Alanos :
In the 1970s and 80s Poland was ruled by a communist government controlled by the Soviet Union. Life was difficult. People had few rights, food was often scarce, wages were low, and speaking out against the government could get you arrested.. But in August 1980 everything began to change. At the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, workers went on strike led by an electrician named Lech Wałęsa. They didnt just want better pay, but they wanted the right to create an independent trade union, free from government control. Against all odds,, the government (agreed). Thats how Solidarity (Solidarność) was born. Solidarity wasnt just a union, becausee it became a national movement for freedom, justice, etc. etc.. Within a year, over 14 million people joined: workers, farmers, teachers, artists, etc. It was the first peaceful mass movement in the communist world and it inspired hope. The government soon became afraid. In December 1981, it declared martial law. Soldiers filled the streets, Solidarity was banned, and its leaders were arrested. But the spirit of the movement didnt die. For years, it continued underground, spreading secretly through newspapers, meetings, and whispers of resistance. By 1989 the communist system was weakening. The government was forced to talk with the opposition. Solidarity returned and in the first partially free elections it won a historic victory. Lech Wałęsa would later become President of Poland and other Eastern European countries began to follow Polands path to freedom. 🇵🇱
2025-07-29 09:53:32