NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Polish People's Republic

The People's Republic of Poland or Polish People's Republic (Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1989, during its period of rule by the Communist party, officially called the Polish United Workers' Party (Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza, or PZPR). The Communists were in effective control of the Polish government from 1944 onwards, but the new name was not adopted until the 1952 constitution came into effect. Rzeczpospolita (pronounced: , zhech-poss-POH-lee-tah) is a Polish calque translation of the Latin expression res publica (public affair). It has been used in Poland since at least 16th century, originally to denote any democratic state. ... 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In modern usage, a Communist party is a political party which promotes communism, a sociopolitical philosophy based on the particular interpretation of Marxism put forth by Vladimir Lenin. ... The Polish United Workers Party (PUWP; in Polish, Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza, PZPR), was the governing political party in communist_ruled Poland from its creation (through a fusion of the communist Polish Workers Party and the left wing of the Polish Socialist Party) in December 1948 until the regimes electoral... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

People's Republic of Poland was a sovereign state as defined by the international law. In reality it was however a satellite state subordinate to the Soviet Union. Soviets had much influence over internal affairs and foreign affairs, forces of Red Army were stationed in Poland (1945 - 500,000; until 1955 - 120-150,000, until 1989 - 60-80,000). The Ministry of Public Security was responsible to Soviet 'advisors'. In 1945 Soviet generals and advisors formed 80% of officer cadre of Wojsko Ludowe, by 1948 30-40%. Polish communists, responsible only to Soviets, were in total control of the country. Opposition was persecuted and suppressed, and contrary to Yalta Conference agreement, no 'free and fair' elections were held until 1989. The adjective sovereign is used to refer to a state of sovereignty. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Satellite state is a political term that refers to a country which is formally independent but which is primarily subject to the domination of another, larger power. ... The internal affairs (United States terminology) division of a law enforcement agency investigates incidents and plausible suspicions of lawbreaking and professional misconduct attributed to officers on the force. ... Foreign Affairs is the foremost American journal of international relations. ... Red Army flag The short forms Red Army and RKKA refer to the Workers and Peasants Red Army, (Ð Ð°Ð±Ð¾Ñ‡Ðµ-ÐšÑ€ÐµÑÑ‚ÑŒÑÐ½ÑÐºÐ°Ñ ÐšÑ€Ð°ÑÐ½Ð°Ñ ÐÑ€Ð¼Ð¸Ñ - Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya in Russian), the armed forces organised by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918. ... Armia Ludowa (AL, pronounced ; English Polish Peoples Army) was a Polish World War II resistance organisation. ... Polish communists can trace their origins to early 1900s and the works tor the first Polish Marxist, StanisÅ‚aw Brzozowki (1878-1911). ... The Yalta Conference, sometimes called the Crimea Conference and codenamed the Argonaut Conference, was the wartime meeting from February 4 to 11, 1945 between the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa


(In Detail)	(In Detail)

National motto: none

Largest city

Area
- Total
- % water

312,685 km²
2.6%

Złoty (PLN)

