# Edward Gierek - First Secretary of the PZPR

URL: https://poland-history.com/rulers/edward-gierek
Reign: 1970–1980
Born-Died: 1913 - 2001
Dynasty: Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR)
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gierek

Led a decade of foreign-loan-financed modernisation that ended in economic crisis and the strikes of 1980.

## Succession
- Preceded by: [Władysław Gomułka](https://poland-history.com/rulers/wladyslaw-gomulka)
- Succeeded by: [Stanisław Kania](https://poland-history.com/rulers/stanislaw-kania)

## Timeline events during this reign
- 1970 - [December 1970 protests](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1970-december-1970-protests)
- 1970 - [Treaty of Warsaw](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1970-treaty-of-warsaw)
- 1970 - [Edward Gierek takes office](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1970-edward-gierek-takes-office)
- 1970 - [Józef Cyrankiewicz takes office](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1970-jozef-cyrankiewicz-takes-office)
- 1971 - [Royal Castle reconstruction](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1971-royal-castle-reconstruction)
- 1972 - [Henryk Jabłoński takes office](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1972-henryk-jablonski-takes-office)
- 1972 - [Stanisław Ostrowski becomes President in exile](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1972-stanislaw-ostrowski-becomes-president-in-exile)
- 1974 - [Third place at the World Cup](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1974-third-place-at-the-world-cup)
- 1976 - [June 1976 protests](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1976-june-1976-protests)
- 1976 - [KOR founded](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1976-kor-founded)
- 1978 - [Hermaszewski in space](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1978-hermaszewski-in-space)
- 1978 - [John Paul II elected Pope](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1978-john-paul-ii-elected-pope)
- 1979 - [Edward Raczyński becomes President in exile](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1979-edward-raczynski-becomes-president-in-exile)
- 1979 - [First papal pilgrimage](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1979-first-papal-pilgrimage)
- 1980 - [Solidarity founded](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1980-solidarity-founded)
- 1980 - [Miłosz Nobel Prize](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1980-milosz-nobel-prize)
- 1980 - [Gdańsk Agreement](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1980-gdansk-agreement)
- 1980 - [Stanisław Kania takes office](https://poland-history.com/timeline/1980-stanislaw-kania-takes-office)