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The Solidarity Movement
The Polish working class fought for wage justice, the re-legalization of Solidarity and its invitation to work on economic reforms with the government, release of political prisoners, collective bargaining rights, safety and health regulations, rights to organize, and free elections. -
1981
By 1981, 10 million people we part of the group, and it included 80% of the countries workforce. -
Spring of 1981
The Solidarity movement announced that its followers would go on a mass strike in anticipation against government oppression. In the spring 12 million people participated in the largest strike in Soviet Bloc history. 1981 government forces opened fire on demonstrators where a few died and many were injured -
December 1981
By December of 1981 the demonstrations were over -
Period: to
1981-1985
From the years 1981 and 1985, 78 people killed and thousands more were arrested or injured -
Funding
The demonstrations continued and the organization receives funding from the US president Ronald Reagan, the CIA, Western Trade Unions, and Pope John Paul II -
October 1982
On October 8, 1982 the Polish government rendered the Solidarity organization illegal The demonstrations continued and the organization receives funding from the US president Ronald Reagan, the CIA, Western Trade Unions, and Pope John Paul II -
December 1982
By 1983 the government cracked down on the organization and arrested 10,000 members -
1986
by 1986 most of the Solidity protesters were released from prison -
1988
by 1988 the price of food went up 40% and students protested against the unfairness of the government -
1988
in August a mass strike was organized at the July Manifesto involving thousands; the strike lasted until September 3. By August, the strike had spread to many other mines and cities. Strikers chanted, ‘There’s no liberty without Solidarity!’ On the 17th, the Inter-Enterprise Strike Committee released a list of demands including: the legalization of Solidarity, economic reforms, wage justice, collective bargaining rights, safety and health standards, and the right to organize. -
1989
in May of 1989 the largest march took place including over 100,000 participants in Warsaw -
1989
that June Solidarity members won 99 out of the 100 seats for senate and for the first time people of the communist party were outnumbered. Tadeusz Mazowiuecki, was voted Prime Minister of Poland and became the first non-communist Prime Minister of Eastern Europe. -
Freedom
Lech Walesa was voted President of Poland and with him came the fall of Communism in Poland