UTC +1

Mazurek Dąbrowskiego

**Polish statehood**
See also Polish history series

Kingdom of Poland (Piasts) Kingdom of Poland (Jagiellonian) Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Duchy of Warsaw Congress Poland Grand Duchy of Poznań Free City of Kraków Kingdom of Poland (Regency) Second Polish Republic Polish government-in-exile People's Republic of Poland Poland Large flag of Poland Image originally derived from the public domain flags of the CIA World Factbook. ... Coat of arms of the Peoples Republic of Poland File links The following pages link to this file: List of Presidents of Poland Image:Ac. ... The Civil Flag of Poland has been used since the early 20th century. ... Current Coat of Arms of Poland Flag of Poland with Coat of Arms The Coat of Arms of Poland consists of a White Eagle on a red shield. ... A motto is a phrase or collection of words intended to describe the motivation or intention of a sociological grouping or organization. ... Location of the Peoples Republic of Poland File links The following pages link to this file: Peoples Republic of Poland Categories: GFDL images ... An official language is something that is given a unique status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital â€” although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa, see also other names, in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto StoÅ‚eczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa, see also other names, in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto StoÅ‚eczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... This article explains the meaning of area as a physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here surface areas between 100,000 kmÂ² and 1,000,000 kmÂ². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... ZÅ‚oty (literally meaning golden, plural: zÅ‚ote or zÅ‚otych, depending on the number) is the Polish currency unit. ... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time(UT) or Greenwich Mean Time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is formally recognized by a countrys government as their states official national song. ... Mazurek DÄ…browskiego (DÄ…browskis Mazurka) is the Polish national anthem written by JÃ³zef Wybicki in 1797. ... // At a glance In depth Zone 1 â€“ North American Numbering Plan Area nanpa. ... Coat of Arms of Poland from the times of the Piast Dynasty. ... In the first centuries of its emergence in the 10th century, the Polish nation was led by a series of strong rulers who converted the Poles to Christendom, created a strong Central European state, and integrated Poland into European culture. ... Kingdom of the first Piasts (Regnum Poloniae) was the state formed by the Boleslaus I of Poland in 1025 during his coronation. ... The Jagiellon Era 1385-1572, was dominated by the union of Poland with Lithuania under the Jagiellon Dynasty, founded by the Lithuanian grand duke Jagiello. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Location Official languages Polish Established church Roman Catholic Capital Warsaw Largest City Warsaw Head of state Duke of Warsaw Area about 155,000 kmÂ² Population about 4,3 million Existed 1806â€“1814 The Duchy of Warsaw (Polish: KsiÄ™stwo Warszawskie, Latin: Ducatus Varsoviae, French: Duche de Varsovie) was a Polish... The term Congress Poland is an unofficial name of the Kingdom of Poland (1815-1831), a political entity that was created out of the Duchy of Warsaw at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, when European powers reorganised Europe following the Napoleonic wars. ... Grand Duchy of Poznan coat of arms Grand Duchy of PoznaÅ„ (Polish: Wielkie KsiÄ™stwo PoznaÅ„skie, German: GroÃŸherzogtum Posen) was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia in the Polish lands commonly known as Great Poland between the years 1815-1918. ... The Free City of KrakÃ³w (Polish: Wolne Miasto KrakÃ³w), also known as Republic of KrakÃ³w (Rzeczpospolita Krakowska), was a city-state created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and controlled by its three neighbors, Russia, Prussia and Austria until 1846. ... The Kingdom of Poland (generally called Regency Kingdom of Poland, KrÃ³lestwo Regencyjne) was the state proclaimed by Imperial Germany and Austria-Hungary within the former Russian territory of Congress Poland (however without defined borders) on November 5, 1916. ... Second Polish Republic 1921-1939 The Second Polish Republic is an unofficial name applied to the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II. When the borders of the state were fixed in 1921, it had an area of 388. ... The Government of the Polish Republic in exile maintained a continuous existence in exile from the time of the German occupation of Poland in September 1939 until the end of the Communist rule in Poland in 1990. ... edit

