Question

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

• A. In 1980, Poland was ruled by the Polish United Workers Party (PUWP).
• B. On August 14, 1980, shipyard workers in Warsaw went on a strike to demand greater rights.
• C. General Jaruzelski became the Premier in 1981. His regime marked the transition of Poland to a democratic republic.
• D. Lech Walesa became the President of Poland in 1990. In the 1989 election, his trade union won 99 out of 100 seats.

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (D)

The correct options are
A In 1980, Poland was ruled by the Polish United Workers Party (PUWP).
D Lech Walesa became the President of Poland in 1990. In the 1989 election, his trade union won 99 out of 100 seats.

In 1980, Poland was ruled by the Polish United Workers Party. The party had the support of the Soviet Union, and had established a totalitarian government under Jaruzelski. The workers were banned from forming unions and striking. However, when a woman crane operator was wrongfully dismissed at the Lenin Shipyard in the city of Gdansk, Lech Walesa led strikes against the PUWP. He went on to lead the struggle to establish democracy in Poland. His trade union, 'Solidarity', won the 1989 elections, and he was made the President of the democratic republic of Poland.