Solidarity in Poland & the Decline of Soviet Influence (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Reasons Why Poland Resisted Communist Rule
Who were Solidarity?
By the late 1970s, Poland’s economy was struggling
Poland's industry was old-fashioned due to a lack of funding
The Polish government hid the extent that the economy was failing
Workers’ wages were much higher than the workers’ productivity
In 1980, the government attempted to fix the economy by:
Increasing the prices of consumer goods
Decreasing workers’ wages
The government’s measures resulted in:
Popular protest
Widespread strikes
The strike at Lenin Gdansk Shipyard on 14th August 1980 led to the creation of Solidarity
Solidarity was a trade union that developed into a protest movement
On 30th August 1980, through negotiation, the government agreed to Solidarity’s demands
There were 21 demands in total
Strengths of Solidarity
Strength of Solidarity | Explanation |
|---|---|
Public support | By September 1980, Solidarity had three million members. By 1981, over 30% of Polish workers were members, including one million from the Communist Party. The government could not ignore this amount of people |
Organisation | Solidarity had a professional structure. It had a newspaper called Solidarnosc. Walesa was a popular and charismatic leader |
Type of protest | Walesa did not authorise the use of violent protest. This meant that the USSR was less likely to intervene militarily as they had done in Hungary and Czechoslovakia |
Popularity across industries | Solidarity had members across all areas of Polish industry. If Walesa called for a general strike, it could cause significant disruption in Poland |
Attention from the West | Solidarity’s work was well-reported in the West. This gave widespread support for the movement. It also meant that the USSR were cautious about how to deal with Solidarity |
Martial Law in Poland
What Helped the Polish Government to Implement Martial Law?
Solidarity was fractured
The Communist government had encouraged factions to form within Solidarity
People began to argue over key policies and aims of the movement
The government implemented martial law because they had the support of the USSR
Brezhnev could not allow Solidarity to weaken Poland
The USSR relied on Poland for its metallurgy
Reforms would push Poland away from the USSR
Brezhnev needed Poland to conform to the Warsaw Pact
A government under Solidarity would want more freedom from the USSR
It may want to withdraw Poland from the Warsaw Pact
How Did Solidarity Show the Decline of Soviet Influence?
The actions of Solidarity showed that by the 1980s:
Millions of people were willing to stand up against the Communist government
The people openly expressed their desire for a better standard of living
Communist leaders continued to be:
Corrupt
Resistant to reform
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In your revision, it is helpful to consider the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors behind certain events. ‘Push’ factors are events or motivations for someone to act. The Polish government were corrupt and did not want to reform. This ‘pushed’ people to support Solidarity and demand a better quality of life. ‘Pull’ factors are benefits from performing an action. If Solidarity gained power, Polish people hoped that they would improve the economy and introduce more freedoms. This ‘pulled’ millions of people to support Solidarity. Considering the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors will help you to explain why Solidarity showed a decline in Soviet influence.
Worked Example
Describe the activities of ‘Solidarity’ in Poland during the 1980s
4 marks
Answers:
It organised strikes at the Gdansk shipyard in 1980 (1). It made 21 demands to improve living and working conditions in Poland (1). It won the support for its demands, having 3 million members (1). It produced its own newspaper called Solidarnosc (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This question in Paper One requires you to state information you know about the Solidarity in Poland. The Cambridge IGCSE gives you a point for each relevant piece of information that you write. Therefore, do not spend any additional time trying to describe or explain each reason.
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