History

At the Yalta Conference in February 1945, Stalin was able to present his western allies, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, with a fait accompli in Poland. His armed forces were in occupation of the country, and his agents, the Polish Communists, were in control of its administration. The USSR was in the process of incorporating the lands in eastern Poland which it had occupied between 1939 and 1941. In compensation, the USSR awarded Poland all the German territories in Pomerania, Silesia and Brandenburg east of the Oder-Neisse Line, plus the southern half of East Prussia. Stalin was determined that Poland's new government would be controlled by the Communists. He had severed relations with the Polish government-in-exile in London in 1943, but to appease Roosevelt and Churchill he agreed at Yalta that a coalition government would be formed. The Communists held a majority of key posts in this new government, and with the Soviet support they soon gained almost total control of the country, rigging all elections. Their opponents, led by Stanisław Mikołajczyk, managed only one but substantial victory: Poland preserved its status as a semi-independent state, contrary to the plans of some influential communists such as Wanda Wasilewska, who were in favour of Poland becoming another republic of the Soviet Union. This important victory would be their last, however, as Communists tightening their grip on power began political persecution of all opposition. Many of their opponents decided to leave the country, others were put on staged trials and sentenced to many years of imprisonment or execution. Communist Main article: Peoples Republic of Poland The History of Poland from 1945 to 1989 was shaped by the influence of Soviet Communism and opposition to it from Roman Catholic Church, trade unions and other groups. ... The Yalta Conference, sometimes called the Crimea Conference and codenamed the Argonaut Conference, was the wartime meeting from February 4 to 11, 1945 between the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Joseph Stalin? (December 21, 1879 â€“ March 5, 1953) was the leader of the Soviet Union from mid-1920s to his death in 1953 and General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922-1953), a position which had later become that of party leader. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ... The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, FRS PC (30 November 1874 â€“ 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Pomerania (Polish: Pomorze, German: Pommern and Pommerellen, Pomeranian (Kashubian): PÃ²mÃ²rze and PÃ²mÃ²rskÃ´, Latin: Pomerania, Pomorania) is a geographical and historical region in northern Poland and Germany on the south coasts of the Baltic Sea between and on both sides of the Vistula and Oder (Odra) rivers... Silesia (Polish ÅšlÄ…sk, German Schlesien, Czech Slezsko) is a historical region in central Europe. ... Surrounding but excluding the national capital Berlin, Brandenburg is one of Germanys sixteen BundeslÃ¤nder (federal states). ... The Oder-Neisse line (German: Oder-NeiÃŸe-Grenze; Polish: Granica na Odrze i Nysie ÅuÅ¼yckiej) is the border between Germany and Poland. ... East Prussia (German: Ostpreu en; Polish: Prusy Wschodnie; Russian: Восточная Пруссия — Vostochnaya Prussiya) was a province of Kingdom of Prussia, situated on the territory of former Ducal Prussia. ... The Government of the Polish Republic in exile maintained a continuous existence in exile from the time of the German occupation of Poland in September 1939 until the end of the Communist rule in Poland in 1990. ... StanisÅ‚aw MikoÅ‚ajczyk StanisÅ‚aw MikoÅ‚ajczyk (1901 - 1966), Polish politician, was Prime Minister of the Polish government in exile during World War II, and later Deputy Prime Minister in postwar Poland. ... Wanda Wasilewska (1905– 1964) was a Polish novelist and politician. ...

In 1948 the Communists consolidated their power, forming the Polish United Workers' Party (known in Poland as 'the Party'), which would monopolise the political power in Poland until 1989. Over the coming years, private industry was nationalised, the land seized from the prewar landowners and redistributed to the peasants, and millions of Poles were transferred from the lost eastern territories to the lands acquired from Germany. After 1948 Poland was now to be brought into line with the Soviet model of a "people's democracy" and a centrally planned socialist economy. The regime also embarked on the collectivisation of agriculture, although the pace was slower than in other satellites: Poland remained the only Soviet bloc country where individual peasants dominated agriculture. Despite the fact that Polish historians estimate that 200,000 to 400,000 people died during the postwar period, Polish Stalinism was not quite as severe as it was in the other satellite states. 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Polish United Workers Party (PUWP; in Polish, Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza, PZPR), was the governing political party in communist_ruled Poland from its creation (through a fusion of the communist Polish Workers Party and the left wing of the Polish Socialist Party) in December 1948 until the regimes electoral... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nationalization is the act of taking assets into state ownership. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Collective farming is an organizational unit in agriculture in which peasants are not paid wages, but rather receive a share of the farms net output. ... Stalinism is a brand of political theory, and the political and economic system implemented by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. ...

