Rebellion: The Shipyard Strikes in Poland and the Birth of Solidarnosc in August 1980

"Rebellion" is a fascinating, multi-threaded story about how revolutions unfold. The story begins when the communist authorities in Poland promise a better life after the bloody suppression of strikes in December 1970. The availability of goods temporarily increased, and for a time the outside world seemed closer. Just a decade later, however, rebellion arrived nonetheless. This book provides the full story of the Great Strike of August 1980, the centre of which was the Gdansk Shipyard. This strike was a fight not only for bread, but also for dignity of the striking workers. The authorities were faced with the choice of either calling for assistance from Soviet troops or seeking a compromise. Many days of negotiations with the strikers resulted in an agreement that began a new chapter in Polish history and opened the way to demise of the communist system in Eastern Europe.