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The role of "Solidarity" in the fall of communism in Poland



DoruThreads: 2
Posts: 2
Joined: Dec 15, 08 		Edited by: Doru   Dec 15, 08, 09:18 /  #
Hello everybody! I am studying the history of Poland and I'm interested in the role that Trade Union "Solidarity" had in fall of communism in Poland. Can anyone help me in this matter?
I need to find as much information, works and articles as I can on this subject (in english). Aren't there in Poland any historians who wrote about "Solidarity"? Their works were translated in english? I need to find them!
Any help would be apreciated.
SeanBMThreads: 41
Posts: 8,726
Joined: Mar 10, 08 		  Dec 15, 08, 09:24 /  #
Hello Doru,
And welcome to the Polish Forum.
You can use the search box in the top right of the page.
Type things associated with Lech Walesa and Solidarity.

This is a very important part of Poland's history, I am sure you will find lots of interesting things on it.

Best of luck.
DoruThreads: 2
Posts: 2
Joined: Dec 15, 08 		  Dec 15, 08, 09:50 /  #
I used the search box in the top right of the page and the only topic about Solidarity was the one I have just created. The other about Lech Walesa is
'Thoughts on present day Lech Walesa'
That's all! Nothing more about Solidarity or Lech Walesa!
SeanBMThreads: 41
Posts: 8,726
Joined: Mar 10, 08 		Edited by: SeanBM   Dec 15, 08, 09:54 /  #
Sorry about that Doru,
I should have checked myself before offering advise.

Check Solidarnosc

And here walesa

And here 13 December anniversary martial law



Doru:

I am studying the history of Poland and I'm interested in the role that Trade Union "Solidarity" had in fall of communism in Poland.

There does seem to be a lack of threads about it.
Perhaps this thread could be the answer.
KrzysztofThreads: 2
Posts: 1,146
Joined: Jul 26, 07 		  Dec 15, 08, 13:38 /  #
Check Wikipedia, there are some sources indicated:
History of Solidary - References
celinskiThreads: 83
Posts: 2,800
Joined: Nov 14, 07 		  Dec 15, 08, 13:54 /  #
Doru:

fall of communism in Poland. Can anyone help me in this matter?


I thought you might find this of interesting.


[quote]Polish Spy Was Secret CIA Hero

by Tom Gjelten/quote]
[quote]Faced with a growing dissident movement in 1981, the communist government in Poland declared martial law. The U.S knew it was coming, because a Polish army officer named Ryszard Kuklinski had secretly leaked the plan to the CIA. For nearly ten years, Kuklinski was the CIA's top spy in the Soviet bloc.

This week, the agency marked the anniversary of Polish martial law with a program in Kuklinski's honor./quote]
[quote]http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98224025/q uote]
BabinichThreads: 1
Posts: 1,054
Joined: May 26, 08  Pictures: 1 		  Dec 15, 08, 13:57 /  #
Doru,

Do you take into account the Papacy and its impact on the fall of communism?

"W zimie jest twoje, wiosną będzie nasze."
KrzysztofThreads: 2
Posts: 1,146
Joined: Jul 26, 07 		  Dec 15, 08, 17:34 /  #
Babinich:

"W zimie jest twoje, wiosną będzie nasze."

Myabe you meant "Zima wasza, wiosna nasza." ?
BabinichThreads: 1
Posts: 1,054
Joined: May 26, 08  Pictures: 1 		  Dec 15, 08, 19:43 /  #
Krzysztof:

Myabe you meant "Zima wasza, wiosna nasza." ?


Yeah, I'll defer to you; I am trying to learn...

Celinski,

If you have not already read the book A Secret Life: The Polish Colonel, His Covert Mission, And The Price He Paid To Save His Country by Benjamin Weiser may I suggest that you put it on your reading list? This book is wonderful and is an illustration of one man's love for his country.
plk123Threads: 30
Posts: 6,412
Joined: Aug 29, 07  Pictures: 2 		  Dec 15, 08, 20:19 /  #
yes, solidarność had way more to do with fall of the commies then the cowboy actor ever dreamed of. :)
DoruThreads: 2
Posts: 2
Joined: Dec 15, 08 		  Dec 16, 08, 11:56 /  #
Thank you all.
Actually I have to write a paper on Solidarity movement ~ about 60 pages. Most of the information I found on wikipedia: History of Solidarity. What about historians from Poland? Are there any polish books written by polish authors translated in english?

PS: Greetings from Moldova !
celinskiThreads: 83
Posts: 2,800
Joined: Nov 14, 07 		  Dec 16, 08, 12:26 /  #
Babinich:

A Secret Life: The Polish Colonel, His Covert Mission, And The Price He Paid To Save His Country


Thanks it looks very good, I'll read it and let you know what I think.
HWPielThreads: 1
Posts: 83
Joined: Oct 10, 08 		Edited by: HWPiel   Dec 18, 08, 09:36 /  #
Try to get a copy of Potkin's text "Armageddon Averted: the Fall of the Soviet Union 1973-2000".

While there is a strong correlation between the strikes of 1970 and 1980 at Gdańsk to the fall of communism; Potkin asserts that the fall of the steel industry (world-wide) had a greater impact to the "general maliase being felt in the USSR" while western Consumerism was rising and USSR's declining due to lack of quality products, access and money/salary. Poland was the first to fall, but not the sole or even major reason why communism fell; remember there are multiple layers of problems here like politics (Warsaw Pact vs NATO) and economical models.

Wikipedia.com will point you in a good direction, but use it carefully... for background edification and references/citations.

Henry

PS I've heard many reasons, theories and notions of why communism fell in the USSR, obviously many are pro-Polish. The best one to-date is, "... when I came to Warsaw, the communists left" - Bobby Vinton.
HWPielThreads: 1
Posts: 83
Joined: Oct 10, 08 		  Dec 20, 08, 13:48 /  #
Doru,

Another text you may want to pick up and read is Timothy Garton Ash's "The Polish Revolution" what makes this an interesting read is that he was there, real time, as the strikes were going on.

Norman Davies', "God;s Playground: A History of Poland" Volume 2 also has a well written and factual detail of what happened.

Henry
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