In June 1956, workers in the industrial city of Poznań (Posen) went on strike. Voices began to be raised in the Party and among the intellectuals calling for wider reforms of the Stalinist system. Eventually power shifted towards Władysław Gomułka, who replaced the Bolesław Bierut as the head of the government. Hardline Stalinists were removed from power and many Soviet officers serving in the Polish Army were dismissed. This marked the end of the 'Stalin Poland'. By the mid 1960s Poland was starting to experience economic as well as political difficulties. As Gomułka's popularity declined and his "reform Communism" lost its impetus, the regime became steadily less liberal and more repressive. The Polish communist propaganda poster from around the 50s. ... The Polish communist propaganda poster from around the 50s. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Poznan is also a breed of horse. ... WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw GomuÅ‚ka on the cover of Time Magazine WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw GomuÅ‚ka (February 6, 1905, Krosno â€“ September 1, 1982) was a Polish Communist leader. ... Term of office from February 5, 1947 until November 21, 1952 Profession typesetter Political party communist Spouse Wanda GÃ³rska Date of birth April 18, 1892 Place of birth Rury Jezuickie near Lublin Date of death March 12, 1956 Place of death Moscow, Soviet Union BolesÅ‚aw Bierut (real name... Polish Army (Polish Wojsko Polskie) is the name applied to the military forces of Poland. ...

The next stage of Polish history began in December 1970, when Gomułka's government decided to prop the failing economy by suddenly announcing massive increases in the prices of basic foodstuffs. The resulting wide-spread protests led to another major change in the government, as Gomułka was replaced by Edward Gierek as the new First Secretary. Gierek's plan for recovery was centered on massive borrowing, mainly from the United States and West Germany, to re-equip and modernise Polish industry, and to import consumer goods to give the workers some incentive to work. While it has boosted the Polish economy, and is still remembered as the Golden Age of Communist Poland, the obvious repercussion in the form of massive debt is still felt in Poland even today. This Golden Age came to an end after the 1973 energy crisis. Soon the failure of the Gierek regime, both economically and politically, led to the creation of opposition, in the form of trade unions, student groups, clandestine newspapers and publishers, imported books and newspapers, even a "flying university." 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The anti-Communists protests that occurred in Poland in 1970 Prequisites Wladyslaw Gomulkas temporary political success could not mask the economic crisis into which the Peoples Republic of Poland was drifting. ... Edward Gierek - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... (Redirected from 1973 energy crisis) United States, drivers of vehicles with odd numbered license plates were allowed to purchase gasoline only on odd-numbered days of the month, while drivers with even-numbers were limited to even-numbered days. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

At this juncture, on 16 October 1978, Poland experienced what many Poles believed to be literally a miracle. The Archbishop of Kraków, Karol Wojtyła, was elected Pope, taking the name John Paul II. The election of a Polish Pope had an electrifying effect on what was by 1970 notably one of the most devoutly Catholic nations in Europe. When John Paul toured Poland in June 1979, half a million people heard him speak in Warsaw, and about a quarter of the entire population of the country attended at least one of his outdoor masses. Overnight, John Paul became the de facto leader of Poland, leaving the regime not so much opposed as ignored. John Paul did not call for rebellion, instead he encouraged the creation of an "alternative Poland" of social institutions independent of the government, so that when the next crisis came, the nation would present a united front. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in Leap years). ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Motto: none Voivodship Lesser Poland Municipal government Rada miasta KrakÃ³w Mayor Jacek Majchrowski Area 326,8 kmÂ² Population - city - urban - density 757,500 (2004 est. ... Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol JÃ³zef WojtyÅ‚a (May 18, 1920 â€“ April 2, 2005), reigned as pope of the Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death, making his the third-longest reign in the history of the Papacy according to the... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) presiding at the 2005 Easter Vigil Mass in place of the dying Pope John Paul II. Mass is the term used of the celebration of the Eucharist in the Latin rites of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

