On May 19, 1939, France agreed to give Poland military help, if a war broke out. The help would start with aerial help with fighter planes and then ground help with its army. On the sixteenth day of a potential war, all French forces would be used. At the end of May 1939, Britain promised to give Poland aerial help, if a war broke out. In August 23, 1939, Germany and the U.S.S.R. signed the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact that divided Poland between the two powers. On August 25, 1939, Britain agreed to help Poland, if a war broke out with Germany. On September 1, 1939, Germany attacked Poland. Germany claimed that it was under attack by Poland. It said that Polish soldiers took over a radio station in Gliwice and proclaimed anti- German propaganda.

On September 17, 1939, Wacław Grzybowski told the Polish ambassador in Moscow that the Polish government ceased to exist. The U.S.S.R. attacked Poland on that day. On the night of September 17, 1939, and September 18, 1939, the president of Poland fled to Romania.

On September 4, 1939, members of the government fled Warsaw. On September 7, 1939, premier Składkowski fled to Łuck. The majority of the members of the government fled to Krzemieniec. The president fled to Ołyka. On September 30, 1939, Władysław Raczkiewicz became the president. On October 1, 1939, Władysław Sikorski became the prime minister. On November 7, 1939, Rydz-Śmigły was replaced by Władysław Sikorski as the leader of the army.

On June 18, 1940, Winston Churchill invited Sikorski to London. On June 19, 1940, Sikorski evacuated his troops from France. On July 18, 1940, the president dismissed Sikorski as prime minister. August Zaleski replaced him. On August 5, 1940, Poland and Britain signed an agreement that allowed Polish troops in Britain. There were about 27,600 Polish troops in Britain.

In the latter half of 1940, Poland and Czechoslovakia discussed creating a confederation. On November 11, 1940, Poland and Czechoslovakia signed a declaration that stated the two countries wanted to join a political and economic union. Other countries could join the union. On January 23, 1942, an agreement was signed that detailed the principles of the union. Czechoslovakia lost interest in the union and left it. From March 24, 1941, to May 9, 1941, Sikorski visited the United States of America and spoke with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 1940 and 1941, the Germans arrested Polish 1,025 priests. The majority was placed in concentration camps. Many of them died. Up until the middle of 1944, around 1,300 churches were closed.

On March 4, 1941, the Nazis issued the Volksliste that was a list that divided people up into four categories. The first two categories were Germans. The third and fourth categories were people who could be Germanized. They included the Kashubians, Masurians, and Gorals. 960,000 belonged to the first two categories in Poland. 1,900,000 belong to the latter two categories. Poles from the ages of fourteen to sixty-five were forced to work for the Third Reich. Kraków became the the center of the General Government that was Polish land occupied by Nazis. Hans Frank was the governor. He was stationed at Wawel. The General Government was divided into four districts that were centered around the cities of Kraków, Radom, Lublin, and Warsaw.

On November 6, 1939, the Nazis executed Sonderaktion Krakau that arrested 183 professors of Jagiellonian University and the Mining Academy in Kraków. They were sent to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. From February 1940 and onward, some were released. Nineteen died in captivity.

In May 1940, the Nazis executed Aktion-AB in Poland. 3,500 Poles were shot who could be leaders. Maciej Rataj and Mieczysław Niedziałkowski were examples of people who were shot. From May 1940 to June 1940, thousands of Poles were arrested and sent to concentration camps. In 1940, the Nazis began to build concentration camps in occupied Poland. On June 14, 1940, Poles from Tarnów were first transported to Auschwitz.

In October 1939, Polish soldiers who were taken captive in the war by the U.S.S.R. were puts into camps in Kozielsk and Starobielsk. On April 3, 1940, prisoners of war in Kozielsk were taken to Katy and shot. On July 5, 1941, Sikorski met with Ivan Maisky, the ambassador of the U.S.S.R., in Britain. Sikorski agreed to say that Poland’s treaties with the Third Reich from 1939 did not exist. On July 30, 1941, Poland and the U.S.S.R. signed the Sikorski-Maisky Agreement that stated that the treaties between the Third Reich and the U.S.S.R. in relation to Polish land were invalid. Other points of the agreement were that diplomatic relations between Poland and the U.S.S.R. were to be reinstated and a Polish army was to be created in the U.S.S.R. A protocol was added to the agreement that gave amnesty to all Poles in the U.S.S.R. On July 30, 1941, Britain stated that it did not recognize any treaty that changed Poland’s borders in August 1939. On August 14, 1941, Poland and the U.S.S.R. made an agreement that stated that the Polish army was under the control of a sovereign Poland. On December 4, 1941, Sikorski and Stalin agreed to a declaration that said they would fight until the Third Reich was defeated.

