description Lech Wałęsa Overview
Lech Wałęsa was a Polish electrician and Solidarity leader who led the 1980 Gdańsk strike, won the 1983 Nobel Peace Prize, and became president.
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Lech Wałęsa ranks #33 of 260 in the Revolutionary ranking, behind Wolfe Tone, ahead of Steve Biko.
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What did Lech Wałęsa do during the 1980 Gdańsk shipyard strike?
Wałęsa, an electrician and dismissed shipyard worker, became the strike committee's leader at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk. The resulting Gdańsk Agreement recognized workers' right to form independent trade unions and helped launch Solidarity.
Why did Lech Wałęsa receive the Nobel Peace Prize?
He received the 1983 Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent campaign for workers' rights and political freedom in communist Poland. His wife, Danuta Wałęsa, accepted the award in Oslo because he feared Polish authorities might not let him return if he traveled.
When was Lech Wałęsa president of Poland?
Wałęsa served as Poland's president from 1990 to 1995. He lost the 1995 election to Aleksander Kwaśniewski.
How did Solidarity contribute to the fall of communist rule in Poland?
Solidarity survived martial-law repression and joined the 1989 Round Table negotiations with the communist government. Partly free elections in June 1989 produced a decisive opposition victory and opened the way to a Solidarity-led government.
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