I suspect I’m not alone in saying I don’t know enough about Ukraine and other former Soviet Union members. For example, it shocked me to learn that Ukraine was the largest country in Europe. But I grew up hearing a lot about Poland. And I’m glad to see the Polish people welcoming the flood of refugees from Ukraine as they have been.
He hopes Poland isn’t next
When asked about the warm welcome, one Polish official said Poles are hopeful Poland won’t be next on Putin’s list of conquests. But he fears that may be the case. And a Soviet (Russia-backed) conquest is what I remember from my childhood.
Fourth grade
I was in the fourth grade when Poland’s Poznan protests began. Workers there demanded better working conditions at several factories and were met with violent repression. Poland, in those days, was known as a Russian satellite country. And my family had many dinner table conversations about the lack of rights afforded the Polish people.
The photo above is from that time and shows people demanding bread.
Shocked at the government
I was shocked that the Soviet government would send some 400 tanks and 10,000 soldiers on the day of the main demonstration. A crowd of about 100,000 people had gathered near the local Ministry of Public Security. The Soviet-backed Polish People’s Army and Internal Security Corps fired upon the demonstrators. If the Russians can do that there, why not here? That was my fear as a child.
Many killed and injured
The death toll is estimated to be from 57 to more than 100, including a 13-year-old boy. Hundreds more were injured. The Poznań protests were an important milestone on the way to the the installation of a less Soviet-controlled government. Of course, those numbers are small compared to the “scorched earth” devastation we are all seeing in Ukraine.
Enter Lech Walesa
Fast forward to 1980, and a new Polish hero emerges. Lech Walesa served as Poland’s second president but is best known for being the labor activist who sparked the infamous Lenin Shipyard strike in Gdansk, Poland, in 1980.
Solidarity
The strike, christened “Solidarity,” became a social revolution within the Soviet Union. An electrician by trade, Walesa fought for independent trade unions and was often persecuted by Communist forces for his activism. The shipyard strike quickly spread to other areas. And Walesa served as leader.
Faced time in prison
Walesa and many other Solidarity leaders and activists were arrested. He was incarcerated for 11 months until late 1982 at three prisons in eastern Poland near the Soviet border.
Nobel Peace Prize
In 1983, Walesa won the Nobel Peace Prize. Then, in 1990, he was elected to the Polish presidency. Under his leadership, Poland transitioned away from communism and moved firmly on the path to becoming a free-market democracy.
Poland a model
Walesa is a carpenter’s son with only primary and vocational education. Yet he made Poland a model of economic and political reform for the rest of Eastern Europe to follow. This earned Poland the honor of receiving one of the first invitations to join an expanded NATO. (Too bad Ukraine hasn’t been allowed to become a member!)
Many other honors
In addition to his Nobel Peace Prize, Walesa has earned numerous awards and honorary degrees in recognition of his activism in Poland and abroad. Some of these awards include the United Kingdom’s Order of Bath, Germany’s Order of Merit, France’s Legion of Honor, and the European Union’s European Human Rights Prize. He was named Man of the Year by Time magazine, The Financial Times, The London Observer, Die Welt, Die Zeit, L’Express, Le Soir, and several other publications. Walesa has also been awarded more than 45 honorary degrees by colleges and universities all over the world, including Harvard University and the Sorbonne. Cities all over the world have named Walesa an honorary citizen. In 1989, Walsea was the inaugural recipient of the United States’ Liberty Medal. He also won the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award given in the United States.
What does he say now?
He now has said if Russia attacks Kyiv, the world should attack Moscow. The world has, with incredible sanctions. It isn’t clear if he means more strident measures. However, in the past he has warned about the danger of unleashing nuclear war. The U.S. or NATO’s entrance into the conflict could trigger just that, many fear.
Scary times
These are not easy times. And it might be easy not to think about it all. But we need to. Most of us are. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has hate-filled thoughts every time Putin’s face is on my television screen.