During the night of April 12, 1943, and April 13, 1943, a German radio station stated that graves of Polish soldiers were found by Smoleńsk in the U.S.S.R. On April 16, 1943, Poland asked the Red Cross to investigate. The Third Reich did the same. The U.S.S.R. said there was collaboration between Poland and the Third Reich that was hostile to the U.S.S.R. On July 4, 1943, Sikorski died on a plane from Gibralter that was supposed to go to London. British and/or Communist machinations may have been behind his death.

On July 15, 1943, Mikołajczyk was made president. On January 18, 1944, Churchill asked for Poland to recognize the Curzon Line without Lviv as its border. Poland would be promised parts of the Third Reich and defense of its independence. On February 22, 1944, Churchill said that his government wanted the Curzon Line to be Poland’s border. It was not popular among Poles.

On August 3, 1944, Stalin met Mikołajczyk in Warsaw. Mikołajczyk told him about the uprising in Warsaw and asked him for help. On August 12, 1944, the U.S.S.R. said that it did not support the Warsaw Uprising. On October 13, 1944, Churchill, Stalin, and Mikołajczyk met in Moscow. From February 4, 1945, to February 11, 1945, Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill met at the Yalta Conference. They decided that the Curzon Line would be Poland’s border. It was not favorable for Poland. On February 13, 1945, the British government said the decision to recreate Poland’s borders was another partition.

In June 1945, sixteen members of the Polish underground were tried in Moscow. General Okulicki was tortured and given ten years in prison. Jankowski received eight years. On June 28, 1945, Bolesław Bierut created the Interim Government of National Unity. On July 5, 1945, Britain and the United States of America stopped recognizing the London Government in Exile.

On July 22, 1944, Moscow’s radio announced that the Polish Committee of National Liberation was created in Chem. It was to have an alliance with the U.S.S.R. after the war. It claimed that the London Government in Exile possessed illegal authority. The majority in the committee spent the whole war in the U.S.S.R. On July 27, 1944, some of the members of the Polish Committee of National Liberation arrived in Chem. On August 1, 1944, the Polish Committee of National Liberation was installed in Lublin.

On September 6, 1944, a decree for agricultural reform was passed. It stated that properties of over 50 ha would be broken up. The land would be distributed after it was taken over. On October 9, 1944, Witos was dismissed from the Polish Committee of National Liberation. Osóbka-Morawski took his place. On August 31, 1944, the Polish Committee of National Liberation issued a decree that punished Fascists, Nazis, and Polish traitors. The decree was used to go after members of organizations that wanted Polish independence. On October 30, 1944, the Polish Committee of National Liberation issued a decree that gave the death penalty or imprisoned people if they interfered in agricultural reform or possessed radios. In October 1944, the U.S.S.R.’s People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD) began an operation in Lublin with over 8,000 soldiers that fought against the Polish underground.

The operation lasted until August 1946. Over 16,800 Poles were arrested until January 1945. In December 1944, Bolesław Bierut was made the president of the National Home Government. Stalin agreed to make the Polish Committee of National Liberation into the Interim Government. The primer minister and minister of foreign affairs was made Osóbka-Morawski. Gomułka was made the deputy prime minister. On January 17, 1945, the U.S.S.R.’s army occupied Warsaw. 70% of Warsaw’s downtown was destroyed. On January 19, 1945, the Red Army conquered Kraków and Łódź. On January 23, 1945, it took over Bydgoszcz. On January 27, 1945, Katowice was taken over. On February 1, 1945, Warsaw was made the center of the Polish government.

