To understand the importance of Poland in the 1980s you need to understand what happened after the USSR invasion of Czechoslovakia 1968 and the defeat of the United States in Vietnam. The 1970s were known as a period of Détente. Détente is a French word meaning relaxation. The 1970s were a time when the tension between the Superpowers relaxed or improved, the Cold War thawed.

Essential Activity

Read Tony McAleavy Cambridge Modern World History pp.156-59.  Complete Activity 1-4.

Useful Background (if you have time)

(i) Read J F Aylett The Cold War and After pp.34-35. Answer Questions 1a, b, c, 2a and 3a only. 

(ii) Explain why Détente came to an end. You should be able to answer this in a few sentences, but before you can do so you need to read the next two chapters of Aylett. These deal with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the role of the new US President Ronald Reagan.