Solidarity (Poland)

About

Solidarity, or Solidarność, is a Polish trade union that emerged in 1980 as the first independent labor union in a Soviet-bloc country. Founded at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, it was led by Lech Wałęsa and quickly gained widespread support, peaking at 10 million members by 1981. The union's creation was a response to economic hardships and the desire for political freedom, advancing workers' rights and social change through civil resistance. Solidarity played a pivotal role in ending communist rule in Poland. Despite being suppressed by martial law in 1981, it reemerged in 1989 and participated in roundtable talks, leading to Poland's first free elections since World War II. Solidarity's influence extended beyond Poland, inspiring other Eastern European movements against communism. Its legacy includes the transformation of Poland into a democratic state and its impact on the broader collapse of the Soviet Union.