Martial Law in Poland Ends
At a glance:
- Series: Chronology of European History
- Categories: Government and Politics, Social Issues, Reform, and Protest
- Subcategories: Communism, Communists, Labor, Unions, Work, Employment
- Curriculum: 20th & 21st Century European History, Eastern European History
- Geographical Location: Poland
- Date: July 21, 1983
Article abstract: Martial law in Poland ends, marking the communist government’s failure to govern without appealing to democratic elements—chiefly the banned trade union Solidarity.
Summary of Event
The ending of martial law signaled the final failure of communist governments in postwar Poland. General Wojciech Jaruzelski, prime minister and first secretary of the Polish Communist Party, decreed martial law in December of 1981, responding to the overwhelming popularity of Solidarity, a broad-based union with more than ten million members—nearly a...
[The entire page is 1562 words long]
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