Polish Solidarity Movement by Frances and Steven
1) What methods did the groups use to express their frustrations and ultimately lead to a revolution?
In August 1980, thousands of workers in the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk went on strike due to a rising of food prices. This was lead by Lech Walesa, who was among them and later won the Nobel Peace Prize for what he did. They listed down 21 demands, which were called 21 Postulates. They locked themselves in the yards and by September formed the Independent Self-Governing Trade Union Solidarity. Factories were shut down all over Poland. Martial Law was soon declared, Walesa and the rest of the Solidarity Leaders were arrested. 8 years later they were released and started negotiations again.
2) How is your revolution similar and/or different to one of the revolutions previously studied? This revolution has a lot of things similar to the revolutions that we have studied before. For, example, compared to the Filipino people power revolution, this revolution involved minimum violence. The Polish Solidarity movement was to drive their communist leaders. Just like the French Revolution, this was a revolution to drive out their leader(King in the case of France). It is also similar to the French and the Filipino people power revolution, because it had popular support of people. The Polish Solidarity movement is a revolution, compared to other revolutions; it was not that similar with many of today’s revolutions
3) What was the eventual outcome of the revolution, and did the nation/people become better due to the revolution?
The Solidarity finally won and formed a non-communist government. They successfully overthrew the government and elected Lech Walesa president. He was the first president in Poland history who was elected by popular vote. The fall of communism in this country led to the fall of communism in other regions in Europe. The people became better after the revolution. Since a non-communist government was formed, the people were more free and got what they wanted.
4) Was the revolution justified? Would other methods have worked?
The people of the Solidarity movement could have resolved to violence. If the people turned to People Power rather than negotiations, the people of Poland couldn’t have changed the government, because they would have been suppressed by the military and the government and brutally murdered like the eighty workers who were killed by the Polish government. If the people used violence against their government, they would have gave a communist response to the solidarity and brutally suppress it. The Polish Solidarity Movement was a justified revolution. It was first of all an anti-communist social movement, which is anti-dictatorship. The Solidarity movement was a movement against the Polish communist government. The Solidarity Movement was also considered justified because it involved minimum violence. The leader of the movement, Lech Wałęsa has won a Nobel Peace Prize from what he did. The Polish Solidarity movement was a justified movement since it was settled with roundtable talks.
5) Briefly state whether or not your revolution follows Crane Brinton’s Stages of Revolution.
This revolution does follow Crane Brinton’s Stages of a Revolution. Just like the first stage, the middle class loudly expresses their anger towards the government. The Polish workers went on strike. In the second phase, the moderates form a government which is similar to the Solidarity movement they started, with Lech Walesa as their leader. In the third phase, a lot of violence happens to spread the ideals of the revolution. Less than a hundred workers were brutally killed. And in the fourth phase, a new ruler comes to power. Lech Walesa is elected as the president and forms a non-communist government.
February 11th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
enzo
i think that this revolution differs from the two revolution (my groups studies included). the main reason that i think this, is the fact that the people who organized the revolutianaries, were arrested for 8 years and when they got out the man was ellected president.this is surpising that the people kept faith in the leader even after 8 years.
February 11th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
this revolution was definetly interesting in the fact people still trusted a man to be voted president after serving 8 years in prison. i agree with enzo in the sense that it is unusual that the good guys got arrested. i do not agree with your statement where you say this was a revolution that involved minimal violence, because you also say 80 workers were killed by the Polish government, which is completely different form my revolution where it was completely peaceful Jon
February 14th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Yukari
To my opinion i think this was well written, I agree with Jonathan in the statement he made about the man who first led the whole protest and after was voted to be president after being released from prison. I think that this revolution didn’t really relate to the people power revolution because the People Power revolution was non- violent and in this case this revolution involved minimal violence. This revolution doesn’t really relate to our revolution ( The Tiananmen Square protest) because our protest was a violent revolution and also this revolution was successful not like our protest which was not.
February 21st, 2008 at 5:08 pm
The essay was very well-written and clear. The revolution itself was quite interesting, in fact. It was very different from the EDSA II revolution, the one I chose to do, because the EDSA II revolution of the Philippines was completely peaceful, while people were actually killed here. Also, the people who were responsible for this revolution got imprisoned, while the people of the EDSA II revolution did not.
-Mahek
February 28th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
This essay was well written although the comparison for the revolution was a bit out of “non violent”. If eighty political activists had been brutally killed, that would have been in the “violent” section. But the essay was well detailed. -Loris
February 28th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Angela
This revolution was similar to my group’s revolution because there was minimal violence. It was very interesting how a man was still trusted to lead the protests just after being released from imprisonment for 8 years. In my group’s revolution, Rosa Parks, the first person to go against the law, was imprisoned just like the people imprisoned who were responsible for this revolution. This revolution was successful.