Background of Poland

Poland, a large country in eastern Europe, has a long and interesting history. From the 14th to the 17th centuries Poland was a strong European power, at one time ruling a large empire stretching throughout most of central Europe. In the late 18th century Prussia and Austria conquered and divided Poland, so that for more than 100 years no Polish state existed. Poland became an independent republic in 1918. Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, and the Russian Army invaded on September 17. After the Nazis also attacked the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) in June, 1941, Germany occupied all of Poland for the remainder of World War II. At the end of the war, a communist government with strong ties to the USSR was formed, despite opposition from many Poles.

Before World War II, Poland had been primarily an agricultural country. Upon taking power in Poland, the communist government seized control of large estates and major businesses, stressing the development of industry over agriculture. Farmers were forced to give up their land and join collective farms managed by the government.

In the 1950s, discontent with the repressive government surfaced in Poland, and workers staged anti-government concessions. Many collective farms were dissolved, more freedom of religion and the press was allowed, and some prominent political prisoners were released from jail. The 1960s and 1970s were periods of further protest against government control.

In the 1980s a strike led by Solidarity, a union founded by Lech Walesa, began in the Polish shipyards and soon spread to other industries. Workers demanded more freedom and improved working conditions. As a result of this strike, the Polish government recognized the right of the workers to organize. This was the first time that the right of workers to organize had been granted in the Soviet bloc.

More strikes took place in 1988, reflecting continued dissatisfaction with the government and a failing Polish economy. Solidarity members were given the right to run for political office, and they won overwhelming election victories in 1989 in the parliament and the senate. Lech Walesa was elected president of Poland in 1990, receiving 74 percent of the vote. Solidarity's electoral victory set the stage for the disintegration of the communist-dominated government in Poland, and an effortto transform the economy from a centrally-planned system to a market system ensued.