In February 1945, the Yalta Conference took place. It was a success for Stalin and the U.S.S.R. It was decided that the Interim Government of Poland would provide elections. In the spring of 1945, the U.S.S.R. conducted a campaign of terror against Poles in Pomerania and Silesia. Prisoners were put into former Nazi concentration camps in Oświęcim (Auschwitz) and Potulice (Lebrechtsdorf). As of June 20, 1945, 54,761 Poles were interred by the U.S.S.R., according to Soviet numbers. At least 6,602 were members of the Home Army.

On May 24, 1945, the Council of Ministers decided to create the Corps of Internal Security. It was to have over 30,000 soldiers who were to fight against the Polish underground. Soviet general Bolesław Kieniewicz led the Corps. In 1945, Polish security forces killed 2,830 Poles and arrested 6,319 for conspiracy. In May 1945, Władysław Gomułka criticized the repressive behavior of the U.S.S.R. in Poland.

On April 21, 1945, Poland and the U.S.S.R. signed a pact of friendship, mutual support, and join cooperation for twenty years. On June 28, 1945, president Bierut created the Interim Government of National Unity. Osóbka-Morawski became the prime minister. Gomułka and Mikołajczyk became the deputy prime ministers. The United States of America and Britain both recognized the Interim Government of National Unity. From July 17, 1945, to August 2, 1945, the Potsdam Conference decided Poland’s final borders. On August 16, 1945, Poland the U.S.S.R. signed a treaty that determined Poland’s borders. In 1946, Poland and Czechoslovakia signed a treaty that confirmed their borders. In March 1947, Poland and Czechoslovakia signed a treaty of friendship and mutual support.

Poland’s new borders determined in 1945 lost 311,730 km2 of land or 20% of its land in comparison to its borders before World War II. Poland’s borders moved westward. The western lands it gained were more developed than the eastern lands it lost. The western lands were rich in coal. The eastern lands it lost were abundant oil. On August 16, 1945, Poland had to agree to send coal to the U.S.S.R. at the rate of $1.00 per ton that was 10% of its market value in return for getting 15% of the reparations from the U.S.S.R.’s zone of occupation. Poland was to send 8,000,000 tons of coal to the U.S.S.R. during the first year of the deal. 13,000,000 tons of coal were to be sent in the following four years. Afterwards, 12,000,000 tons were to be sent each year. Over 500,000,000 dollars were lost in the agreement.

A high estimate of how many Poles were lost in World War II is around 6,000,000. In February 1946, Poland had a population of 23,900,000. 20,500,000 were Poles. 2,300,000 were Germans. 162,000 were Ukrainians. 108,000 were Jews. In the autumn of 1945, Poland received help from the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. In 1946, Polish agricultural production was around 48% of itself before World War II. On September 9, 1944, Poland, Belarus, and the U.S.S.R. signed agreements to exchange people. On September 22, 1944, Poland and Lithuania signed a similar agreement. From 1945 to June 15, 1946, over 480,000 Ukrainians moved from Poland to Ukraine. The Greek Catholic Church was legalized in Poland.

From 1945 to 1949, around 2,000,000 Poles came from countries west of Poland. The majority came from Germany. They were forced laborers and prisoners. Around 200,000 were from France and Belgium. They were mostly miners. On February 20, 1945, the U.S.S.R. allowed Poland to administer lands that were previously German. On July 5, 1945, Szczecin was taken over by Poland.

Over 4,000,000 Germans escaped from land that Poland took over before the Red Army arrived. There were around 3,000,000 Germans in the lands that Poland received from Germany after World War II. Over 1,000 camps were created for Germans in Poland after the war. In 1945, from 700,000 to 800,000 Germans left voluntarily or were expelled from the former German lands that Poland took over. In November 1945, the Allied Council of Control of Germany deported around 2,500,000 Germans from Poland to the British and Soviet zones of Germany. Around 2,000,000 Germans left Poland after World War II. Around 300,000 Germans stayed in Poland after World War II. From 1945 to 1946, around 300 Germans died during transportation to Germany.