A new wave of strikes undermined Gierek's government and in September Gierek, who was in poor health, was finally removed from office and replaced as Party leader by Stanisław Kania. However Kania was unable to find an answer for the fast-eroding support of the communism in Poland. Labour turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union, "Solidarity" (Polish Solidarność), founded in September 1980, originally led by Lech Wałęsa. In the 1980s, it gathered a broad anti-communist social movement ranging from people associated with the Roman Catholic Church down to members of the anti-communist left. By the end of 1981, Solidarity had nine million members, a quarter of Poland's population and three times as much as the PUWP had. StanisÅ‚aw Kania StanisÅ‚aw Kania (born March 8, 1927) was a Polish communist political leader. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Solidarity (Polish SolidarnoÅ›Ä‡) is a Polish trade union federation founded in September 1980 at the GdaÅ„sk Shipyards, originally led by Lech WaÅ‚Ä™sa. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Term of office from December 22, 1990 until December 23, 1995 Profession Electrician and shipyard worker Political party none, see Solidarity for details Spouse Danuta WaÅ‚Ä™sa Date of birth September 29, 1943 Place of birth Popowo, Poland Date of death Place of death Lech WaÅ‚Ä™sa (pronounced , born September... // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 60s and 70s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... Anti-communism is opposition to communist ideology, organization, or government, on either a theoretical or practical level. ... The Roman Catholic Church, also called the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian body in the world. ...

On December 13, 1981, the government leader Wojciech Jaruzelski who became the party's national secretary and prime minister that year, fearful of Soviet intervention started a crack-down on Solidarity, declaring a martial law in Poland, suspending the union, and temporarily imprisoning most of its leaders. The government then banned Solidarity on October 8, 1982. Martial Law was formally lifted in July, 1983, though many heightened controls on civil liberties and political life, as well as food rationing, remained in place through the mid- to late 1980s. Image File history File links Solidarity Logo Project: Jerzy Janiszewski [[en:en:Image:Solidarnosc. ... Image File history File links Solidarity Logo Project: Jerzy Janiszewski [[en:en:Image:Solidarnosc. ... Solidarity (Polish SolidarnoÅ›Ä‡) is a Polish trade union federation founded in September 1980 at the GdaÅ„sk Shipyards, originally led by Lech WaÅ‚Ä™sa. ... Image File history File links Wojciech Jaruzelski. ... Image File history File links Wojciech Jaruzelski. ... Term of office from July 19, 1989 until December 22, 1990 Profession Officer Political party PZPR Spouse Barbara Jaruzelska Date of birth July 6, 1923 Place of birth KurÃ³w near PuÅ‚awy, Poland Date of death Place of death Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski (pronounce: [vÉ”jtÉ•Îµx jaruzÎµlski... Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect (usually after a formal declaration) when a military authority takes control of the normal administration of justice. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Term of office from July 19, 1989 until December 22, 1990 Profession Officer Political party PZPR Spouse Barbara Jaruzelska Date of birth July 6, 1923 Place of birth KurÃ³w near PuÅ‚awy, Poland Date of death Place of death Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski (pronounce: [vÉ”jtÉ•Îµx jaruzÎµlski... Wojciech Jaruzelski declared martial law (December 13, 1981) The Martial law mistranslated from the original (Polish: Stan wojenny), which actually means state of war, was introduced in Poland by the Communist government on December 13, 1981 to prevent democratic movements (such as Solidarity) from gaining popularity and attendant political power... October 8 is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years). ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 60s and 70s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ...

This did not prevent "Solidarity" from gaining more support and power, and it eventually eroded the dominance of the Communist Party, which in 1981 lost ca. 85,000 of its 3 million members. Throughout the mid-1980s, Solidarity persisted solely as an underground organization. But by the late 1980s, Solidarity was sufficiently strong to frustrate Jaruzelski's attempts at reform, and nationwide strikes in 1988 were one of the factors that forced the government to open a dialogue with Solidarity. // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 60s and 70s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

From February 6 to April 15, talks of 13 working groups in 94 sessions, which became known as the "Roundtable Talks" (Polish: Rozmowy Okrągłego Stołu) radically altered the shape of the Polish government and society. In 1990 Jaruzelski resigned as Poland's leader and was succeeded by Wałęsa in December. By the end of August a Solidarity-led coalition government was formed and in December Wałęsa was elected president, resigning from his post in Solidarity. It was the end of the communist People's Republic of Poland. round-table negotiations File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... round-table negotiations File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... Round-table negotiations. ...

