Ozhekhovsky, Marian

He graduated from the University of Wroclaw , also studied in the USSR . In 1955 he completed an internship at Leningrad State University ^[1] . In 1960 he defended his doctoral dissertation at the Faculty of Philosophy and History of the University of Wroclaw . He specialized in political history, especially of Cieszyn Silesia .

In 1971 - 1975 he was rector of the University of Wroclaw.

Marian Ozhekhovsky made a career in the ideological apparatus of the ruling Communist Party. Joined the PUWP in 1955 , since 1966 - member of the Central Committee. Adhered to orthodox- communist positions. He oversaw the historical and theoretical journal of the Central Committee of the PUWP Z Pola Walki .

As an ideological functionary, in 1980 - 1981 Ozhekhovsky actively participated in the confrontation between the PUWP and the Solidarity movement , and took a tough stance against the opposition trade union:

If the adversary does not heed the strength of the arguments, we must use the arguments of our strength ^[2] .

In October 1981 , in anticipation of a force clash, Ozhekhovsky took the post of Secretary of the Central Committee of the PUWP for ideology. He was the ideologist of the military-party regime established on December 13, 1981 . It is characteristic that he left the secretary post in 1983 , with the abolition of martial law .

In 1984 - 1986 Ozhekhovsky was the rector of the Academy of Social Sciences under the Central Committee of the PUWP. In 1985 he took the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the NDP in the government of Zbigniew Messner , remained in office until 1988 ^[3] . Since 1986 - member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the PUWP; since 1988 - again Secretary of the Central Committee.

Since the second half of the 1980s, against the background of perestroika in the USSR , Marian Ozhekhovsky began to change his political image. Still positioning itself as a supporter of the hard line, he gradually distanced himself from the Stalinist “party concrete” (this group was represented, in particular, by his predecessor in the Foreign Ministry, Stefan Olshovsky ) ^[4] , supported the reformist attitudes of General Jaruzelsky ^[5] . In the fall of 1988, Ozhekhovsky supported Yaruzelsky- Kishchak ’s course to compromise with Solidarity.

At the plenum of the Central Committee of the PUWP, held in December 1988 - January 1989, Ozhekhovsky strongly advocated negotiations with the opposition, and thereby strengthened his position in the circle of Jaruzelsky. After the removal of Orthodox Tadeusz Porebski, he became a party curator of the education system.

In February - April 1989, Ozhekhovsky took part in the Round Table . He played a significant role in reaching agreements on political reforms - the introduction of the institution of the presidency , the legalization of Solidarity, and the admission of the opposition to "semi-free" elections. The goal of the PUWP leadership was to prevent mass strikes and share responsibility with the opposition for unpopular measures in socio-economic policy ^[6] .

In the alternative elections in June 1989, Ozhekhovsky - unlike other representatives of the PUWP leadership - managed to get elected to the Sejm (the absence of his name on the so-called “national list” approved by the PUWP leadership, which the voters obstructed, helped ^[7] ). But overall, the elections showed massive support for Solidarity and the rejection of the PUWP. In the changing political situation, further rule of the PUWP became impossible, and at the end of August the first non-communist government of the NDP was formed, headed by Tadeusz Mazowiecki . Ozhekhovsky led the PORP deputy club, becoming the last parliamentary leader in the history of the Polish Communist Party. He in every possible way demonstrated understanding of new conditions and loyalty to the new authorities ^[8] .

In January 1990, the XI Congress of the PUWP decided on the self-liquidation of the party. Marian Ozhekhovsky took an active part in the establishment of the Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland , created by nomenclature reformers on a personnel basis of the former Communist Party. For some time he was the main ideologist of “post-PORP”, he spoke from social-democratic positions, but did not enjoy understanding and trust in society.

Ozhekhovsky’s political influence was based on proximity to Jaruzelsky, so the general’s departure from the party leadership ^[9] , then from politics in general, weakened the position of the adherent. Gradually Ozhekhovsky also left politics. He was engaged in teaching activities in Warsaw and Lodz ^[10] .

• The debate about the Marxist theory of revolution = Spór o marksistowską teorię rewolucji. - M .: Progress , 1986. - 325 p.