History of the Soviet Union (1964–82) Politburo Commission pushed for martial law instead of an intervention. When Wojciech Jaruzelski became Prime Minister of Poland in February 1980, the Soviet leadership, but also Poles in general, supported his appointment. As time went by, however, Jaruzelski tried, and failed, according to Archie Brown, "to walk a tightrope" between the demands made by the USSR and the Poles. Martial law was initiated on 13 December 1981 by the Jaruzelski Government. During the final years of Brezhnev's rule, and in the aftermath of his death, the Soviet leadership was forced by domestic difficulties to allow the Eastern Bloc governments to
Wojciech Jaruzelski delivered the decision of deportation by several armed soldiers in Lithuanian and Polish. In the railway station, Jaruzelski was separated from his father, who was sent directly to a labor camp. Jaruzelski and his mother were sent to Biysk, Altai Krai, spending more than one month on the way. After that, Jaruzelski walked for 180 kilometers to Turochak where he was responsible for forest cleaning. During his labour work he was stricken with snow blindness and suffered permanent damage to his eyes as well as his back. His eye condition forced him to wear dark sunglasses most of the time