Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Analyze how the Solidarity (Solidarnosc) movement in Poland led to the collapse of communism in Poland. Point out what events led to the growth of the Solidarity movement and then identify and analyze the events that followed Gorbachev's policy of political pluralism in Poland. Then evaluate the relative success of democracy and capitalism in Poland after the end of the Cold War.

Solidarity played the key role in the end of communism in Poland. The organization was founded in 1980, but its origins can be traced to the mid 1970s.
Dissent was not allowed in Communist Poland, but there was widespread public dissatisfaction. The public was not happy with its standard of living, and Solidarity tapped into that discontentment and—capably led by Lech Walesa—quickly emerged as a potent challenge to communist rule. By 1980, rising food prices led to labor strikes and protests. As Solidarity gained strength, many feared the Soviet Union would intervene, as it had done years earlier in Hungary (1956) and Czechoslovakia (1968).
Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski came to power in in Poland in 1981. At first, he tried to negotiate with Solidarity, but his efforts were fruitless. Then, in December 1981, he established martial law and outlawed Solidarity.
Solidarity did not disappear, however. It was aided by the Catholic Church, and it reemerged in the late 1980s. Because the USSR was led by Mikhail Gorbachev, a reformer, Soviet intervention was out of the question. Walesa remained the most charismatic leader in the country. Jaruzelski failed to revive the country's moribund economy, so he reluctantly agreed to allow to allow Solidarity to compete in national elections. By December 1990, Walesa was president of Poland. Jaruzelski was later charged with crimes related to the martial law crackdown, but he was too ill to be put on trial.


The Solidarity movement originated in 1980 and was largely inspired by the 1979 visit of Pope John Paul II to the country. It achieved official status following strikes in Gdańsk, when the government legalized its existence as part of the Gdańsk Agreement.
Its early success was, in no small part, due to American largess; the CIA covertly transferred $2 million per year to Solidarity, while the AFL-CIO made an overt donation of $300,000 annually to the movement. The U.S.-chartered National Endowment for Democracy also supported Solidarity through cash infusions.
In June 1989 elections, Solidarity won a substantial majority of the vote, resulting in the end of communism in Poland.
At various points during the rise of Solidarity, the Soviet Union considered military intervention in support of the Warsaw government. Largely due to Gorbachev's policy of openness and reform, this did not occur.
Since the downfall of communism in Poland, some have criticized the ensuing rise of nationalism and what, in some instances, has been characterized as xenophobia. Current attempts to retire jurists in the Polish courts have been attributed by the ruling Law and Justice Party as an attempt to purge communist-era judges, though critics have refuted this analysis and believe Poland is heading towards becoming an "illiberal democracy."
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Solidarity

https://www.dw.com/en/poland-blazed-the-trail-for-the-fall-of-communism/a-4809509


The events that led to the growth of the solidarity movement are pope John Paul II's visit to Poland in 1979, the formation of Solidarnosc in 1981, and the underground movements after it was banned. Talk about these events in greater detail to get the full points of an analysis.
When it comes to identifying and analyzing the events that followed Gorbachev's policy of political pluralism, just elaborate more on the definition of political pluralism and the strikes that follow.
Write about the actions of the Polish leaders at the end of the cold war and talk about how economic policies improved wages and working conditions to show the positive effects of capitalism. You should be very clear and detailed with the responses .
https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/polands-solidarity-movement-1980-1989/

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