From 30,000 to 150,000 Jews were left in Poland after World War II. Many Jews who were freed from concentration camps after World War II came to Poland. In January 1946, there were around 90,000 Jews in Poland. From February 8, 1946, to July 31, 1946, over 214,000 Jews came to Poland. From July 1946 to September 1946, over 63,000 Jews left Poland. Most went to Palestine or the United States of America. In the middle of 1949, there were around 110,000 Jews in Poland. In the spring of 1945, Poles began to move to the former German lands that Poland received after the war. By the end of August 1945, there were 1,000,000 people in the former German lands. By the end of 1948, 1,700,000 Poles from central Poland settled in the former German lands. In November 1945, the Ministry of Recovered Lands was created to administer to the German lands Poland received. Władysław Gomułka led it. On September 6, 1946, a decree stated that limited settlers in the newly acquired German lands to not have more than 15 ha of land. Polish settlers received around 440,000 parcels of lands. On January 3, 1946, industry was nationalized.

On October 16, 1945, Poland signed the United Nations Charter. On January 12, 1946, Poland received membership in the Security Council of the United Nations. From July 1946 to October 1946, Poland participated in the Paris peace conference with the allies of World War II. On May 3, 1946, protests occurred against the removal of May 3 as a holiday. In Kraków, over 1,000 people were arrested during protests. Twelve people were imprisoned. On April 27, 1946, an ordinance was passed to make a referendum on June 30, 1946. The referendum had three questions. The first dealt with the elimination of the senate. The second dealt with agricultural reform and nationalization of industry. The third dealt with keeping Poland’s new borders. On July 12, 1946, the results were given. They were falsified. 85% voted. 68.2% voted “yes” to the first question. 77.3% voted “yes” to the second question. 91.4% voted “yes” to the third question.

On July 4, 1946, thirty-nine Jews and two Poles were reportedly killed in a pogrom in Kielce that the Communist secret police orchestrated. On February 5, 1947, Bolesław Bierut was chosen president by the sejm. He assigned Józef Cyrankiewicz the job to create a new government. From April 28, 1947, to July 30, 1947, Operation Wisła occurred. 20,000 soldiers led by general Stefan Mossor resettled around 140,000 Ukrainians and Lemkos to the newly acquired and former German lands. They were scattered and separated. Attempts were made to not make them more than 10% of a given locality.

On May 26, 1951, a project started officially to write a new constitution. In January 1952, the constitution was finished. On July 22, 1952, the constitution was passed. On October 12, 1950, the anniversary of the Battle of Lenino became the Day of the Polish Army. On March 15, 1950, Poland left the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development. On August 15, 1950, Poland left the International Organization of Health. These moves were made to draw Poland closer to the U.S.S.R.

Communist Poland’s politics aggravated the Catholic Church. On September 28, 1947, a letter by Polish bishops called for Catholics to boycott the press, since it was anti-religious. The letter complained about censorship and disdain for the holiness of Sundays and religious holidays. In January 1948, prime minister Cyrankiewicz stated in the sejm that the Catholic Church’s participation in anti-government politics would not be tolerated. Priests were arrested. In September 1948, over 400 priests was prisoners. On July 13, 1949, the Vatican issued a decree that excommunicated Catholics who became members of the Communist party or helped it. On August 5, 1949, a decree was passed by Poland that punished those who abused religious freedom at the expense of the Polish state with up to three years in prison. On November 23, 1949, religious events outside of churches were banned, if they did not receive government permission. On April 14, 1950, the Polish Catholic Church and the Polish government signed an agreement that required the Polish Catholic Church to teach respect for the law and political authority. In the beginning of 1952, religion was removed from schools. On July 21, 1950, the sejm passed a six-year economic plan that emphasized the development of metallurgy and machinery. In January 1951, pharmacies were nationalized. After Stalin died on March 5, 1953, the number of arrests in Poland dropped. On May 14, 1955, the Warsaw Pact was created to oppose N.A.T.O. Poland and other communist countries were in the Warsaw Pact. On March 12, 1956, Bierut died of a heart attack.

On June 28, 1956, a strike occurred in Poznań. A crowd of up to 100,000 gathered on the center of Poznań. A thirteen-year-old boy was killed in a shooting during the manifestation. An army of 10,000 soldiers with over 400 tanks was sent to disperse the crowds. On June 30, 1956, the manifestation was pacified. Seventy-four people died. 575 were injured.

