Lech Wasa and Solidarity By Helene Estes LECH

Lech Wałęsa and Solidarity By Helene Estes

LECH WAŁĘSA

• Born September 29, 1943 in Popowo, Poland • Joined Gdansk shipyards in 1967 • President of the Strike Committee • The Strike of 1970 strike • In 1978, he and others began free noncommunist trade unions

POLAND BEFORE SOLIDARITY

• Communism in Poland after World War II • In 1970 s to 1980 s, Poland faced harsh social conditions • The Bishop of Krakow, later elected Pope John Paul II, made a pilgrimage to Poland where he advocated for “human rights and freedom, denouncing violence”

SOLIDARITY IN POLAND

• August 1980 at the Gdansk Shipyard Strike • “a symbol of hope and embodiment of the struggle against communism and Soviet domination” (NY Times) • 9. 4 Million members • The Gdansk Agreement

FALL OF SOLIDARITY

• Martial law in December 1981 • Solidarity was suspended • Wałęsa was interned “in a country house in a remote spot” • After his release in 1982, he continued underground contacts with other members of the banned Solidarity group

WAŁĘSA IN POWER

• December 22, 1990, Wałęsa became the “first democratically elected President of Poland” • While in power, he strived for workers rights, a stable economy, accession to NATO and European union. • Received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 • Ran for President of the Republic of Poland again in 1995 and 2000, but lost both times. • His popularity as leader of Solidarity was far greater than his popularity as president.

RECENT NEWS

• Documents have been released in the past weeks suggesting Wałęsa was a paid communist informant during 1970 to 1976 • Wałęsa claims that his signatures were forged and that he is innocent of the allegations • Wałęsa released a statement regarding the charges: “I’ve lost. But only because almost everyone has believed that there was some treacherous collaboration on my part with the Security Service 46 years ago, incidental and short, but it was there, and at least for a while I got broken. It is not true. Thank you. You have betrayed me, not me you. ” (New York Times)

INFLUENCE ON POLISH HISTORY

• Wałęsa and the Solidarity movement brought together millions of Poles against communism • Solidarity sought out its goals in a peaceful way • It pointed out to Poles and people across the globe the faults in the Communist system.