December 13th, 1981 – General Jaruzelski declared martial law in Poland to put an end to the revolt by “Solidarnosc” (Solidarity), the first and only free union in the Eastern Block. It was a genuine people’s movement that counted more than 10 million members in Poland, and that met their aspirations of freedom, social justice, and democracy. The coup d’état was supported by Moscow and created a veritable diplomatic uproar, mobilizing public opinion around the world to come to the aid of Poland.
