2. •
• Walesa (centre) with US President George H. W. Bush
abhiSHEK
(right) and Barbara Bush (left) in Warsaw, July 1989
3. Democracy in Poland
This event in Poland happened in 1980.
At that time Poland was ruled by Polish United
Worker’s Party.
This was one of many communist parties that
ruled in several countries of east Europe at that
time.
In these countries no other political party was
allowed to function.
The people could not freely choose the leaders
4. T h o s e wh o s p o k e
a g a i n s t t h e
l e a d e r ’s , p a r t y o r
g o v e r n me n t t h e y
we r e p u t i n p r i s o n .
T h e g o v e r n me n t
i n
Po l a n d wa s
s u p p o r t e d a n d
c o n t r o l l e d b y t h e
g o v e r n me n t o f
(U S S R ), a v a s t a n d
p o we r f u l
c o mmu n i s t s t a t e .
O n 14 A u g u s t
1980, t h e
wo r k e r s o f L e n i n
Sh i p y a r d i n t h e
c i t y o Gd a n s k we n t
o n a s t r i k e . Th e
s h i p y a r d a s o wn e d
5. As t h e s t r i k e
c o n t i n u e d a
f o r me r
e l e c t r i c i a n o f
t h e s h i p y a r d ,
L e c h Wa l e s a ,
j o i n e d t h e
s t r i k e r s .
H e w a s d i s mi s s e d
f r o m s e r v i c e i n
1976 f o r d e m a n d i n g
h i g h e r p a y .
Wa l e s a s o o n
e me r g e d a s t h e
l e a d e r o f
s t r i k i n g wo r k e r s .
T h e s t r i k e b e g a n
6.
T h e mo v e me n t b e c a me
s o p o p u l a r t h a t t h e
g o v e r n me n t h a d t o
g i v e i n .
T h e wo r k e r s l e d b y
Wa l e s a s i g n e d a 21p o i n t a g r e e me n t w i t h
t h e g o v e r n me n t t h a t
e n d e d t h e i r s t r i k e .
T h e g o v e r n me n t a g r e e d
t o r e c o g n i z e t h e
w o r k e r ’s r i g h t t o f o r m
i n d e p e n d e n t t r a d e
u n i o n s a n d t h e i r
r i g h t t o s t r i k e .
A f t e r t h e Gd a n s k
a g r e e me n t w a s s i g n e d ,
a n e w t r a d e u n i o n
7. Jaruzelski
Revelations of widespread and
mismanagement in the government
made matters worse for the rulers.
The government led by General
Jaruzelski grew anxious and imposed
martial law in December 1981.
Thousands of Solidarity members
were put in prison. Freedom to
organize, protest and express
opinions was once again taken away.
Another wave of strike, again
organized by solidarity, began in
1988.
This time the Polish government was
weaker, the support from Soviet
Union uncertain and economy was in
decline.
9. T h e g o v e r n me n t
o f Po l a n d
c l a i me d t h a t i t w a s
r u l i n g o n b e h a l f o f
wo r k i n g c l a s s e s .
Pi n o c h e t
ma d e n o s u c h
c l a i m a n d o p e n l y
f a v o u r e d b i g
c a p i t a l i s t s . Ye t b o t h h a d
s o me c o mmo n f e a t u r e s .
• T h e p e o p l e c o u l d n o t
c h o o s e o r c h a n g e t h e i r
r u l e r s .
• T h e r e wa s n o r e a l
f r e e d o m
t o e x p r e s s o n e ’s
o p i n i o n s , f o r m p o l i t i c a l
a s s o c i a t i o n s a n d
o r g a n i z e p r o t e s t s a n d
p o l i t i c a l a c t i o n .
T h e t h r e e d e mo c r a t i c
