Stanisław Kania was born on 8 March 1927 in Wrocanka, Jasło County in the Second Polish Republic into a working class family.

[2] He attended courses at the PZPR's party school from 1950 to 1952 and was appointed head of the Rural Youth Department and to the main board of the ZWM.

On 6 September 1980, Kania was elected First Secretary when Edward Gierek was forced to resign for signing the Gdańsk Agreement with the Solidarity amidst much social and economic unrest in Poland.

He admitted that the party had made many economic mistakes, advocated working with Catholic and trade unionist opposition groups, and met with Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa and other critics of the PZPR.

Kania's attempts at reconciliation with opposition groups in Poland were largely unsuccessful, losing the confidence of both the party and the public.