Lech Walesa: Impacts on Eastern Europe

1. Lech Walesa was a huge part of workers rights during his time. His first major impact
was the Gdansk Shipyard strike. He made himself a leader I the trades activist union
after this occurred. The strike was successful, Walesa making authorities negotiate the
Gdansk agreement which gave union workers the right to strike and form their own
independent union.
2. As Walesa continued his Solidarity movement simply, he was able to persuade and
reduce 900,000 Poles to quit the Communist party after August 1980. This reduced the
Communist party strength to only 7% of its population. The decrease in the party
continued as more and more left and went to the Solidarity Movement. This was the start
of the decrease in strength of Communism in Poland.
3. Lech Walesa was able to get a five-day work week granted to union workers in January
of 1981. It angered people because it added to the economic crisis and caused more of a
fire in Poland. This lead to the Soviet Union realizing how much of a threat it was to the
government. This was a great scare to the never afraid Soviet communists.
4. In October 1983, Walesa won a Nobel Peace Prize and encouraged the spirits of the
underground movement, but this award would be quickly attacked and criticized by the
government. Bu this government would soon decay as economic conditions worsened,
they were forced to negotiate once again with Walesa and his union. It would result in
parliamentary elections and a Solidarity led government in 1989.
5. Walesa became head of the revived Solidarity labor union. HE began confrences with
other world leaders in a determined fashion to help Poland back on its feet. In November
of 1989 he became the third person in history, after Marquis de Lafayette and Winston
Churchill, to address a joint session of the United States Congress. In April 1990, he was
elected chairman with 77.5% of votes in the Solidarity second national congress. He then
was elected President of Poland and served until 1995. He is referred to one of the
greatest leaders in Poland and if it wasnt for him, who knows where Poland would be.
Poland owes one to the great mind of Lech Walesa.