Solidarity in Poland

Question 1

What happened throughout the years of communist control in Poland?

Answer 1

There were regular protests

Question 2

What were these protests normally about?

Answer 2

Living standards and prices rather than a wholesale opposition to communism

Question 3

What happened in Poland in 1979?

Answer 3

A crisis in the polish economy - it was the worst year for industry since establishment of communism.

Question 4

What did the crisis in the polish economy lead to?

Answer 4

A series of events

Question 5

What happened in July 1980?

Answer 5

1) Government announced increases in meat prices

Question 6

What happened in August 1980?

Answer 6

2) Lech Walesa leads workers at the Gdansk shipyard in putting 21 demands to the government including free Trade Unions and the right to strike. They also started a free trade union called Solidarity.

Question 7

What happened on the 30th August 1980

Answer 7

3) Government agrees to all demands

Question 8

What happened in September 1980?

Answer 8

4) Solidarity’s membership reaches 3.5 million

Question 9

What happened in October 1980?

Answer 9

5) Membership reaches 7 million and solidarity is recognised by Polish government

Question 10

What happened in January 1981?

Answer 10

6) Membership reaches 9.4 million - more than 1/3 of Polish workers

Question 11

Reasons for Solidarity’s Success (6)

Answer 11

• Strongest in critical industries of ship building and heavy industry. General strike would have crippled Polish economy.
• Not seen as an alternative to the Communist Party: 30% of members of the latter joined Solidarity.
• Walesa’s shrewd leadership: careful in negotiations and avoided any potential Soviet involvement.
• Catholic Church’s support.
• Polish government’s hope that over time Solidarity would factionalise, playing for time whilst making plans for martial law.
• Soviet cautiousness - awareness in the USSR that there was strong support for Walesa and Solidarity. Scale of the movement encouraged caution.

Question 12

Who came into power in Poland after the civilian prime minister resigned?

Answer 12

General Jaruzelski (leader of the army)

Question 13

When did General Jaruzelski come into power?

Answer 13

February 1981

Question 14

What was the expectation when General Jaruzelski came in as prime minister?

Answer 14

That the soviet invasion was imminent

Question 15

What did the solidarity congress publish when General Jaruzelski came to power?

Answer 15

An open letter saying that they are campaigning not only for their own right but for workers’ rights throughout the Eastern bloc - “For your freedom and for ours”

Question 16

What did Jaruzelski and Walesa negotiate to form?

Answer 16

A government of national understanding

Question 17

How long did this government last for?

Answer 17

9 months

Question 18

When did the coalition government end?

Answer 18

December 1981

Question 19

What did Brezhnev order his army to do in December 1981?

Answer 19

Carry out training manoeuvres on the Polish border

Question 20

What did Jaruzelski do in December 1981?

Answer 20

Introduced martial law putting Walesa and 10,000 other solidarity leaders in jail. Solidarity is suspended.

Question 21

Why was solidarity crushed? (3)

Answer 21

• Fears that Solidarity was becoming a political party. Government claimed it had tapes of members planning to form a new provisional government without Communist Party involvement.
• Domestic difficulties in Poland: food shortages; rationing introduced in April 1981; wages increasing at a slower rate than inflation; rising unemployment.
• Solidarity was becoming increasingly factionalised - more radical elements continually disobeyed the leadership when told to cease striking.

Question 22

Why was Solidarity significant?

Answer 22

• Demonstrated to the world the poor living standards experienced in communist countries, undermining its claim to support working people.
• Highlighted the corruption endemic in one party states.
• Demonstrated that organised resistance was - to a degree - possible. Threatened by ‘people power’.
• Demonstrated that the only thing maintaining communist control of eastern Europe was the threat of the Red Army.