. ▁ ▁The ▁decision ▁to ▁start ▁the ▁strike ▁was ▁the ▁effect ▁of ▁new ▁tact ics , ▁worked ▁out ▁during ▁the ▁Ext ra ordinary ▁Congress ▁of ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Party ▁( SL ), ▁which ▁took ▁place ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁in ▁Wars aw . ▁On ▁that ▁day ▁it ▁was ▁decided ▁that ▁if ▁the ▁government ▁did ▁not ▁meet ▁dem ands ▁of ▁the ▁SL , ▁a ▁general ▁pe asant ▁strike ▁would ▁be ▁introduced . ▁Part icip ants ▁in ▁the ▁Congress ▁signed ▁an ▁appeal ▁which ▁demanded ▁dem ocrat ization ▁of ▁the ▁country , ▁am n esty ▁for ▁polit icians ▁sent enced ▁in ▁the ▁Br est ▁tri als , ▁and ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁Constitution . ▁The ▁strike ▁was ▁prepared ▁by ▁Stanisław ▁M iko ł aj czy k , ▁also ▁by ▁Win cent y ▁W itos , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁forced ▁to ▁leave ▁Poland ▁and ▁lived ▁in ▁Czech oslov ak ia . ▁Using ▁his ▁cou riers , ▁W itos ▁sent ▁advice ▁and ▁instructions . ▁ ▁P rel ude ▁to ▁the ▁strike ▁took ▁place ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁when ▁pe as ants ▁organized ▁a ▁large ▁demonstr ation ▁in ▁the ▁fields ▁of ▁R ac law ice , ▁site ▁of ▁a ▁ 1 7 9 2 ▁battle ▁( see ▁Battle ▁of ▁R ac law ice ), ▁in ▁which ▁Polish ▁units ▁consisted ▁of ▁several ▁pe asant ▁soldiers . ▁On ▁that ▁day , ▁thousands ▁of ▁people ▁gathered , ▁una ware ▁of ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁Minister ▁Fel ic