Latest News on Solidarity

Leaders of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) grew increasingly concerned about the strength and growth of the Solidarity Movement as well as the largely unsuccessful actions of Poland's Communist Party against the opposition in Poland. These meeting notes of the Central Committee of the CPSU from January 1981 indicate that Soviet leaders recognized that the Polish Communist leadership was attempting to quell the critical situation in their country, but that they were not doing enough. During this meeting, Soviet leaders discussed the persistent problems of the Polish media, the actions that Polish leadership had taken against the media and the opposition, and plans to continue dialogue with Polish officials. As this document indicates, the Soviet Union was immensely concerned about the situation in Poland, and even suggested that Soviet forces might be used. Polish Communist leaders were by no means acting alone in the handling of the opposition; they regularly received advice and instructions from the Soviet Union.