Henryk Jabłoński

Henryk Jan Jabłoński (27 December 1909 – 27 January 2003) was a Polish historian and politician. After 1948, he became a politician of the ruling Polish United Workers' Party, as well as a historian and professor at Warsaw University. He served as head of state of the People's Republic of Poland between 1972 and 1985.

Life and career
Jabłoński was born in Stary Waliszew in the Warsaw Governorate of Congress Poland. From 1931, he was a member of the Polish Socialist Party (PPS). During World War II he fought in the battle of Narvik (Norway) and then joined the French Resistance. In 1945 Jabłoński become a member of the State National Council (KRN), and during the years 1946 and 1948 he had high functions in the PPS (chairman of Central State Committee and its vice-leader). He approved joining the PPS with the Polish Workers' Party (PPR, Polska Partia Robotnicza).

From 1947 to 1972, he was a deputy to the Sejm. In 1948 he was appointed professor at Warsaw University (from 1952 member of Polish Academy of Sciences – PAN). Between 1948 and 1981, Henryk Jabłoński was in the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party (KC PZPR).

In 1972, on the initiative of Edward Gierek, Jablonski was chosen the de iure leader (chairman of the Council of State) of the People's Republic of Poland. From 1976 to 1983 he was a chief of the Front of National Unity (FJN, Front Jedności Narodu). From 1983 to 1990 he was chief of ZBoWiD, the Society of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy, an organisation of war veterans. In 1985 he was replaced as head of state by General Wojciech Jaruzelski. His wife Jadwiga Jabłońska died in 1999.

Honours and awards

 * Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, earlier Commander's Cross
 * Order of the Builders of People's Poland
 * Order of the Banner of Labour (Poland), 1st class
 * Order of the Cross of Grunwald, 3rd class
 * Deed Combat Cross Polish Armed Forces in the West (1989)
 * Gold Medal of Merit for National Defence
 * Great Star of Honour of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Austria
 * Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (Belgium)
 * Order of Georgi Dimitrov (Bulgaria)
 * Order of the White Lion, First Class with Chain (CSSR)
 * Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (France)
 * Order of the Two Rivers, 1st Class (Iraq)
 * Order of José Marti (Cuba)
 * Collars of the Order of the Aztec Eagle (Mexico)
 * Order of Sukhbaatar (Mongolia)
 * Great Chain of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator (Portugal)
 * Great Banner of the Order of the Umayyads (Syria)
 * Order of the Flag of the Republic of Hungary, 1st class
 * Order of the October Revolution (USSR)
 * Order of Friendship of Peoples (USSR)
 * Order of the Badge of Honour (USSR)
 * State Award, Grade II – 1955
 * State Prize – 1964
 * Special National Award – 1979