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1937 peasant strike in Poland, also known in some Polish sources as the Great Peasant Uprising ((ポーランド語:Wielki Strajk Chłopski)) was a mass strike and demonstration of peasants organized by the People's Party and aimed at the ruling ''sanacja'' government. It was the largest political protest in the Second Polish Republic,〔 taking place in 12 voivodeships of the Second Polish Republic.〔 It is estimated that several million peasants took part in the demonstrations,〔 and the strike was supported not only by Polish peasants, but also by the Ukrainian and Belarusian farmers, who made a majority in eastern part of the Second Polish Republic.〔 ==Background== By mid-1930s, Poland, a country with a large agricultural sector, was significantly affected by the Great Depression,〔 Janusz Gmitruk, (Rok 1937 ), ''Realia'', Kwiecień NR 2 (11) 2009〕 with peasants being one of the most affected groups.〔 Polish peasantry, especially in overpopulated areas of Lesser Poland, was desperately poor. Prices of food products fell down, which resulted in smaller profits for the peasants. In some provinces, the countryside went backwards to the 19th century, with imminent prospect of hunger. Unemployment among youth in villages was widespread, and this grew radicalization and frustration of the impoverished people. Furthermore, the increasingly more authoritarian government (''sanacja'') was losing public support.〔 Immediately after the May Coup, some leaders of peasant parties hoped that cooperation with the new government was possible. However, further events, such as destruction of Centrolew, arrest of Wincenty Witos, and the ill-fated 1930 election deeply disappointed all of them. In response to the actions of the government, in 1931 a new political party of the peasants, agrarian People's Party (''Stronnictwo Ludowe'', SL) was created out of three smaller parties.〔 SL leaders, who by mid-1930s became more radical, emphasized quantity of numerous Polish peasantry and its physical strength. They claimed that peasants were real hosts of the country. In an attempt to wrest political power, the SL was organizing a series of large demonstrations and strikes; those were often met with government opposition; over the years violent incidents occurred, leading to fatalities.〔 Peasants' protests were frequent, and in all cases they were brutally suppressed by the sanacja regime. Among most notable events of this kind was a large wave of strikes, which took place in 1932-33 in southern Poland, in the area of Lapanow, Lesko, and Ropczyce. Instead of negotiating, the government would send armed police or units of the Polish Army, which pacified villages and sometimes killed the demonstrators. It has been estimated that across 1930s, around 100 peasants were killed by the security forces. The idea of the strike did not meet with unanimous approval. Marginal Communist Party of Poland (''Komunistyczna Partia Polski'', KPP) threw its weight behind the strike, but right wing National Party (''Stronnictwo Narodowe'', SN) was opposed to it. Crucially, Polish Socialist Party (''Polska Partia Socjalistyczna'', PPS) declined to participate in it, so despite KPP support, the strike did not spread to the cities, as SL hoped. Notheless some worker strikes did occur during that period.〔 Even within SL not all activists were convinced it was a good idea; it was supported by Wincenty Witos and Stanisław Mikołajczyk, but criticized by Maciej Rataj.〔 The decision to start the strike was the effect of new tactics, worked out during the Extraordinary Congress of the People's Party (SL), which took place on January 17, 1937 in Warsaw. On that day it was decided that if the government did not meet demands of the SL, a general peasant strike would be introduced. Participants in the Congress signed an appeal which demanded democratization of the country, amnesty for politicians sentenced in the Brest trials, and changes in the Constitution. The strike was prepared by Stanisław Mikołajczyk, also by Wincenty Witos, who had been forced to leave Poland and lived in Czechoslovakia. Using his couriers, Witos sent advice and instructions.〔 Prelude to the strike took place on April 18, 1937, when peasants organized a large demonstration in the fields of Raclawice, site of a 1792 battle (see Battle of Raclawice), in which Polish units consisted of several peasant soldiers. On that day, thousands of people gathered, unaware of the fact that Minister Felicjan Slawoj-Skladkowski had forbidden public demonstrations and meetings. The rally was attacked by the police, which killed 3 peasants. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「1937 peasant strike in Poland」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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