Editing Polish United Workers' Party (section)

=== Establishment and Sovietization period ===
{{see also|Polish Workers' Party|Polish Socialist Party}}
[[File:Plac Politechniki Kongres zjednoczeniowy PPR i PPS 1948.jpg|thumb|Crowds gathered in front of the main building of [[Warsaw University of Technology]] for the Unification Congress of the Polish Workers' Party and Polish Socialist Party (15 to 21 December 1948)]]
On 14 December, 1948, the 2nd Congress of the PPR and the 28th Congress of the PPS were held simultaneously, at which the decision was made to unite both parties. The Polish United Workers' Party was established at the unification congress of the Communist [[Polish Workers' Party]] and the [[Polish Socialist Party]] during meetings held at the main building of the [[Warsaw University of Technology]] from 15-21 December 1948. The unification was possible because the PPS had effectively been taken over by pro-Communist [[fellow traveler]]s, and the activists who opposed unification had been forced out of the party. Similarly, the members of the PPR who were accused of "rightist–nationalist deviation" ({{langx|pl|odchylenie prawicowo-nacjonalistyczne}}) were expelled. Thus, the merger was actually an absorption of the PPS by the PPR, resulting in what was a renamed and enlarged PPR for all intents and purposes.

The new party included about 1 million members of the PPR and about 0.5 million members of the PPS. The highest positions in the party were taken by members of the PPR. The Political Bureau established during the Unification Congress included: Bierut, [[Jakub Berman]], [[Józef Cyrankiewicz]], [[Hilary Minc]], [[Stanisław Radkiewicz]], [[Adam Rapacki]], [[Marian Spychalski]], [[Henryk Świątkowski]], Zambrowski and [[Aleksander Zawadzki]]. All of them - in accordance with the Soviet model - held high positions in the state apparatus at the same time.{{sfn|Dymek|1989|p=36}}

"Rightist-nationalist deviation" was a [[Propaganda in the Polish People's Republic|political propaganda]] term used by the Polish Stalinists against prominent activists, such as [[Władysław Gomułka]] and [[Marian Spychalski]] who opposed [[USSR|Soviet]] involvement in the Polish internal affairs, as well as [[Internationalism (politics)|internationalism]] displayed by the creation of the [[Cominform]] and the subsequent merger that created the PZPR. It is believed that it was [[Joseph Stalin]] who put pressure on [[Bolesław Bierut]] and [[Jakub Berman]] to remove Gomułka and Spychalski as well as their followers from power in 1948. It is estimated that over 25% of socialists were removed from power or expelled from political life.{{sfn|Poksiński|Kochański|2003|p=40}}

On 20-21 April, 1949, a plenum of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party was held, devoted to matters of culture and science. Party apparatchiks demanded a bold "ideological offensive", i.e. the introduction of socialist realism to culture. In this way, the direction of action already imposed on the writers during the January congress in Szczecin was continued. Alongside [[Jerzy Albrecht]] and [[Jerzy Putrament]] - the main speakers pointing to the need to [[Socialist realism in Poland|popularize socialist realism]] - [[Henryk Jabłoński]] appeared, criticizing the state of history teaching at universities.{{sfn|Dymek|1989|p=32}}

Bolesław Bierut, an [[NKVD]] agent<ref name="Mówi Józef Światło. Za kulisami bezpieki i partii, 1940-1955">{{cite book|first=Zbigniew|last=Błażyński|title=Mówi Józef Światło. Za kulisami bezpieki i partii, 1940–1955|publisher=Wydawnictwo LTW|location=Warszawa|year=2003|isbn = 83-88736-34-5|pages= 20/21, 27}}</ref> and a hardline [[Stalinism|Stalinist]], served as first Secretary General of the ruling PZPR from 1948 to 1956, playing a leading role in imposing communism and the installation of its repressive regime. He had served as president since 1944 (though on a provisional basis until 1947). After a [[Constitution of the People's Republic of Poland|new constitution]] abolished the presidency, Bierut took over as [[Prime Minister of Poland|prime minister]], a post he held until 1954. He remained party leader until his death in 1956.

Bierut oversaw the trials of many Polish wartime military leaders, such as General [[Stanisław Tatar]] and Brig. General [[Emil August Fieldorf]], as well as 40 members of the [[Wolność i Niezawisłość]] (Freedom and Independence) organisation, various Church officials and many other opponents of the new regime including [[Witold Pilecki]], condemned to death during [[secret trial]]s. Bierut signed many of those death sentences.

Bierut's mysterious death in [[Moscow]] in 1956 (shortly after attending the [[20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union]]) gave rise to much speculation about poisoning or a suicide, and symbolically marked the end of Stalinism era in Poland.

On 11-13 November, 1949, a plenum of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party was held, which was devoted to the tasks of the party in the fight for revolutionary vigilance. The plenum was dedicated to two leading topics: increasing indoctrination and continuing the fight against right-wing nationalist deviation. In relation to the first topic, an offensive of propaganda activities and intensification of the ideologization of public life were assumed. Yet, in connection with the strengthening of the sole rule of Bolesław Bierut, the deliberations were largely dominated by aggressive criticism of Władysław Gomułka and people from his circle. The latter, weakened by the removal from state functions, was also deprived of party functions during the plenum, by removing him from the Central Committee. At the same time, his co-authors, [[Marian Spychalski]] and [[Zenon Kliszko]], were excluded from the party authorities.{{sfn|Dymek|1989|pp=46-47}}

On 24-25 November, 1953, a secret session of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party was held. Cliques began to emerge within the leadership of the Polish United Workers' Party, representing different possibilities of overcoming the political and economic crisis that plagued the Polish People's Republic. The criticism of the [[Ministry of Public Security (Poland)|Ministry of Public Security]] made during the session indicated that the leadership of the ministry would become a "scapegoat" on which the PZPR leaders would blame the responsibility for the terror reigning in the Polish People's Republic.{{sfn|Poksiński|Kochański|2003|pp=62-64}}