Poland's Underground Opposition in the 1980s: The breakdown of the “Solidarity” Movement

Abstract

This article discusses the socio-political condition of Poland after the imposition of martial law in December 1981. It argues that the crushing of Solidarity, by the authorities, as a mass movement contributed to the establishing of a qualitatively and quantitatively different organization or organizations that had their roots in Solidarity. What we witnessed after 13th December 1981 was the transformation of Solidarity into an elitist network of loosely connected underground organizations with little mass constituency. This article argues that the post-Solidarity opposition was characterized by conflicts and rivalry between personal factions and cliques and that it was only sustained through invoking the legacy and memory of Solidarity of 1980–1981.