Lech Walesa

Poland's Flag Lech Walesa

By Max

Before Lech Walesa helped to free Poland it had been under Russian control for 45 years. As a result you can imagine how the Polish felt about the Russians.

Lech Walesa was one of eight children. He was born September 29, 1943 in Powopo, a city between Warsaw and Gdansk, Poland.

Lech was an electrician at Gdansk shipyard. Uprisings had started about heightened food prices. Lech decided to join in. Soon Lech found himself at the center of it all. After a while a group called Solidarity was formed. Lech was elected its chairman. After the shipyard went on strike other businesses followed suit. The number of members in Solidarity swelled to millions, and it became the voice of the Polish people. Concerned that the Russian armed forces would intervene, the Polish government Tank outlawed Solidarity.

For a while Solidarity was not active but after a while it began operating “underground.”

Lech was arrested and jailed because he was in Solidarity. Other leaders were arrested too.

Nuclear Rocket In 1989 the struggle for freedom that had started in 1970 was over. The Polish government had been afraid that if they gave in to Solidarity that the Russian army would intervene. When Russia got a new and less strict president that wouldn’t bring the armed forces in, the Polish government decided to give in to Solidarity.

Lech Walesa earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 and many other awards for his work in freeing Poland.

In the election of 1990, Lech Walesa was voted president of a democratic Poland.

Lech Walesa showed courage in facing the communist government and for fighting for what he believed in. While helping free the people of Poland, Lech Walesa never physically harmed a human being. He achieved his goals in a peaceful manner.

In his speech to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, Lech Walesa said:

“We desire peace – and that is why we have

never resorted to physical force. We crave

for justice – and that is why we are so

persistent in the struggle for our rights.

We seek freedom of convictions - and that is

why we have never attempted to enslave man’s

conscience nor shall we ever attempt to do so.”

Citations

Web Sites

Columbia University Press "Walesa, Lech" <http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0851315.html> (January, 2003).

Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia "Walesa, Lech" <http://encarta.msn.com> (January, 2003).

MoreorLess a Personal View "Lech Walesa" <http://www.moreorless.au.com/heroes/walesa.htm> (January, 2003).

Nobel Museum "Lech Walesa-Biography" <http://www.nobel.se/peace/laureates/1983/welesa-bio.html> (January, 2003).

Images

All photographs and clipart used on this page from "Microsoft Office Design Gallery Live" <http://dgl.microsoft.com/?CAG=1> Images free for non-profit and personal use. (December-March, 2003).