The Solidarity movement in Poland :: European Europe History

The Solidarity movement in PolandThe Solidarity movement in Poland was one of the close to dramatic developments in eastern Europe during the Cold War. It was not a movement that began in 1980, but rather a continuation of a on the job(p) class and attack intelligentsia movement that began in 1956, and continued in two other risings, in 1970 and 1976. The most significant of these risings began in the shipyards of the Triple City, Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia in 1970. The origin and by far the most violent and bloody of the workers revolts came in June of 1956, when at least 75 people died in the industrial city of Poznan. The third rising took place in 1976 with workers striking in Warsaw, and rioting in the city of Radom. What made the Solidarity movement peaceful and far more successful in semblance to that of the previous three? The Solidarity movement originated in the working class, but unlike the previous three risings it also worked with and was involved with the Polish sha rp community. Was this the reason hind end its success? Or was it instead the result of the U.S.S.R. losing its hold in the Eastern bloc, and the fledgling economy of Poland that made such a movement inevitable? sequence everyone of these points was a factor, the strongest and most compelling argument can be made for the unification and working together of Polands most influential social classes, the Polish intelligentsia, the workers, and the Church. This scheme eventually led to the infamous roundtable talks, and the collapse of communism itself in Poland.The Beginnings of a Movement The Polish October of 1956 did not begin with Stalins death in 1953, in fact Poland was quite an calm, in stark contrast with other Eastern bloc countries. While demonstrations took place in Plzen, Czechoslovakia, and a revolt was taking place in East Germany in mid-June, Poland was slow to follow the New Course that was being offered by neighboring countries. This was a result of a much slower re laxation than the other countries experienced. Regardless, social and intellectual unrest began building up, with collectivization being slackened and censorship showing cracks, the nation had a sense that a new start must be made. The Polish intelligentsia was one of the most important groups to emerge during this period. The Polish intelligentsia is, and remains, a distinct social class that is composed of those with a higher education, or those who at least share similar tastes.