Editing History of Poland (section)

===Post-war struggle for power===

[[File:Mikolajczyk.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Stanisław Mikołajczyk]]'s [[Polish People's Party (1945–1949)|Polish People's Party]] [[1947 Polish legislative election|tried to outvote the communists in 1947]], but the election process was rigged. Mikołajczyk had to flee to the West.]]

In response to the February 1945 [[Yalta Conference]] directives,<ref name="Poland under Communism 6-7"/> a Polish [[Provisional Government of National Unity]] was formed in June 1945 under Soviet auspices; it was soon recognized by the United States and many other countries.<ref>{{Harvnb|Buszko|1986|pp=406–408}}.</ref> The Soviet domination was apparent from the beginning, as prominent leaders of the [[Polish Underground State]] were brought to trial in Moscow (the "[[Trial of the Sixteen]]" of June 1945).<ref name="Poland under Communism 8">{{Harvnb|Kemp-Welch|2008|p=8}}.</ref> In the immediate post-war years, the emerging communist rule was challenged by opposition groups, including militarily by the so-called "[[cursed soldiers]]", of whom thousands perished in armed confrontations or were pursued by the [[Ministry of Public Security (Poland)|Ministry of Public Security]] and executed.<ref name="Zamoyski 369-370">{{Harvnb|Zamoyski|1994|pp=369–370}}.</ref> Such guerillas often pinned their hopes on expectations of an imminent outbreak of [[World War III]] and defeat of the Soviet Union.<ref name="Dzień Żołnierzy Wyklętych">{{Harvnb|Wroński|2013}}.</ref> The [[National Military Union|Polish right-wing insurgency]] faded after the [[Amnesty of 1947|amnesty of February 1947]].<ref name="Zdobycie władzy"/><ref name="Po wojnie światowej wojna domowa"/>

The [[1946 Polish people's referendum|Polish people's referendum of June 1946]] was arranged by the communist [[Polish Workers' Party]] to legitimize its dominance in Polish politics and claim widespread support for the party's policies.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prażmowska|2011|p=192}}.</ref><ref name="Poland under Communism 9">{{Harvnb|Kemp-Welch|2008|p=9}}.</ref> Although the Yalta agreement called for free elections, the [[1947 Polish legislative election|Polish legislative election of January 1947]] was controlled by the communists.<ref name="Zamoyski 369-370"/> Some democratic and pro-Western elements, led by [[Stanisław Mikołajczyk]], former prime minister-in-exile, participated in the Provisional Government and the 1947 elections, but were ultimately eliminated through [[electoral fraud]], intimidation and violence.<ref name="Zamoyski 369-370"/> In times of severe political confrontation and radical economic change, members of Mikołajczyk's agrarian movement (the [[Polish People's Party (1945–1949)|Polish People's Party]]) attempted to preserve the existing aspects of [[mixed economy]] and protect property and other rights.<ref name="Buszko 417-425">{{Harvnb|Buszko|1986|pp=417–425}}.</ref> However, after the 1947 elections, the Government of National Unity ceased to exist and the communists moved towards abolishing the post-war partially [[pluralist democracy|pluralistic]] "people's democracy" and replacing it with a [[state socialism|state socialist]] system.<ref>{{Harvnb|Czubiński|2012|p=249}}.</ref> The communist-dominated [[popular front|front]] Democratic Bloc of the 1947 elections, turned into the [[Front of National Unity]] in 1952, became officially the source of governmental authority. The [[Polish government-in-exile]], lacking international recognition, remained in continuous existence until 1990.