In the early 1980s, Poland was becoming increasingly anti-Soviet. The 1st independent trade union, Solidarity, had been formed in Gdansk in 1980. Combined with the election of Karol Wojtyla to the position of Pope, with his support for freedom from the influence and domination of the Soviet Union, Poland seemed on the brink of becoming free. It was then invaded by the USSR. During the event, General Wojciech Jaruzelski, the Polish Prime Minister, became the leader of the Communist Party of Poland. He enacted martial law, in an attempt to crush Solidarity. He suppressed, but did not eliminate the movement.