Government and politics

The government and politics of the People's Republic of Poland were dominated by the Polish United Workers' Party (Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza, PZPR). In effect, Poland was a single-party state following a communist ideology, dependent on the USSR to the extent of being its puppet state. Logo of the Polish United Workers Party, fair use This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... Logo of the Polish United Workers Party, fair use This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... The Polish United Workers Party (PUWP; in Polish, Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza, PZPR), was the governing political party in communist_ruled Poland from its creation (through a fusion of the communist Polish Workers Party and the left wing of the Polish Socialist Party) in December 1948 until the regimes electoral... A single-party state or one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system and form of government where only a single political party dominates the government and no opposition parties are allowed. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a popular movement. ... The Elections and Parties Series Democracy Representative democracy History of democracy Referenda Liberal democracy Representation Voting Voting systems Ideology Elections Elections by country Elections by calender Electoral systems Politics Politics by country Political campaigns Political science Political philosophy Related topics Political parties Parties by country Parties by name Parties by... A puppet state is a state whose government, though notionally of the same culture as the governed people - owes its existence (or other major debt) to being installed, supported or controlled by a more powerful entity, typically a foreign power. ...

Economy

Poland suffered enormous losses during World War II. While in 1939 Poland had 35.1 million inhabitants, the census of 14 February 1946 showed only 23.9 million inhabitants. The losses in national resources and infrastructure amounted to 38% percent. Compared to Western nations, including Germany, Poland was still mostly an agricultural country. The implementation of the immense tasks involved with the reconstruction of the country was intertwined with the struggle of the new government for the stabilisation of power, made even more difficult by the fact that a considerable part of society was mistrustful of the communist government. The liberation of Poland by the Red Army and the support Soviet Union shown for the Polish communists was decisive for the left gaining the upper hand in the new Polish government. // Overview Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic liberalization throughout the 1990s and today stands out as the greatest success story among the former communist states. ... February 14 is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1946 was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Polish communists can trace their origins to early 1900s and the works tor the first Polish Marxist, StanisÅ‚aw Brzozowki (1878-1911). ...

With the change of borders, Poland has also lost 77,000 square kilometers of eastern regions (Kresy), gaining instead the smaller but much more industrialized Regained Territories on the Oder-Neisse line. The name Kresy (Polish for borderlands) (or more correctly Kresy Wschodnie, Eastern Borderlands) is used by Poles to refer to the eastern part of Poland in the inter-war period. ... Note: although the term recovered territories has a clear meaning in Poland and Polish historiography, it is not a widely accepted term or concept in English speaking nations. ... The Oder-Neisse line (German: Oder-NeiÃŸe-Grenze; Polish: Granica na Odrze i Nysie ÅuÅ¼yckiej) is the border between Germany and Poland. ...

