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"This book painstakingly reconstructs the dramatic events that took place in certain Eastern European countries in the second half of the 20th century, rocking the Communist regimes: the 1953 workers' uprising in East Berlin, the Hungarian uprising of 1956, the ‘Prague Spring' of 1968, and the Solidarność movement in Poland in 1980-1981. While these events had their own national features, there are striking common features, in particular the fact that the working class played a key role in their development, instigating wildcat strikes and mass demonstrations against low wages and ever-increasing production quotas. The authorities' inadequate responses, particularly their harsh repression of those leading the protests, made the events political dynamite: workers' demands were seen as a challenge to the Communist party's hegemony, while the protests spread to intellectuals and students, creating a popular movement calling for greater freedom and political pluralism. In addition to the courage and sacrifices of the worker activists, European and global trade union support, in particular in Poland for the semi-clandestine activities of Solidarność, progressively contributed to broad international recognition. Since then, much water has flowed under the bridge, not always in the direction hoped for in this book… Remembering those times today is a worthy historical undertaking paying tribute to the leaders of the workers' movement and their role in triggering the return of political and trade union freedoms in these countries."
"This book painstakingly reconstructs the dramatic events that took place in certain Eastern European countries in the second half of the 20th century, rocking the Communist regimes: the 1953 workers' uprising in East Berlin, the Hungarian uprising of 1956, the ‘Prague Spring' of 1968, and the Solidarność movement in Poland in 1980-1981. While these events had their own national features, there are striking common features, in particular the ...
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