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The Solidarity Movement: Poland 1976–1981

In 1976 price rises caused protests, and the opposition group KOR began to help punished workers. The Catholic Church and the election of Pope John Paul II (1978) gave people courage. In August 1980 a strike at the Gdańsk shipyard spread across Poland and ended in the Gdańsk Agreement, which allowed a free trade union. Solidarity quickly grew to about 10 million members.

🎬 Step-by-step story

  1. It is the late 1970s in Poland. The state runs the economy. Prices go up, shelves are half empty and people queue for hours. Anger builds.
  2. People find courage from two sides. In 1976 a group called KOR starts helping workers who were punished for protesting. In 1978 a Pole becomes Pope, and in 1979 he visits Poland.
  3. August 1980. Workers at the Gdańsk shipyard go on strike. The strike spreads from workplace to workplace, shown by the dots turning red.
  4. On 31 August 1980 the government and the strikers sign the Gdańsk Agreement. The workers had 21 demands. The most important one: the right to a free trade union.
  5. A new union called Solidarity is formed. Within a year, about 10 million people join it. That is more than a quarter of all people in Poland.
  6. Free play. Move the slider through the years 1976 to 1981 and read what happened. Watch the red bar of members grow.

Tip: drag the 3D scene to turn it. Use two fingers to zoom.

🤔 Common doubts, cleared

Why were shops empty?

The state set prices and ran the economy, and goods were short. When prices rose without better wages, people became angry. See the empty shelves and the long queue in the 3D.

What was KOR?

KOR was a small group formed in 1976 that helped workers who were punished for protesting. It showed that workers and thinkers could work together.

Why did the strike spread so fast?

People had the same problems and had gained courage. The Inter-Factory Strike Committee let many workplaces act together. Watch the dots turn red.

Why was the first demand about unions?

Without a free union, workers had no safe way to speak. Winning it changed what else was possible. The golden block is that demand.

Was Solidarity only for workers?

It began among workers but grew to include farmers, teachers, students, doctors and many others, about 10 million people.

What happened after 1981?

In December 1981 martial law was imposed and Solidarity was suppressed. The Round Table talks in 1989 are covered in the next lesson.

Before 1980: one-party rule and daily shortages

After the Second World War Poland was ruled by one party, the Polish United Workers' Party, with strong influence from the Soviet Union. The state ran factories and shops. When the government raised food prices in June 1976, workers protested in towns such as Radom and Ursus. Many were punished: some lost their jobs, some were arrested.

In September 1976 a group of writers, scientists and others formed KOR, the Workers' Defence Committee, to help the families of punished workers with money and legal help. It was a first sign that workers and thinkers could act together.

The role of the Church and Pope John Paul II

Most Poles were Catholic, and the Church was the one big organisation not run by the state. Churches were places where people could meet, talk and keep their culture alive. In October 1978 the Archbishop of Kraków, Karol Wojtyła, became Pope John Paul II. In June 1979 he visited Poland, and millions gathered to hear him. People saw how many of them there were, and they felt they were not alone. He spoke of human dignity and rights, and gave people courage without calling for violence.

August 1980: the strikes

In July 1980 new price rises caused strikes in many places. On 14 August workers at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk stopped work after a popular crane operator, Anna Walentynowicz, was dismissed. The electrician Lech Wałęsa became a leader of the strike. Other workplaces joined and formed the Inter-Factory Strike Committee so that they spoke with one voice. The strikes were peaceful: workers stayed inside the shipyard and workplaces, and the world watched.

The Gdańsk Agreement and the 21 demands

The strikers wrote 21 demands. The first and most important was the right to set up free trade unions not controlled by the party, and the right to strike. Others asked for pay rises, less censorship, release of political prisoners and better food supply. On 31 August 1980 the government agreed in the Gdańsk Agreement. It was the first time in the Soviet bloc that a communist government accepted an independent union.

Solidarity grows

The new union was named Solidarity (in Polish, "Solidarność"). It was registered in November 1980. People from factories, farms, offices and universities joined. By late 1981 it had about 10 million members, more than a quarter of the population. It asked not only for pay but for fair rules, truth in the media and a say for citizens. Its way was peaceful: strikes, talks and public support. The government and its allies feared how strong it had become, and this led to martial law in December 1981, which you can read about in the next lesson.

Try it: build a cause and effect chain

Take six slips of paper: price rise, KOR, Pope's visit, Gdańsk strike, Gdańsk Agreement, Solidarity. Lay them in time order and draw an arrow between each pair. Write one word on each arrow: because, gave courage, led to, ended with. In the 3D, move the slider to August 1980 and check your order.

Key formulas and definitions

Worked examples

1. Put in order: Gdańsk Agreement, Pope's visit to Poland, formation of KOR, Solidarity registered.

Formation of KOR (1976), Pope's visit (1979), Gdańsk Agreement (31 Aug 1980), Solidarity registered (Nov 1980).

2. Why was the demand for free trade unions so important?

Until then the party controlled all unions. A free union could speak for workers without fear, so it was the first break in the party's control.

3. Poland had about 35 million people in 1981. About how many percent joined Solidarity (10 million)?

10 ÷ 35 × 100 ≈ 29 percent, close to three in every ten people.

4. Give two reasons why the Pope's 1979 visit mattered.

It showed millions of people that they were many and not alone, and it gave moral courage by speaking about dignity and rights without calling for violence.

Common mistakes

Practice quiz

1. Where did the strike of August 1980 begin?
2. What was the most important demand of the strikers?
3. What does "solidarity" mean?
4. KOR was formed in:
5. About how many members did Solidarity have by late 1981?

Practice: answer these yourself

Type or choose your answer, then press Check. Use a hint if you are stuck; the full solution appears after you answer.

Frequently asked questions

What was the Solidarity movement?

Solidarity was a free trade union and mass peaceful movement in Poland, formed in 1980 after the Gdańsk strikes.

Who led Solidarity?

Lech Wałęsa, an electrician from the Gdańsk shipyard, became its best-known leader.

Why is Solidarity important in world history?

It was the first independent trade union in the Soviet bloc. It showed that peaceful pressure from ordinary people could force a government to talk, and it helped lead to the end of one-party rule in Poland.

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