Poland and Solidarity Flashcards
What was Solidarity
A trade union
Were trade unions allowed in Poland in 1980
Yes but they were ineffective against government policies
What government policy was announced in 1980 that was unpopular
In July 1980, the Polish government was facing an economic crisis and raised the price of goods while also imposing a limit on any rises in wages. This caused many people to face extreme poverty, causing many strikes to occur.
How was Solidarity formed
On 14 August 1980, workers at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk went on strike for two reasons:
- Angry at price rises
- Angry at the dismissal of several workers who had complained about poor conditions
Who led the strike in August 1980
Lech Walsea
How did the Communist party try to deal with the shipyard strike
They tried to isolate them by cutting telephone lines and censoring news reports but the workers received support from across the country and they were forced to negotiate
What did the August 1980 strike demand
They had 21 demands, but some important ones were:
1. More pay
2. End to censorship
3. Free trade unions
4. The right to strike
5. Welfare benefits and better healthcare
6. Election of factory managers
7. Broadcast of Catholic Church Services - very prominent religion in the country
Why did Solidarity’s popularity increase so quickly
- It worked - demands were agreed to
- Many workers agreed with their points
- Extreme poverty at the time made people latch onto hope
Why did Solidarity succeed initially where others had failed
- Popularity - almost half of the workers were in it and between 1980 and 1981, 10 million people joined
- Members - areas most important to the government supported it (heavy industry etc.), as did the prominent Catholic Church
- Method - no violence to avoid backlash. Also not seen as an alternative to the Communist party (1m/30% of the Communist party were in it)
- Demands - These were national issues with support from almost the whole population and it was careful to avoid involving the USSR and anything they may object to.
- Organised - committee, newspaper to spread their message, strong and would not fall apart.
- Western support - possible backlash if it was crushed under unjust actions
What happened at the end of 1981
The government took action to reassert control. The prime minister, Jaruzelski, invited Walesa to meet and discuss his role but on December 13 claimed he had recordings of Solidarity leaders planning a coup. Solidarity was outlawed and martial law put in place, and the military arrested most of its leaders.
What changed later in the 1980s
In 1985, the USSR elected Mikhail Gorbachev, who was a reformer and pursued better relations with the West and supported policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (economic restructuring).
What did Gorbachev do differently with regards to the Eastern Bloc
He believed the cost of supporting them was too much and did not send troops in 1989 when protests spread.
What occurred in 1989 in Poland
The Polish leader Jaruzelski recognised the need to work with Solidarity and confident it had lost popularity, ended martial law and declared Solidarity legal in April 1989.
Why was 1989 different to 1981
- There was no military Soviet support to the government
- Glasnost meant that Soviets won’t back the government
What did talks with Solidarity and the government in February 1989 achieve
- Legalisation of non-governmental trad unions
- Creation of the position of president
- Formation of a Senate
- The parliament also had 35% of the seats freely elected with the rest reserved for the Communist party
