Fighting Solidarity

Fighting Solidarity

Fighting Solidarity ( _pl. Solidarność Walcząca) was a Polish anti-communist underground organization, founded in 1982 by Kornel Morawiecki in Wrocław in response to the delegalization of Solidarity and government repression of the opposition after martial law was declared in 1981. Created in June 1982 [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0691050287&id=hELsX6c3hcYC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=%22Fighting+Solidarity%22+created&sig=wv6779G71z3qxcXb6HGCwqcnBc4 KENNEY, Padraic. A Carnival of Revolution: Central Europe 1989, p 30] .] , it was one of the most radical splinters of Solidarity [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0271023082&id=WoKQWem2yl4C&pg=PA464&lpg=PA464&dq=%22Fighting+Solidarity%22&sig=Gq5yUVJ8ukhzfGfdn3xthQavGXQ Andrzej Paczkowski, Jane Cave. The Spring Will Be Ours: Poland and the Poles from Occupation to Freedom, p 464] .] .

Morawiecki and Fighting Solidarity activists saw their organization as the successor to the Polish resistance in World War II [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0691050287&id=hELsX6c3hcYC&pg=PA164&lpg=PA164&dq=%22Fighting+Solidarity%22&sig=y6AJ3QhwOlF_oTdwlmjnuwin9tw KENNEY, Padraic. A Carnival of Revolution: Central Europe 1989, p 164] .] , hence their symbol merged the Solidarity logo with the Kotwica and crowned Polish eagle (in 1945, the new communist regime removed the crown from the eagle's head on the Polish coat of arms; many among the opposition saw the crown as a symbol of independent, non-communist Poland).

One of the main activities of Fighting Solidarity was information warfare: it printed and distributed many underground newspapers ("bibuła"). The most well-known of these included "Biuletyn Dolnośląski" (Wrocław), "Solidarność Walcząca" (Poznań) and "Galicja" (Rzeszów). Fighting Solidarity's bibuła were the first printed during the period of martial law, being available the day after martial law was introduced pl icon [http://www.obywatel.org.pl/index.php?module=subjects&func=viewpage&pageid=789 Solidarność Walcząca, czyli po niepodległość bez kompromisów] Magazyn Obywatel nr 5 / 2005 (25)] . Fighting Solidarity also tried to actively infiltrate the Polish secret police (Służba Bezpieczeństwa) and to support other anti-communist organizations, including ones in other countries of the Soviet Bloc, even the Soviet Union itself [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0822315483&id=F3HTHpikwq4C&pg=PA97&lpg=PA97&dq=%22Fighting+Solidarity%22&sig=X5M_4pwA_A3-n_e9YlBpB0BgFg0 Sabrina Petra Ramet. Social Currents in Eastern Europe: The Sources and Consequences of the Great Transformation, p 97] .] . The Polish secret police found it extremely hard to infiltrate the organization, even though they employed various tactics, including kidnapping Morawiecki's children in an attempt to blackmail him. Despite its reputation for militance, Fighting Solidarity did not support social violence or terrorism.

Fighting Solidarity was the only Polish organization of that time whose primary goals, declared from the start, included the destruction of communism, the independence of Poland and other nations controlled by communist governments (including those comprising the Soviet Union itself), and the reunification of Germany.

Fighting Solidarity powerbases included Poznań, Gdańsk, Rzeszów and Upper Silesia. Among its most prominent members were Maciej Frankiewicz (Poznań), Roman Zwiercan (Gdynia), Jadwiga Chmielowska (Sosnowiec), Janusz Szkutnik (Rzeszów) and Andrzej Kołodziej. In 1986 it claimed to have several hundred active members, not counting allies and supporters.

In 1990 many members of Fighting Solidarity founded a political party, the Partia Wolności.

See also

* Confederation for Independent Poland ("Konfederacja Polski Niepodległej")
* Freedom and Peace ("Wolność i Pokój")
* Orange Alternative ("Pomarańczowa Alternatywa")

References

External links

*pl icon [http://www.sw.org.pl/ Wolni i Solidarni] , a portal dedicated to 'Fighting Solidarity'
*pl icon [http://www.videofact.com/polska/gotowe/m/morawiecki/morawiecki2.html Kornel Morawiecki o swojej organizacji]
*pl icon [http://www.sw.org.pl/sb-o-sw.html "Solidarność Walcząca" w świetle materiałów Służby Bezpieczeństwa]

*Polish|Solidarność Walcząca|11 October 2006


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Solidarity (Polish trade union) — Solidarity Full name Independent Self governing Labour Union Solidarity Native name Niezależny Samorządny Związek Zawodowy Solidarność Founded 31st August 1980 Members 400,000 …   Wikipedia

  • Solidarity – The Union for British Workers — is a United Kingdom trade union formed in late 2005 that is closely associated with the British National Party and Third Way think tank. It is named after the Polish trade union Solidarność, and its logo (which it has trademarked) also appears to …   Wikipedia

  • Solidarity (disambiguation) — Solidarity is a unity of purpose or togetherness; for its use in sociology see social solidarity. Solidarity may also refer to:*Solidarity (Polish trade union), a Polish trade union originally led by Lech Wałęsa*Solidarity (South African trade… …   Wikipedia

  • Fighting in ice hockey — Fighting is an established aspect of ice hockey in North America, with a long history involving many levels of amateur and professional play and including some notable individual fights.Harvnb|Bernstein|2006|p=3] Although a definite source of… …   Wikipedia

  • Solidarity — For other uses, see Solidarity (disambiguation). Sociology …   Wikipedia

  • Solidarity Union — Infobox Union| name= Solidarity Union country= New Zealand affiliation= members= full name= Solidarity Union native name= founded= August 2006 current= head= dissolved date= dissolved state= merged into= office= Aotearoa, New Zealand people=… …   Wikipedia

  • History of Solidarity — The history of Solidarity (Polish: Audio|Solidarnosc.ogg| Solidarność IPA2|sɔlidarnɔɕt͡ɕ), a Polish non governmental trade union, began in August 1980 at the Lenin Shipyards (now Gdańsk Shipyards) where it was founded by Lech Wałęsa and others.… …   Wikipedia

  • International Solidarity Movement — The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) was founded in 2001 by Ghassan Andoni, a Palestinian activist; Neta Golan, an Israeli activist; Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian American; and George N. Rishmawi, a Palestinian activist. Adam Shapiro, an… …   Wikipedia

  • Organization of Solidarity with the People of Asia, Africa and Latin America — Poster of the OSPAAAL. Africa, Asia and Latin America at the sides of the Arab Peoples. The Organization of Solidarity with the People of Asia, Africa and Latin America (Organización de Solidaridad con los Pueblos de Asia, África y América… …   Wikipedia

  • Cornish Solidarity — (Unvereth Kernewek in Cornish) was founded in Feb 1998 by the then President of Redruth and District Chamber of Commerce Mr Greg Woods, who having been disgusted at the press being notified of the demise of South Crofty Mine before the staff and… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”