A Polish statesman, President of Poland (1990–1995), the first democratically elected president after 1945, and the first ever in Polish history to be appointed through a general election. A Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He was an electrician working at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk when he became involved in opposition activities. He led the great strike in August 1980, which concluded with the signing of an agreement with the communist government. He became the first chairman of NSZZ "Solidarity," the first independent trade union behind the Iron Curtain. The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Poland was one of the achievements of his presidency.