As control of the Polish territories passed from occupying forces of Nazi Germany to Red Army, and from Red Army to Polish communists, Poland's new economic system began evolving towards communist central planning economy. One of the first major steps in that direction involved the agricultural reform issued by the PKWN government on 6th September 1944. All estates over 50 ha in pre-war Polish terrotories and all over 100 ha in Regained territories were nationalised without compensation. In total, 3.1 million hectares of land were nationalised in Poland and 5 million in the Regained Territories, out of which 1.2 million hectares were redistributed to peasants and the rest remained in the hands of the government (most of this was eventually used in the collectivization and creation of kolkhoz-like Państwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne, PGR). However the collectivization of Polish farming never reached the extent of those in Soviet Union or other countries of the Eastern Bloc. [1] Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Red Army flag The short forms Red Army and RKKA refer to the Workers and Peasants Red Army, (Ð Ð°Ð±Ð¾Ñ‡Ðµ-ÐšÑ€ÐµÑÑ‚ÑŒÑÐ½ÑÐºÐ°Ñ ÐšÑ€Ð°ÑÐ½Ð°Ñ ÐÑ€Ð¼Ð¸Ñ - Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya in Russian), the armed forces organised by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918. ... Polish communists can trace their origins to early 1900s and the works tor the first Polish Marxist, StanisÅ‚aw Brzozowki (1878-1911). ... An economic system is a mechanism which deals with the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services in a particular society. ... A planned economy is an economic system in which economic decisions are made by centralized planners, who determine what sorts of goods and services to produce, and how they are to be priced and allocated. ... The PKWN Manifesto, issued on July 22, 1944 The Polish Committee of National Liberation (Polish Polski Komitet Wyzwolenia Narodowego, PKWN) was a provisional Polish communist government that was created by the Soviet Union. ... September 6 is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years). ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Collective farming is an organizational unit in agriculture in which peasants are not paid wages, but rather receive a share of the farms net output. ... A kolkhoz listen (Russian: колхо́з) was a form of collective farming in the Soviet Union that existed along with state farms or sovkhozes. ...

Nationalization began in 1944 as well, with government taking control of German industries on Regained Territories. As nationalization was unpopular, the communists delayed the nationalization reform until 1946, when after the 3xTAK referenda they were fairly certain they had total control of the government and could deal with eventual public protests. However some semi-official nationalisation of various private non-German industries begun back in 1944. In 1946, all enterprises with over 50 employees were nationalised, with no compensation to Polish owners. [2] Image File history File links Poster Buildings of socialism: our pride in w:Peoples Republic of Poland source File links The following pages link to this file: Peoples Republic of Poland History of Poland (1945-1989) ... Image File history File links Poster Buildings of socialism: our pride in w:Peoples Republic of Poland source File links The following pages link to this file: Peoples Republic of Poland History of Poland (1945-1989) ... North Korean propaganda showing a soldier destroying the United States Capitol building. ... 1942 US government war poster. ... Nationalization or Nationalisation is the act of taking assets into state ownership. ... Peoples referenda (referendum ludowe) of 1946, also know as 3 times YES (3 razy TAK) was a referenda held in Poland on 30 June 1946 on the authority of State National Council (Krajowa Rada Narodowa) (order of 27 April 1946). ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ...

Shortage economy Shortage economy is the term coined by the Hungarian economist, Janos Kornai. ...

Culture

The Culture of Poland is closely connected to its intricate 1000 years of history. ... Education in the Peoples Republic of Poland was a priority of the government, which provided primary schools, secondary schools, vocational education and universities. ...

Geography and demographics

Poland borders shifted drastically after the Second World War. A voivodship (in Polish województwo) has been a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland since the 14th century. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