In June 1958, Poland and Czechoslovakia signed an agreement that settled their borders. In August 1959, Richard Nixon, the Vice President of the United States of America, visited Poland. Poland agreed to pay 40,000,000 dollars to citizens of the United States of America who were negatively affected by Poland’s nationalization program. On November 17, 1959, President Dwight Eisenhower, the President of the United States of America, reinstated Poland’s privileged status for its goods that were imported to the United States of America.

On August 4, 1958, Poland passed a law that banned monks to teach religion in schools. Crosses and other symbols of Christianity were removed from schools. Prayer was ended in classes. On March 14, 1964, thirty-four intellectuals signed a letter and sent it to the prime minister. It complained about censorship. In October 1964, Jacek Kuroń and Karol Modzelewski, two men employed by the University of Warsaw, wrote a text that criticized Poland’s communist system. They were both fired by the University of Warsaw. On March 19, 1965, they were arrested. Modzelewski was sentences to three and one-half years in prison. Kuro received three years in prison.

On October 25, 1967, Adam Mickiewicz’s “Forefathers’ Eve” by Kazimierz Dejmek was shown in Warsaw’s National Theater. It had anti-Russian elements. It was considered to be anti- Soviet and had to be ended. The last show was to take place on January 30, 1968. After the show, around 300 gathered at Mickiewicz’s statue. The militia was sent to break up the crowd. Thirty-five were arrested. Over 4,200 in Warsaw and Wrocław signed a petition to reinstate Forefathers’ Eve. In March 1968, Adam Michnik and Henryk Szlajfer were removed from the University of Warsaw for telling Bernard Margueritte of Le Monde of what happened after the last show of Forefathers’ Eve. On March 8, 1968, 2,000 to 3,000 students protested the decision at the University of Warsaw. Participants were beaten by the police.

On December 7, 1970, Chancellor Willy Brandt and Prime Minister Józef Cyrankiewicz signed a treaty that normalized relations between Poland and Germany. Poland’s western border was recognized. Both countries agreed to recognize each other borders and not seek changes to their borders.

On December 12, 1970, price increases were implemented. Meat went up 17.6%. Noodles went up 15%. Fish went up 11.7%. Jams went up 36.2%. Coal went up 10%. On December 14, 1970, workers at the shipyard in Gdańsk gathered at a meeting and demanded that the price increases end. Crowds formed in Gdańsk. Buildings were burned and property was destroyed. On December 15, 1970, six died and 500 were arrested in the conflict. On December 16, 1970, the conflict spread to Słupsk, Elbląd, and Kraków. On December 17, 1970, eighteen people were killed and over 550 were injured in Gdynia. On December 17, 1970, and December 18, 1970, sixteen were killed and 212 were injured in Szczecin. On December 17, 1970, Gomułka told Leonid Brezhnev over the phone that he had the situation under control and he would ask for help if he needed it. A group formed that wanted to remove Gomułka and replace him with Edward Gierek. On December 20, 1970, Gomułka resigned and Edward Gierek replaced him as the first secretary. Piotr Jaroszewicz was made the prime minister.

On June 28, 1972, Pope Paul VI issued a bull called Episcoporum Poloniae that created six dioceses on the lands that Poland received from Germany after World War II. In January 1972, the border between Poland and the German Democratic Republic was opened. In the first months of 1972, 5,000,000 Poles went to the German Democratic Republic. On December 1, 1972, a Polish consulate was created in New York City and an American consulate was created in Kraków. In October 1972, Poland and France signed a declaration of friendship and cooperation. An economic treaty was also signed for ten years. In 1972, the Federal Republic of Germany’s parliament passed a treaty from 1970 that created diplomatic relations with Poland.

On February 10, 1976, the sejm passed a reform of the constitution. Thirty articles were changed. The reforms stated that Poland is a socialist country that has a friendship with the U.S.S.R. From June 2, 1979, to June 10, 1979, Pope John Paul II came to Poland on his pilgrimage. Millions came to see him.

