Lech Wałęsa

Ronald Reagan 2 September 1980 to Earl B. Dunckel

It was good to hear from you and to get your two letters packaged into one. I only had one question from the press about the Polish strike and I simply stated that I didn't believe it was our place to intervene in a purely domestic affair and that I hope the Soviet Union felt likewise.

Reagan A LIFE IN LETTERS
New York etc. : Free Press 2003, p. 528.

From The Collapse of Communism, Stewart Ross 2004

The first serious cracks within the Iron Courtain occurred in Poland. Many years of Russian domination had bred a fierce spirit of nationalism within the Polish people. This love of country was linked to an equally strong affection for the Roman Catholic Church.

Although firmly under Soviet control by 1945 [ - 1947], Poland's Communist Party leaders (Wladyslaw Gomulka, 1956-1970 and Edward Gierek, 1970-1980) successfully argued that their country was a special case. Farms were not state-owned as in the USSR, the Church was tolerated, and Poles enjoyed greater liberty than their Iron Curtain neighbors.

During the 1970's, however, economic mismanagement and the lack of political freedom produced frequent unrest. This came to a head in 1980 with the formation of the trade union Solidarity, led by the popular Lech Walesa. Fearing armed Soviet intervention, in 1981 the government of Wojciech Jaruzelski clamped down on Solidarity and imprisoned its leaders. However, the anticommunist movement, boosted by visits from Pope John Paull II (who was born in Poland) in 1979, 1983, and 1987, could not be suppressed.

Chicago : Heinemann 2004, p. 26.

Bibliographic, http://catnyp.nypl.org and/or http://melvyl.cdlib.org

Author Moscicki, Ignacy, 1867-1946. Title Ignacy Moscicki, prezydent RP : autobiografia / Ignacy Moscicki ; slowo wstepne Lech Walesa ; wstep, przypisy oraz wyb�r wywiad�w i deklaracji publicznych Marian Marek Drozdowski. Imprint Warszawa : Wydawn. Bellona, 1993. Descript 338 p., [16] p. of plates : ill. ; 20 cm. Note Includes index. "Spis prac ogloszonych przez Pana Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej profesora doktora h.c. Ignacego Moscickiego": p. 332-[335]. Local note Autographed by Lech Walesa during his visit to The New York Public Library and the Slavic and Baltic Division on February 26, 1999.

Author Wałęsa, Lech, 1943- Uniform Title [ Chemins de la d�mocratie. English] Title The struggle and the triumph : an autobiography / Lech Walesa with the collaboration of Arkadiusz Rybicki ; translated by Franklin Philip in collaboration with Helen Mahut. Publisher New York : Arcade Pub., c1992. Description vi, 330 p., [8] p. of plates : ill. ; 25 cm. ISBN 1559701498 : Language English Note Translation of: Les chemins de la d�mocratie. Includes index.

Author Wałęsa, Lech, 1943- Uniform Title [ Droga nadziei. Bulgarian] Title Pŭti︠a︡t na nadezhdata / Lekh Valensa ; preveli Lili︠a︡na Dankova, Galina Dankova. Publisher Sofii︠a︡ : Universitetsko izd-vo "Sv. Kliment Okhridski", 1992. Description 353 p. ; 25 cm.

Author Wałęsa, Lech, 1943- Uniform Title [ Chemin d'espoir. Polish] Title Droga nadziei / Lech Wa��sa. Publisher Krakow : Wydawnictwo Znak, 1990. Description 384 p., [12] p. of plates : ill. ; 21 cm. Note Translation of: Un chemin d'espoir.

Author Wałęsa, Lech, 1943- Uniform Title [ Droga nadziei. English] Title A path of hope / Lech Walesa Publisher London : Collins Harvill, 1987 Description 325 p., [16] p. of plates : ill., 1 map, ports. ; 24 cm ISBN 0002721201 : Language English Note American ed. published as: A way of hope Includes index Translation of: Un chemin d'espoir

Author Wałęsa, Lech, 1943- Uniform Title [ Chemin d'espoir. English] Title A way of hope / Lech Walesa. Publisher New York : H. Holt, c1987. Description 325 p., [17] p. of plates : ill. ; 25 cm. ISBN 0805006680 Language English Note Translation of: Un chemin d'espoir. Includes index.

Author Gatter-Klenk, Jule Title Vielleicht auf Knien, aber vorw�rts! : Gespr�che mit Lech Wa��sa / Jule Gatter-Klenk ; mit einem Vorwort versehen von Lech Wałęsa Publisher K�nigstein/Ts. : Athen�um, 1981 Description 174 p. : ill. ; 22 cm ISBN 3761081251 : Language German