Who was the last leader of communist Poland who declared martial law in 1981 and later oversaw reforms?

• A. Lech Wałęsa
• B. Wojciech Jaruzelski
• C. Tadeusz Mazowiecki
• D. Roman Dmowski

Answer: (B)

Wojciech Jaruzelski is the figure who fits this description. He was the military and political leader who declared martial law in Poland on December 13, 1981, aiming to curb the Solidarity movement and maintain control. Although the crackdown restricted freedoms for a time, it also set in motion a path toward reform. Jaruzelski later oversaw the negotiations and changes that led to the Round Table talks in 1989 and the peaceful transition away from communist rule, making him the last leader of communist Poland who both imposed martial law and guided the shift to a post-communist government.

Lech Wałęsa led the Solidarity movement and later became president after the transition, not the martial law decree. Tadeusz Mazowiecki was the first non-communist prime minister in 1989, guiding reforms but not the martial law action. Roman Dmowski was a nationalist leader from the early 20th century, long before the communist era in Poland.