Cold War Poland: Stalinist Era (1947-56)

Figure 1.--Here is some kind of processioin in Leba during 1952. Leba wa a town in Pomerania that was part of Germany before World War II. The Germans fled or were expelled after the War. Notice what may be snow, or maybe frost, on the ground. Here we see both boy and girl Pioneers/Scouts. I don't know what the banner being carried says. Hopefully Polish reders will be able to tell us. The boys seem to be wearing long stockings with their uniform shorts whereas the girls are wearing knee socks. I suppose that long stockings and knee socks were more or less interchangeable at the time. Presumably the long stockings were thought necessary by mother because of the chilly weather. We wonder why the man in the overcoat is carrying his hat rather than wearing it. Is this homage to a flag or to some political dignitary? Note the opeace doves on the banner. The Communist Party represented itself around the world as a Party promoting world peace. Most Poles in 1952 would have known that it was Stalin and the Communist Soviet Union that joined in alliance with Hitler and the NAZIs in 1939 to invade and occupy their country--launching thehorror of World war II.

The Polish People's Party (PSL) and its leader Stanislaw Mikolajczyk become more and more isolated (Summer 1947). The PSL resisted Stalin's efforts to turn Poland into a satellite people's republic. The PSL and Mikolajczyk are attacked in the media as agents of foreign reactionary forces. Mikolajczykinformed that he is about to be arrested, flees Poland (October 1947). As a result of this and a series of arrests, the PSL ceases to be a parlimentary opposition party, This means that there is no real legal opposition to the the governing OD. The purges begin in Poland. The PPR and PPS expel pro-Western members (July 26, 1948). This conincides with the breakdown of Four Power administration of German occupation and the onset of the Soviet Blockade of Berlin nd resulting American Berlin Air Lift. The PPR at its Plenum moves toward a more hard-line Stalinist position reflecting the intensifying Cold War (September 1948). This same trend occurred throughout Eastern Europe, except Yugoslavia where Stalin lost control. Now that relations with the West were breaking down, Stalin no longer saw the need to tread slowlu or cover Communist takeovers with a veneer of democratic pretense. Hardliners accuse Gomulka of "odchylenie prawicowo-nacjonalistyczne" (right-wing, antionalist deviations). This was the same type of language Stalin used in his purges in the Soviet Union. The PRR expels him from the Party. Bierut had up to this time maintained a pretense of bezpartyjny (unaffiliated to any party) is elected PRR First Secretary (September 3, 1948). He immediately orders the collectivization of agriculture along Soviet lines. This was one of the basic tenants of Stalinism. It also reverses the Agricultural Reform Act of 1946. Bierut oversees a widening series of purges. The final step toward a Stalinist Poland occurs with the Unification Congress (Kongres Zjednoczenia) uniting the PPR and PPS (December 10, 1948). The new governing party is the Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza (PZPR) which openly declares itself to be a Marxist-Leninist party. Its chief executive or Chairman (Przewodnicz¹cy) is Bierut. The PZPR adopts major Soviet policies. Jakub Berman is put in charge of PZPR iniatives in science and culture (January 1949). He will retain his position as leader of the PZPR Ideological Front" until the reform movement of 1956 takes hold. The Szczecin Congress of the Writers' Union followiung PZPR instructions adopts Socrealizm (Socialist Realism) as the mandated creative method. Authors who resust are expelled and often arrested. The Vatican wighs into the struggle. It issues its decree against Communism, forbidding Catholics to cooperate with Communists and putting all Communist publications on the Index. It was not aimed specifically at Poland, but as the strongest Church behind the Iron Curtain, Poland is epecially affected. Trade Union Council becomes the Communist dominated CRZZ. The CRZZ chooses Alexander Zawadzki as its new chairman (June 1 1949). He urges the unions to mobilize workers to increase production which he explains is the only source of prosperity and progress.

Elections (1947)

Stalin used the Red Army and security forces which had occupied Eastern and much of central Europe to assist local Communist parties to defeat other parties and establish communist dictatorships. Poland holds its first elections since the NAZI and Soviet World War II invasions for Parliament (Sejm) (January 17, 1947). The results are manipulated by OBÓZ DEMOKRATYCZNY (PPS, PPR, SD and others). OD wins 80 percent of vthe vote. The OSL polls only 10 percent. The new Sejm elects Bierut president (March 1947). Rz¹d Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej is led by Cyrankiewicz (PPS) as primeminister and Gomulka as vice-primeminister. The OD had 394 seats. The PSL has 28 seats.

