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Events leading up to and causing the Formation of Polish Solidarity.
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Katyn Massacre
The Katyn Massacre was the murder of approximately 14,000 Polish officers by the Soviet scret police; the NKVD. 6,000 others were murdered in nearby prisons and in Western Ukraine by the same order of execution. The "officers" were a collection of the Polish Officers Corps but also contained teachers, police officers, priests, land owners and Industrialists. These murders were carried out because of Soviet suspicions of the victims being Nazi intelligence officers. -
Soviet establishment of the People's Republic of Poland.
The PRP becomes officialy established through a rigged referendum set up by the pre-existing Comunist Government. -
First Polish Strike against Communism
A large industrial strike in Posnan campaigning against appaling work conditions and fraudulent payment. Put down voilently by Soviet troops and tanks. 80 civilians were killed and 300 were injured. -
Rise in food prices and another strike.
Due to work difficulties and a rising Soviet debt the food prices are raised just before Christmas. Poland being the deeply Catholic country it is, this act pleased no one. Soon there was striking and the workers demanded an independant trade union. The strikes were put down voilently with 75 deaths. -
Raise in Food Prices
Another raise in food prices. -
Solidarity Forms.
The Solidarity Movement was founded at the Gdańsk Shipyard (known then as Lenin Shipyard) by a group of workers striking against rising market pricing and poor pay and working conditions. The movement eventually gains upwards of 10,000,000 members, one in three working age citizens in Poland belong to the union. -
Martial Law declared.
Wojciech Jaruzelski, leader of the Communist Government in Poland at the time brings in a state of martial law fearing the growing influence. Jaruzelski announces the declaration of martial law via a television broadcast. He explains that if he did not implement martial law then the Soviet Army would have invaded to put down the striking Solidarity in accordance with the Warsaw Pact. It is still a matter of contention among historians today whether the Kremlin had any intention of invasion. -
Martial Law lifted.
Jaruzelski finally lifts martial law in Poland due to an ailling economy caused by continuos striking by the public. These strikes were held because of the even worse conditions for the average Polish civilian than before the ban in 1981. These conditions included a general drop in income by 20%, restricted civil liberties, item rationing and the detainment of many strikers without trial. -
Strikers Released
Strikers that were imprisoned during the period of martial law are finally released by the government. -
The Round Table Agreement
A secret meeting of the back of a massive wave of strikes in where the government opened a dialogue to the leaders of the Solidarity movement. Soviet intentions were for Solidarity to become a co-government with the existing one but the reality was much different. Solidarity lept to power and quickly started to reform much of the Communist legislature in to a more liberal leaning society. The disolution of the People's Republic of Poland happened soon afterwards.
