought; the new regime seemed...
...Toes. With the resignation of President Edward Ochab, who is 61 and nearly blind, Gomulka had sufficient strength in the Polish Sejm (Parliament) to have the post filled by a trusted lieutenant, Defense Minister Marian Spychalski, 62. The political fortunes of Spychalski, an architect by training, have waned and gained for 25 years with those of Gomulka. An underground Communist leader during World War II, he was arrested, imprisoned and tortured by Stalinists after Gomulka was purged in 1948. Never brought to trial, Spychalski left prison a cripple without toes, was made Defense Minister after Gomulka gained power...
Though the post of President is largely ceremonial, Gomulka needs a loyal supporter there. By putting in Spychalski, he also managed to thwart those who would have liked to see Premier Jozef Cyrankiewicz, 56, another Gomulka backer, shifted to the ceremonial post, where his moderating influence on the government would be neutralized. Into Spychalski's place as Defense Minister, Gomulka managed to put another supporter. He was Wojciech Jaruzelski, 44, the Deputy Defense Minister and Chief of the General Staff. Aware of the factional struggle, Jaruzelski immediately appointed three new vice ministers to offset the anti-Gomulka cast...
...must end it all without publicity. We must find a compromise." He refused to attend a Cominform conference in Rumania where the satellite leaders were to gang up on Tito. That was enough for Stalin. At a signal Gomulka's comrades turned on him. General Marian Spychalski was Gomulka's chief denouncer. Gomulka was accused of being "permeated with the Pilsudski spirit." Economic Minister Mine accused him of betraying his underground comrades to the Gestapo. Said Polit-burocrat Jakub Berman: "Let Comrade Gomulka repudiate his mystical notions and let him march together with the party." But the stubborn...