March Forward

The 1968 Polish Generational Crisis

Abstract

This essay reflects upon historian and dissident Adam Michnik’s commentary on the 1968 Polish political crisis in which he participated. Instigated by the banning of the play Dziady by the ruling communist party, student protests erupted across the country. By exploring the dynamics between the senior figures of the Communist leadership and the youthful protests, this essay delves into the revival of nationalist and antisemitic ideologies within the regime, with parallels drawn to political trends of the 1920s. Although the protests initially failed to achieve their demands, the policies and responses of 1968 set the stage for the eventual downfall of the Communist regime and the subsequent rise of a democratic national movement.