In the beginning of 1980, new prices were introduced in cafeterias and buffets. Strikes resulted that the government did not expect. Almost 90,000 workers went on strike. In August, 1980, strikes occurred in Warsaw and spread to Łódź, Kalisz, and Wrocław. On August 14, 1980, a strike occurred in a shipyard called Lenin in Gdańsk. Lech Wałęsa led a committee involved in the strike. The committee wanted a monument to be built for those who died in December 1970 and an increase in wages. On the night of August 16, 1980, and August 17, 1980, a new committee formed that Lech Wałęsa led. The committee wanted the right to strike, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly to make a union. On August 16, 1980, a government organization was created with secretary Stanisław Kania at its head to end the strikes. On August 18, 1980, a strike occurred in Szczecin. On August 19, 1980, a strike occurred in Elbląg. On August 20, 1980, Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Bronisław Geremek came to the shipyards of Gdańsk with a list of sixty-four intellectuals who supported the strike. The strike spread to Nowa Chuta, Poznań, Wrocław, Warsaw, and other cities. On August 30, 1980, vice prime minister Barcikowski signed a document that allowed self-governing professional organizations.

On September 17, 1980, creating a trade union called Independent Self-Governing Labor Union “Solidarity” was considered. On September 24, 1980, documents to create it were submitted in a court in Warsaw. On November 10, 1980, it was registered. The Solidarity movement was not welcomed by the U.S.S.R. In the autumn of 1980, the German Federal Republic and Czechoslovakia stopped tourism with Poland. The German Federal Republic and Czechoslovakia both concentrated their troops on their borders with Poland. On December 3, 1980, the leader of armed forced of the Warsaw Pact, marshal Wiktor Kulikow, asked for Poland’s approval to bring troops to Poland for exercises, but exercises were never executed. At the end of January 1981, students striked in Łódź. Strikes followed in Poznań, Warsaw, and Kraków. On February 19, 1981, the Independent Organization of Students was recognized by the minister of education.

On February 9, 1981, general Wojciech Jaruzelski was proposed to be the next prime minister. On February 11, 1981, Jaruzelski became the new president of the Council of Ministers. On March 27, 1981, Solidarity agreed to make a four-hour strike. If it did not work, a general strike would occur on March 31, 1981. On March 30, 1981, Wałęsa met with a delegation from the government. The general strike was called off. On April 3, 1981, the first issue of Solidarity Weekly was produced. It was redacted by Tadeusz Mazowiecki. Solidarity Weekly was a success with over half of one million subscribers.

On April 10, 1981, Jaruzelski demanded that the power to strike be annulled for two months. On May 13, 1981, an assassination attempt was made on Pope John Paul II. The U.S.S.R. was suspected, but when the assassin was released from prison, he wrote in a book that Ayatollah Kemeni told him to do it. On May 28, 1981, cardinal Stefan Wyszyński died. His funeral became a large manifestation.

In the spring of 1981, grocery stores began to be poorly supplied. In April 1981, food stamps were made for meat and cold cuts. Food stamps were then made for butter, rice, and flour. In June 1981, food stamps were made for laundry detergent. A great deal of time in lines was necessitated to get these articles. On July 30, 1981, women organized a hunger strike in Łódź. In June 1981, commemorations were organized in Radom, Ursus, and Płock to commemorate the events of 1976. On August 5, 1981, Solidarity organized a two-hour general strike. On September 5, 1981, members of Solidarity met in Gdańsk and accused Wałęsa of compromising and being a coward. On September 8, 1981, Solidarity wrote a missive to the working people of Eastern Europe that recommended that they create trade unions.

At the end of October 1980, discussions were made to implement martial law. Instructions to implement martial law were printed by the KGB in the U.S.S.R. and sent to Poland on September 4, 1981. From October 15, 1980, a list of people who needed to be isolated was created. A list of almost 13,000 was created. In February 1981, 13,600 were planned to be interned. A list of 7,500 was created of people who would defend socialism. They would be given weapons. At the beginning of September 1981, U.S.S.R. troops began maneuvers in Belarus and by the Baltic Sea under the name of “West 81.”

In October 1981, Kania resigned and was replaced with Wojciech Jaruzelski as the first secretary of the communist party. On October 19, 1981, Brezhnev called Jaruzelski and told him that he accepted him as the first secretary. On November 4, 1981, Jaruzelski met with primate Glemp and Wałęsa. On November 19, 1981, teachers protested in Lublin. In November 1981, colonel Ryszard Kukliński escaped from Poland. He worked in the military and helped to organized martial law. The CIA might have recruited him while he was on a mission in Vietnam.

