Of all the Soviet bloc countries, Poland was the most rebellious. Mass protests took place in 1956, 1968, 1970–1, 1976, and 1980–1. It was during the last of these that the most significant opposition movement in communist Eastern Europe, Solidarity, was formed. This type and scale of opposition was unique in the Soviet bloc. Indeed, Solidarity was in many ways the original source of the forces that eventually brought communism down in Europe. This heritage can give many Poles a sense of confidence, and pride in their own past, that contrasts strongly with the identity problems we have noted in several other post-communist states.

At its peak at the beginning of the 1980s, organizations associated with Solidarity mobilized up to half the Polish working population – their total membership stood at some nine and a half million (Grzybowski, 1994, p. 56), of whom around 750,000 also held Communist Party cards (Ascherson, 1982, p. 201). The declaration of martial law and banning of Solidarity in December 1981 was followed by a precipitous decline in membership, but come 1988 the leaders of Solidarity were the obvious group for the Jaruzelski regime to engage in negotiations concerning a transfer of power.

The communist regime gave way with much more grace in Poland than in almost all the other dominos of 1989 (only Hungary had as smooth a transfer of power), negotiating an agreement for competitive elections with the Solidarity leadership in April 1989.