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2.TheExternalRelationsofthePeople’sRepublicofPoland
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4.CharismaticSolidarityleaderLechWałęsawasinterned,alongwithseveral
thousandotherunionactivists.Thereweremassarrestsfromamongtheranksof
theanti-communistopposition,andstreetprotestswerebrutallysuppressed.Yet
allthiswasactuallytoheraldtheendofthePeople,sRepublic,andsoonalsothe
endofthecommunistblocasawhole.Abletocitewholesaleviolationofnational
obligationstakenonatHelsinki,theWestimposedharshsanctionsonPoland,
whoseauthoritieswerealmostentirelyisolatedpoliticallyanddiplomatically.The
CatholicChurch,enjoyingfulsomespiritualsupportfromitsPolish-bornhead,was
abletoshieldthere-nascentopposition.Coincidentallyorotherwise,thedramatic
stopwasbeingputtotheprocessofchangeinPolandatjustthesametimeas
détentewasbeingabandoned.ThePolisheventshadanimpacthere,buttherewas
alsotheSovietinvasionofAfghanistantoconsider,andanewphaseinthearms
racealtogetherenoughtoconvincetheWestthattheUSSRhadgainedmuch
morefromthe"one-waystreet”thanithad.ArstretaliatoryblowcameasJimmy
CarterandhisNationalSecurityAdvisorZbigniewBrzezińskiforcedthecommu-
nistblocontotheideologicalbackfootbyhighlightinghumanrightsissues.Then,
whenRonaldReagantookthereinsofpowerinAmerica,hespokeupforanendto
the"evilempire”,hisUSstrategyforthe1980scentringonare-acceleratedarms
racethatenteredaqualitativelynewphasetheSovietscouldnotaffordtonance.
AnyattempttokeepupwouldbringtheantiquatedeconomyoftheUSSRtoits
knees.Atthesametime,supportfortheanti-communistoppositioninPolandwas
increasinglyforthcoming.Politically,Warsawwastoldthatsanctionswouldonly
beliftedandpariahstatusendediftheWestcouldbeassuredthattheopposition
werebeingtreatedmoregently,andadialoguewiththeChurchwastakingplace.
InApril1985,MikhailGorbachevbecamethenewsecretary-generalofthe
CommunistPartyoftheSovietUnion.JosipBrodskicalledhim"achildofthe
Polishrevolution,achildofSolidarity”.ThenewSovietleaderwasoftheview
thatcommunismmightstillbesavedbytheWest.Thelatter,sprovisioningof
economicaidfortheUSSRwasthereforetobeencouragedbyaneweraofdétente
thatGorbachev,sreformprogrammeknownasperestroikawouldherald.Thenal
resultwouldbesimilartothatnotedinthecaseofPoland.Pragmaticallyenough,
Gorbachevnowwantedcommunist-blocstatestosinkorswimontheirown,as
Moscowwassimplyunabletoofferthemanythingmoreatthisstage.
InWarsaw,scase,thetalkingmightnowbegin,theleaderGeneralWojciech
Jaruzelskigraspingthatheandhiscroniesmightexitfromthemartial-lawimpasse
iftheyenteredintonegotiationswiththeopposition.Theremightthenbeachance
togainmoreassistanceinsavingthecountryfromdeepeconomicandsocialcrisis.
ItwasalsoachanceforPolandtoreturntotheinternationalfold.
Itisnocoincidencethatthisexpositionfocusesoninternalandinternational
eventsofthe1980s.Martial-lawPolandhadnopossibilityofpursuingafor-
eignpolicy,thethenexternalrelationsofthePeople,sRepublicbeingverymuch
conned.Jaruzelski,sPolandwasfatedtoreceiveassistanceandprotectionfrom