Destruction of the Polish People's Party (PSL)

The Polish People's Party (PSL) and its leader Stanislaw Mikolajczyk become more and more isolated (Summer 1947). The PSL resisted Stalin's efforts to turn Poland into a satellite people's republic. The PSL and Mikolajczyk are attacked in the media as agents of foreign reactionary forces. Mikolajczykinformed that he is about to be arrested, flees Poland (October 1947). As a result of this and a series of arrests, the PSL ceases to be a parlimentary opposition party.

Creation of a Stalinist People's Republic

The destruction of the PSL meant that there is no real legal opposition to the the governing OD. The purges begin in Poland. The PPR and PPS expel pro-Western members (July 26, 1948). This conincides with the breakdown of Four Power administration of German occupation and the onset of the Soviet Blockade of Berlin and onset of the American Berlin Air Lift. The PPR at its Plenum moves toward a more hard-line Stalinist position reflecting the intensifying Cold War (September 1948). This same trend occurred throughout Eastern Europe, except Yugoslavia where Stalin lost control. Now that relations with the West were breaking down, Stalin no longer saw the need to tread slowlu or cover Communist takeovers with a veneer of democratic pretense. Hardliners accuse Gomulka of "odchylenie prawicowo-nacjonalistyczne" (right-wing, antionalist deviations). This was the same tyoe of language Stalin used in his purges in the Soviet Union. The PRR expels him from the Party. Bierut had up to this time maintained a pretense of bezpartyjny (unaffiliated to any party) is elected PRR First Secretary (September 3, 1948).

Collectivization

Chairman Beirut immediately orders the collectivization of agriculture along Soviet lines. This was one of the basic tenabts of Stalinism. It also reverses the Agricultural Reform Act of 1946.

Purges

Party Chairman Bierut oversees a widening series of purges. Here Tito's oposition to Tito was a factor, but certainly not thge only factor. One author writes, "The show trials in Eastern Europe would have occurred even without the break between Stalin and Tito, probably even with the identical victims, as the device by which the brother parties of the postwar Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe were subordinated to the Soviet party. Show trials were an integral part of Stalinism, and their introduction into the satellite states was a logical step, albeit with variants on the tested Soviet model.‎" [Hodos, p. 1.]

Unification Congress

The final step toward a Stalinist Poland occurs with the Unification Congress (Kongres Zjednoczenia) uniting the PPR and PPS (December 10, 1948). The new governing party is the Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza (PZPR) which openly declares itself to be a Marxist-Leninist party. Its chief executive or Chairman (Przewodnicz¹cy) is Bierut.

Ideological Front

The PZPR adopts major Soviet policies. Jakub Berman is put in charge of PZPR iniatives in science and culture (January 1949). He will retain his position as leader of the PZPR Ideological Front" until the reform movement of 1956 takes hold.

Party Organs

The Szczecin Congress of the Writers' Union followiung PZPR instructions adopts Socrealizm (Socialist Realism) as the mandated creative method. Authors who resust are expelled and often arrested. Trade Union Council becomes the Communist dominated CRZZ. The CRZZ chooses Alexander Zawadzki as its new chairman (June 1 1949). He urges the unions to mobilize workers to increase production which he explains is the only source of prosperity and progress. The ujions thus cease to the means by which workers pressure the factory owners (now the Communist Government) for higer wages and better wirking cinditions and become a means the factory owners (Government) can control the workers. Communist and Socialist support throughout Europe was strongest among the working class. Many workers believed that capitalism was inherently exploytive and that a Markxist government would revoluttionize their lives for the better. This attitide was pronounced both among workers and Communist Party members. While their were similarities in Polandcwithb the rest of Eastern Europe there were also differences. While Cimmunist authiorities banned Scouting, the standard Communist youth organization was not naned the Pioneers, but took on the name of the pre-War ZHP Scoting movement. The Communists at first tried to change the name, but the prestige of the pre-War ZHP proved too recered. And while Marist atheist ideology was introduced in the ZHP, pre-War Scouting under the surface influence the movement.

Catholic Church

The Vatican weighs into the struggle. It issues its decree against Communism, forbidding Catholics to cooperate with Communists and putting all Communist publications on the Index. It was not aimed specifically at Poland, but as the strongest Church behind the Iron Curtain, Poland is epecially affected.

Sources

Hodos, George H. Show trials: Stalinist purges in Eastern Europe, 1948-1954.

Created: 10:43 AM 3/2/2012
Last updated: 10:43 AM 3/2/2012