On November 5, 1981, a decision was made to implement martial law. At 11:30 p.m. on December 12, martial law was started. The hotel where top officials of Solidarity were staying was surrounded. Most were arrested. Around 5,000 were arrested during the first days of martial law. Wałęsa and many high-ranking members of Solidarity were kept in luxurious accommodations after they were arrested. Others were placed in poor conditions. Around 100,000 people and over 3,000 tanks were used during martial law. Telephone lines were shut off. Jaruzelski appeared on television to explain why martial law was made. From 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. each day, citizens were allowed to only reside within the borders of their towns or districts. Correspondences were censored. Strikes and protests were banned. The senate of Jagiellonian University condemned martial law. On December 14, 1981, and December 15, 1981, strikes at the University of Wrocław were suppressed. On December 16, 1981, a strike at the mine called “Wujek” in Katowice left nine dead and twenty-two injured. People who worked in the government were forced to sign letters to prove their loyalty. On January 10, 1982, telephone lines were restored.

On August 31, 1982, a demonstration was to take place to protest against the arrests of citizens under martial law. The demonstration was in sixty-six cities. On January 11, 1982, NATO condemned martial law in Poland. On December 23, 1981, Reagan did not allow LOT to extend its license to fly to the United States of America. About 30,000,000 dollars were given to Solidarity by the American government.

On December 19, 1982, a decision was made to end martial law on December 31, 1982. 2,580 were arrested for anti-state activities during martial law. It took around two hours of waiting in a line to buy food during martial law. It took days of waiting in a line to get furniture, refrigerators, and washing machines. On October 5, 1983, Wałęsa received the Noble Peace Prize. From December 16, 1983, to December 23, 1983, Pope John Paul II visited Poland for the second time. He met with Jaruzelski and Wałęsa.

In November 1982, Western banks agreed to give 550,000,000 dollars of credit to Poland. In 1984, the United States of America allowed Polish fishermen to fish by American water. It also allowed planes to fly to Poland from the United States of America. In June 1986, Poland became a members of the International Monetary Fund.

On January 26, 1984, the sejm passed a law that would imprison anyone or give them a fine if they published material without permission. On October 19, 1984, a priest named Jerzy Popiełuszko was killed for opposing communism. From June 8, 1987, to June 14, 1987, Pope John Paul II went on a pilgrimage to Poland. On November 29, 1987, a referendum occurred that asked people if they wanted a radical program to improve the economy and implement meaningful democratic reforms. A majority did not vote in favor of the referendum. From July 11, 1988, to July 14, 1988, Mikhail Gorbachev visited Poland.

Strikes occurred that wanted Solidarity to be legalized. On August 15, 1988, a strike occurred in the mines of Jastrzębie. Strikes spread to other mines. On August 17, 1988, a strike occurred in the shipyards of Szczecin. On August 20, 1988, a strike occurred in the port of Gdańsk. On August 26, 1988, general Kiszczak appeared on television and proposed to have a meeting at a round table with members of Solidarity. Wałęsa then called off the strikes. On February 6, 1989, the round table meeting took place in Warsaw. It was televised. Fifty-seven people sat at the round table. Matters that were discussed included politics, economics, and pluralism. On April 5, 1989, the round table meeting ended. On April 7, 1989, the sejm changed the constitution. Political power was restructured. Professional organizations, such as Solidarity, were legalized. On April 13, 1989, new elections were to take place on June 4, 1989, and June 18, 1989. Solidarity’s plan for the elections was to provide democracy and the development of the economy. On April 17, 1989, Solidarity was registered. On May 1, 1989, massive demonstrations occurred to support of Solidarity. On May 8, 1989, Adam Michnik’s Electoral Newspaper gave out its first issue.

On June 4, 1989, elections took place. 62.1% participated. Solidarity received 252 of 261 seats in the senate and sejm. On December 20, 1989, the sejm passed a law that made the high court be independent. On December 29, 1989, the constitution was changed. It removed language that referenced the U.S.S.R. It stated that Poland was a country where law ruled. The old name of Republic of Poland was restored. The old, white eagle with a crown was made the official symbol of the country again. On April 6, 1990, the holiday of July 22 was removed as the day of the rebirth of Poland. The holiday of May 3 was restored. August 15 was made the holiday of the Polish army, since on August 15, 1920, Poland won the Battle of Warsaw. In July 1990, Germany confirmed its border with Poland. On September 1, 1990, religious lessons were restored in classes.

