Polish communism
Encyclopedia
Polish
communists can trace their origins to early 20th century, as is the case in nearby countries. The first significant Polish Marxist was Stanisław Brzozowski (1878–1911).
During the interwar period in the Second Polish Republic
, some Polish communists formed a political party
, the Communist Party of Poland
(Komunistyczna Partia Polski, KPP). Among their thinkers was James Bolowski. Most of the original KPP members and leaders perished during Joseph Stalin
's Great Purge
.
In 1943, Stalin made efforts to rebuild Polish communist party. He created Union of Polish Patriots
, to become an agent to aid the legitimization of puppet state he planned to set up in war-ridden Poland. This led to the creation of People's Republic of Poland
and Polish United Workers' Party
. Having little popularity, majority of Polish communists were dependent on support of the Soviet Union
.
There were also repeated attempts by some Polish academics and philosophers, like Leszek Kołakowski, Tadeusz Kotarbiński
, Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz
and Stanisław Ossowski to develop, as a slowly eroding opposition, a specific form of Polish Marxism. While their attempts to create a bridge between Poland's history and Soviet Marxism
ideology were mildly successful, especially in comparison to similar efforts in most other countries of the Eastern Bloc
, they have been to much extent stifled by the regime's unwillingness to step too far and risk the wrath of Soviets for going too far from the Soviet party line
.
In modern Poland, post-1989, communists have a minimal impact on political and economical life of the country. However some former communists
, who were in their thirties during the fall of communism and took part in it, building the free, post-soviet political system, still remained active on the political scene. Their party, Democratic Left Alliance
(SLD), is center-left and is one of the major political parties in Poland.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
communists can trace their origins to early 20th century, as is the case in nearby countries. The first significant Polish Marxist was Stanisław Brzozowski (1878–1911).
During the interwar period in the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
, some Polish communists formed a political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
, the Communist Party of Poland
Communist Party of Poland
The Communist Party of Poland is a historical communist party in Poland. It was a result of the fusion of Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania and the Polish Socialist Party-Left in the Communist Workers Party of Poland .-1918-1921:The KPRP was founded on 16 December 1918 as...
(Komunistyczna Partia Polski, KPP). Among their thinkers was James Bolowski. Most of the original KPP members and leaders perished during Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
's Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
.
In 1943, Stalin made efforts to rebuild Polish communist party. He created Union of Polish Patriots
Union of Polish Patriots
Union of Polish Patriots was a political body created by Polish communists and Joseph Stalin in Soviet Union in 1943...
, to become an agent to aid the legitimization of puppet state he planned to set up in war-ridden Poland. This led to the creation of People's Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
and Polish United Workers' Party
Polish United Workers' Party
The Polish United Workers' Party was the Communist party which governed the People's Republic of Poland from 1948 to 1989. Ideologically it was based on the theories of Marxism-Leninism.- The Party's Program and Goals :...
. Having little popularity, majority of Polish communists were dependent on support of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
There were also repeated attempts by some Polish academics and philosophers, like Leszek Kołakowski, Tadeusz Kotarbiński
Tadeusz Kotarbinski
Tadeusz Kotarbiński , a pupil of Kazimierz Twardowski, was a Polish philosopher, logician, one of the most representative figures of the Lwów-Warsaw School, and a member of the Polish Academy of Learning as well as the Polish Academy of Sciences...
, Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz
Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz
Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz was a Polish philosopher and logician, a prominent figure in the Lwów–Warsaw school of logic. He originated many novel ideas in semiotics, including the "categorial grammar" used by many formal linguists...
and Stanisław Ossowski to develop, as a slowly eroding opposition, a specific form of Polish Marxism. While their attempts to create a bridge between Poland's history and Soviet Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
ideology were mildly successful, especially in comparison to similar efforts in most other countries of the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
, they have been to much extent stifled by the regime's unwillingness to step too far and risk the wrath of Soviets for going too far from the Soviet party line
Party line (politics)
In politics, the line or the party line is an idiom for a political party or social movement's canon agenda, as well as specific ideological elements specific to the organization's partisanship. The common phrase toeing the party line describes a person who speaks in a manner that conforms to his...
.
In modern Poland, post-1989, communists have a minimal impact on political and economical life of the country. However some former communists
Post-Communism
Post-communism is a name sometimes given to the period of political and economic transformation or "transition" in former Communist states located in parts of Europe and Asia, in which new governments aimed to create free market-oriented capitalist economies with some form of parliamentary...
, who were in their thirties during the fall of communism and took part in it, building the free, post-soviet political system, still remained active on the political scene. Their party, Democratic Left Alliance
Democratic Left Alliance
Democratic Left Alliance is a social-democratic political party in Poland. Formed in 1991 as a coalition of centre-left parties, it was formally established as a single party on 15 April 1999. It is currently the third largest opposition party in Poland....
(SLD), is center-left and is one of the major political parties in Poland.
External links
- Polish Philosophy Page: The Marxist Trend, at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...