How did Pope John Paul II influence Polish political shifts?
What will be an ideal response?
The decline of communism in Poland occurred on several levels, including the call of the pope to Polish Catholics to resist Polish communism. However, the rise of the Solidarity movement also appealed to mass Polish society to stand together as workers and improve working conditions and wages otherwise dictated by the controlled economy under the Communist party. Organized strikes came to Poland following the government's announcement that it was raising the price of basic food supplies. Recognizing that the Polish economy was collapsing and that Poland was defaulting on international loans, Polish society saw the opportunity to revolt against the communist government. The shipyard electrician Lech Wal?sa from Gda?sk, also a devout Catholic, led a strike of shipyard workers, and caught the attention of many factory workers, teachers, and rural workers throughout Poland who went on sympathy strikes with the shipyard workers. The underground network of Solidarity members known as the flying university was supported by the Catholic Church, and the Pope, John Paul II, a former member of the Polish underground during World War II, became an outspoken, high profiled, international critic of Communism, and brought international attention to the activities of the Solidarity party.
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