People's Republic of Poland was divided into several voivodships (Polish unit of administrative division). After the World War II the new administrative division was based on pre-war one. The areas in the East that were not annexed by the Soviet Union had their borders left almost unchanged. Newly acquired territories in the west and north were organised into the voivodships of Szczecin, Wrocław, Olsztyn and partially joined to Gdańsk, Katowice and Poznań voivodships. Two cities were granted voivodship status: Warsaw and Łódź. Image File history File links Map of Poland in 1945, drawn by User: Adam Carr. ... Image File history File links Map of Poland in 1945, drawn by User: Adam Carr. ... A Voivodship (also voivodeship, Romanian: voievodat, Polish: wojewÃ³dztwo, Serbian: vojvodstvo or vojvodina) was a feudal state in medieval Romania, Hungary, Poland, Russia and Serbia (see Vojvodina), ruled by a Voivod (voivode). ... Under the terms of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, adjusted by agreement on 28 September 1939, the Soviet Union annexed all Polish territory east of the line of the rivers Pisa, Narew, Western Bug, and San, except for Wilno country with its capital Wilno (Vilnius), which was given to Lithuania, and... Note: although the term recovered territories has a clear meaning in Poland and Polish historiography, it is not a widely accepted term or concept in Germany or in English-speaking nations. ... Szczecin Voivodship (1) was (Polish: województwo szczecińskie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975-1998, superseded by West Pomeranian Voivodship. ... Wroclaw Voivodship (Polish: województwo wrocławskie) - a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975-1998, superseded by Lower Silesian Voivodship. ... Olsztyn Voivodship (Polish: województwo olsztyńskie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975-1998, superseded by Warmian-Masurian Voivodship. ... Gdańsk Voivodship (1) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975-1998, superseded by Pomeranian Voivodship. ... Katowice Voivodship (Polish: województwo katowickie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975-1998, superseded by Silesian Voivodship. ... Map as of 1975 Poznań Voivodship (1) 1975-1998 Poznań Voivodship 1975-1998 (Polish: województwo poznańskie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975- 1998, superseded by Greater Poland Voivodship. ... Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa, see also other names, in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto StoÅ‚eczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... ÅÃ³dÅº (pronunciation: ), the second-largest city (population 776,297 in 2004) of Poland, lies in the centre of the country. ...

In 1950 new voivodships were created: Koszalin - previously part of Szczecin, Opole - previously part of Katowice, and Zielona Góra - previously part of Poznań, Wrocław and Szczecin voivodships. In addition, three other cities were granted the voivodship status: Wrocław, Kraków and Poznań. 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Koszalin Voivodship (2) (Polish: województwo koszalińskie) - a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975-1998, superseded by West Pomeranian Voivodship. ... Szczecin Voivodship (1) was (Polish: województwo szczecińskie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975-1998, superseded by West Pomeranian Voivodship. ... Opole Voivodship - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Katowice Voivodship (Polish: województwo katowickie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975-1998, superseded by Silesian Voivodship. ... Zielona GÃ³ra Voivodship Zielona GÃ³ra Voivodship (Polish: wojewÃ³dztwo zielonogÃ³rskie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975-1998, superseded by Lubusz Voivodship. ... Map as of 1975 Poznań Voivodship (1) 1975-1998 Poznań Voivodship 1975-1998 (Polish: województwo poznańskie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975- 1998, superseded by Greater Poland Voivodship. ... Wroclaw Voivodship (Polish: województwo wrocławskie) - a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975-1998, superseded by Lower Silesian Voivodship. ... Szczecin Voivodship (1) was (Polish: województwo szczecińskie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975-1998, superseded by West Pomeranian Voivodship. ... WrocÅ‚aw, ( [:vrÉ”Ê¦waf]), German Breslau, Czech Vratislav, Latin Wratislavia; many Polish documents in English use the spelling Wroclaw) is the capital of Silesia in southwestern Poland, situated on the Oder River (Odra). ... Motto: none Voivodship Lesser Poland Municipal government Rada miasta KrakÃ³w Mayor Jacek Majchrowski Area 326,8 kmÂ² Population - city - urban - density 757,500 (2004 est. ... The Poznan is also a breed of horse. ...

In 1973 Poland voivodships were changed again. This reorganization of administrative division of Poland was mainly a result of local government reform acts of 1973-1975. In place of three level administrative division (voivodship, county, commune), new two-level administrative division was introduced (49 small voidships and communes). The three smallest voivodships: Warsaw, Kraków and Łódź had a special status of municipal voivodship; the city president (mayor) was also province governor. 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... 1975 was a common year starting on ghjgh Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa, see also other names, in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto StoÅ‚eczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... Motto: none Voivodship Lesser Poland Municipal government Rada miasta KrakÃ³w Mayor Jacek Majchrowski Area 326,8 kmÂ² Population - city - urban - density 757,500 (2004 est. ... ÅÃ³dÅº (pronunciation: ), the second-largest city (population 776,297 in 2004) of Poland, lies in the centre of the country. ...

Contents

Government and politics

Economy

Culture

Geography and demographics