Advertisement

Solidarity's Emergence: A Chronology

Aug. 31: Workers, quietly marking the first anniversary of Solidarity, must cope with new price hikes of 300 to 400 perscent for bread and other food items.

Sept. 28: The dissident committee for social self-defense (KOR) announces its disbandment, saying it is no longer needed as a result of Solidarity's existence.

Oct. 18: Polish Communist Party Politburo ousts Stanislaw Kania as party leader and replaces him with Jaruzelski. The party leadership calls for a ban on strikes but the order is not implemented.

Oct. 28: Solidarity stages nationwide warning strike to protest handling of the economy and press demands for access to the media.

Nov. 2: A wave of wildcat strikes protesting food shortages eases as Walesa tours the country trying to restore labo-peace.

Advertisement

Nov. 4: Walesa, Jaruzelski and Cardinal Glemp hold an unprecedented "domestic summit" in hopes of paving the way for a broad front of national accord to solve the nation's problems.

Nov. 12: Students at Polish universities declare a student strike to press demands for academic reform.

Nov. 28: Premier Jaruzelski tells the Communist party central committee that strikes and anarchy must be halted, or it will lead to a state of emergency. The party leaders call for "extraordinary measures" to end the nation's labor turmoil.

Dec. 2: Riot police swoop down on Warsaw firefighters school and end an eight-day sit-in by 320 cadets demanding academic reforms.

Dec. 6: Warsaw chapter of Solidarity calls for mass demonstrations Dec. 17 and urges formation of worker guards to protect unionists.

Dec. 7: Austria reimposes visa requirements on Poles, cutting off the principal avenue of escape for Poles seeking to defect to the West.

Dec. 8: Polish media launch a strong attack on Solidarity, quoting Walesa as telling a private meeting that confrontation with the regime is inevitable. Walesa says his remarks were taken out of context.

Dec. 12: Solidarity's national commission meets in Gdansk and adopts resolutions threatening a general strike if the government enacts an emergency powers bill. Unionists demand free elections and other reforms.

Dec. 13: Jaruzelski declares martial law and says Solidarity leaders would be interned in what he calls an effort to save Poland from "the abyss."

Recommended Articles

Advertisement