In the spring of 1990, Jaruzelski went to Gorbachev in Moscow and received documents that showed the U.S.S.R. was responsible for the Katy massacre in 1940. In September 1990, Poland had discussions with the U.S.S.R. about removing Soviet troops from Poland.

Political parties emerged. In October 1989, the Christian National Union with Wiesław Chrzanowski was created. In January 27, 1990, Social Democratic Union was created by Tadeusz Fiszbach and the Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland party was created by Leszek Miller and Aleksander Kwaśniewski. By the end of 1990, there were over 100 political parties.

On November 25, 1990, elections occurred. Wałęsa received 39.9% of the vote, Stanisław Tymiński received 23.1%, and Tadeusz Mazowiecki received 18% of the vote. On December 9, 1990, Wałęsa received 74.25% of the vote in the second round of the election. On December 22, 1990, Wałęsa became president. In April 1991, Poland and France signed a treaty of friendship. In June 1991, Poland and Germany signed a treaty of cooperation and friendship.

In November 1991, Poland became a member of the Council of Europe. On July 1, 1991, the Warsaw Pact was disbanded in Prague. In the beginning of September 1991, Poland made diplomatic relations with Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. On October 26, 1991, Poland and the U.S.S.R. signed a pact that some Soviet troops would be removed from Poland by November 15, 1991. On February 15, 1991, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary signed an agreement to integrate in Europe. In July 1991, Poland joined Austria, Czechoslovakia, Jugoslavia, Hungary, and Italy in a pact to cooperate with each other. In October 1991, Poland signed agreements of friendship and cooperation with Czechoslovakia and Hungary. On June 1, 1991, Pope John Paul II visited Poland for a pilgrimage. On May 18, 1992, Poland and Ukraine signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation. On May 22, 1992, Wałęsa and Boris Yeltsin signed a treaty in Moscow to ensure cooperation between Poland and Russia. On June 23, 1992, Poland and Belarus signed a similar treaty.

On August 25, 1993, and August 26, 1993, president Yeltsin laid a reef at a cross for the victims of the Katy massacre and apologized for the event. On January 7, 1993, the sejm forbid abortion. On August 30, 1996, the sejm allowed certain cases of abortion.

On April 26, 1994, Wałęsa signed a treaty with Lithuania to make friendly relations and cooperation. From May 31, 1997, to June 10, 1997, Pope John Paul II visited Poland for the fifth time. On June 19, 1998, the sejm condemned totalitarian communism. It said that communism was thrust upon Poland by the U.S.S.R. and Stalin.

On September 1, 1999, education was reformed by making elementary school for six years and gimnazjum for three years. After the results of a test, students could go to a three-year lyceum, a two-year trade school, or a two-year trade liceum. On September 23, 1998, the sejm created the Institute of National Memory that was to investigate crimes committed against Poles during World War II and during communism.

On January 22, 1999, farmers began to protest by blocking roads. They wanted the government to implement protectionist politics in agriculture. Andrzej Lepper from the Self- Defense party supported them. On January 28, 1999, 114 roads were blocked.

On October 8, 2000, Kwaśniewski won the elections with 53.9% of the vote. On February 21, 1998, Poland, France, and Germany met in Poznań. France and Germany said that they wanted Poland to join NATO and the European Union. On March 12, 1999, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary became members of NATO.

On March 31, 1999, negotiations began to get Poland in the European Union. On April 16, 2003, Poland signed the Treaty of Accession 2003 to enter the European Union. On May 1, 2004, it became a member.

On April 10, 2010, a plane flying president Lech Kaczyski and other members of the government went down at Smoleńsk, Russia. Ninety-six died. They were going to attend a memorial for the Katy massacre. The official investigation found that the pilot was at fault. An investigation by Antoni Macierewicz found that there was an explosion. It has been hypothesized that a bomb was on the plane. After the plane went down, Andrei Menderey filmed the crash site, posted it on YouTube, and was stabbed to death on a street and in a hospital.