Solidarity across borders: London’s support for Poland’s Solidarity Movement

George Byczynski is a defense and security expert specializing in Central and Eastern Europe. He is an Adviser to the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Poland and a Chief Operating Officer of Anders de Wiart Associates. A former Adviser to the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Lithuania and Ukraine and a founder of the British Poles Media Group. He holds an LLM in International Law from the University of Westminster and a BSc in International Politics from Brunel University. He is a member of the New Security Leaders of the Warsaw Security Forum and co-author of the reports Three Seas Initiative and the Opportunities for Global Britain and Financing the Future – How to Attract More Foreign Investors to the Three Seas Region. He was awarded the Commission of National Education Honours (KEN) by the Polish Minister of Education and the “Ambassador of Polish History” state award by the Institute of National Remembrance. Byczynski volunteers for the Royal British Legion and the RAF Museum Charity and serves as an Ace Ambassador of the National Spitfire Project. This lecture examines the critical contributions of the British Polish community and the United Kingdom government to Poland’s Solidarity movement during the 1980s. It analyzes the significance of the Polish Solidarity Campaign, Solidarity Working Group and the strategic advocacy by Polish émigrés in briefing British parliamentarians, the imposition of economic and diplomatic sanctions on Poland’s communist regime following the introduction of martial law in December 1981, the public demonstrations that galvanized support for the Polish cause and the multifaceted approach of British trade unions towards Polish anti-communist movements. The lecture elucidates how these concerted efforts bolstered Poland’s struggle for liberty and shaped the broader narrative of international solidarity against the communist oppression. This lecture is part of the 18th Annual Symposium of the Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies. The Kościuszko Chair serves as a center for Polish Studies in the broadest sense, including learning, teaching, researching, and writing about Poland’s culture, history, heritage, religion, government, economy, and successes in the arts, sciences, and letters, with special emphasis on the achievements of Polish civilization and its relation to other nations, particularly the United States. This year, the 17th annual Kościuszko Chair Conference focuses on the topic of threats and opportunities in the Intermarium. **Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academics/graduate-degree-programs/ ***Make a gift to the IWP Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies: https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=4