Question

Discuss how Poland became a democratic country under the leadership of Lech Walesa.

Answer 1

Hint: In 1980, Poland was governed by the Polish United Workers Party. There was no other political party authorised to operate.

Complete answer: The government in Poland was backed and controlled by the Soviet Union (USSR) government, a strong communist state.
Lenin Shipyard workers in the city of Gdansk went on strike on 14 August 1980, as the shipyard was owned by the government. The government controlled all the factories and huge properties, too. Lech Walesa, a former electrician from the shipyard, joined the strikers as the strike began.
Upon becoming their leader, the workers demanded the right to join trade unions, the release of political prisoners and an end to press censorship after the strike spread throughout the region.
The government gave in upon gaining attention. Their strike ended with a 21-point deal signed between Wales and the government. A new trade union was created, called Solidarity, which gained immense prominence in Poland. It exposed extensive corruption and mismanagement in the administration.
In Poland, the government soon instituted martial law. Thousands of members of Unity were put in jail. In 1988, this culminated in another round of strikes.
The Polish government was weaker, the Soviet Union's support was unclear, and the economy was diminishing. Another round of talks with Walesa culminated in an agreement on free elections in April 1989. Solidarity challenged all the Senate's 100 seats, winning 99 of them.
Poland had its first presidential election in October 1990, in which more than one party was able to participate. Walesa was elected Poland's President. In this way, Poland eventually became a democratic republic.

Note: Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a Central European country. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces with an area of 312,696 square kilometres and a seasonal climate that is mostly temperate.