Polish Solidarity, 1980

What was the Solidarity movement in Poland?

The Solidarity movement was a group of Polish workers which put pressure on the communist government through a series of strikes.

Why did the Solidarity movement emerge?

There were 3 key reasons why the Solidarity movement developed in response to actions of the Polish government:

• ❖ The Polish government faced an economic crisis in 1980 and took steps to solve it.
• ❖ It raised the price of goods.
• ❖ It imposed a limit on pay rises.

How did Solidarity start?

In August 1980, angry shipbuilders in Gdansk met in the Lenin Shipyard and demanded the right to form a trade union.

What did Solidarity want?

The Polish strikers presented their government with a list of twenty-one demands. These included:

• ❖ Trade unions that were independent of the communist party and government.
• ❖ The right to strike and guarantees of the safety of strikers.
• ❖ An increase of 2,000 zlotys for all workers to meet rising prices.
• ❖ A full supply of all food products on the market.
• ❖ Management in workplaces to be chosen according to qualifications, not communist party membership.
• ❖ A day of rest on Saturday.

Why was Solidarity successful?

There were 4 main reasons why Solidarity was successful when similar movements in other communist countries had failed.

• ❖ It was well organised, with a committee, spokesperson and newspaper, the 'Solidarnosc'.
• ❖ Their demands appealed to Poles across the country, which meant they had support from workers across all industries.
• ❖ It was careful never to use violence and only protested with peaceful methods.
• ❖ Between 1980 and 1981, ten million Poles joined from all walks of life. About 80% of the workforce had membership.

How did the Polish government react to the Solidarity movement?

The Polish government initially accepted Solidarity's demands, but had begun to repress it by the end of 1981 in 6 main ways:

• ❖ The government signed an agreement to some of the workers' demands, and Solidarity was formed as an independent nationwide trade union on 31st August, 1980.
• ❖ In February 1981, the prime minister of Poland resigned and the leader of the military, Generał Wojciech Jaruzelski, took over. He was expected to ask for Soviet support.
• ❖ Once the mood had calmed, in December 1981, the government made moves to take back control.
• ❖ Jaruzelski negotiated with the leader of Solidarity, Lech Walesa, for several months.
• ❖ On 13th December, Jaruzelski claimed to have records of a planned coup by Solidarity and declared martial law.
• ❖ The military arrested most of Solidarity's leaders, including Walesa, and suspended the organisation.

Who was Lech Walesa in the Solidarity movement?

Lech Walesa was an electrician who led the Solidarity movement. He became a figure of liberation in both Poland and the western world.

What did the USSR do about Solidarity?

The USSR didn't directly interfere in the Polish government's handling of the Solidarity movement, but it was supportive of it.

• ❖ Many people anticipated Soviet interference after Solidarity said it was campaigning for rights across the communist bloc.
• ❖ While martial law was introduced in Poland in December 1981, Brezhnev ordered the Red Army to carry out manoeuvres on the Polish borders in a show of strength.

What was the significance of Solidarity?

The Solidarity movement was important in what it demonstrated about communist control in eastern Europe in 4 key ways:

• ❖ It publicised communism's inability to provide a good standard of living.
• ❖ It highlighted corruption and inefficiency.
• ❖ It showed that some organisations, and protests, could threaten communist rule.
• ❖ It showed the USSR's only effective weapon to control other countries was force.

What happened to Solidarity after it was suspended?

Despite the suspension of Solidarity and imprisonment of its leaders, the movement continued and ultimately triumphed.

• ❖ In 1985, Gorbachev introduced reforms that included the release of political prisoners across the Eastern Bloc. These included the leaders of Solidarity.
• ❖ In 1988, the Polish government negotiated with Walesa to end strikes caused by further economic difficulties and price rises.
• ❖ In April 1989, Solidarity was legalised again and won every seat it contested in the new Polish parliament.
• ❖ In 1990, Lech Walesa became the first democratically elected president of Poland.