Editing History of Poland (section)

===Under Stalinism (1948–1955)===

[[File:Bolesław Bierut 1949.jpg|thumb|left|upright|President [[Bolesław Bierut]], leader of [[Stalinism|Stalinist]] Poland]]

The [[Polish People's Republic]] (''Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa'') was established under the rule of the communist [[Polish United Workers' Party]] (PZPR). The name change from the Polish Republic was not officially adopted, however, until the proclamation of the [[Constitution of the Polish People's Republic]] in 1952.<ref name="Sowa 178-179">{{Harvnb|Sowa|2011|pp=178–179}}.</ref>

The ruling PZPR was formed by the forced amalgamation in December 1948 of the communist [[Polish Workers' Party]] (PPR) and the historically non-communist [[Polish Socialist Party]] (PPS). The PPR chief had been its wartime leader [[Władysław Gomułka]], who in 1947 declared a "Polish road to socialism" as intended to curb, rather than eradicate, capitalist elements. In 1948 he was overruled, removed and imprisoned by [[Stalinism|Stalinist]] authorities.<ref name="Poland under Communism 26, 32-35">{{Harvnb|Kemp-Welch|2008|pp=26, 32–35}}.</ref><ref name="Poland under Communism 63">{{Harvnb|Kemp-Welch|2008|p=63}}.</ref> The PPS, re-established in 1944 by its left wing,<ref name="Ost Solidarity 36-38">{{Harvnb|Ost|1990|pp=36–38}}.</ref> had since been allied with the communists.<ref name="Buszko 442-445">{{Harvnb|Buszko|1986|pp=442–445}}.</ref><ref name="Poland under Communism 18, 39">{{Harvnb|Kemp-Welch|2008|pp=18, 39}}.</ref><ref name="Lukowski 285-286">{{Harvnb|Lukowski|Zawadzki|2006|pp=285–286}}.</ref> The ruling communists, who in post-war Poland preferred to use the term "socialism" instead of "communism" to identify their ideological basis,<ref name="Poland under Communism 18">{{Harvnb|Kemp-Welch|2008|p=18}}.</ref>{{Ref label|f|f|none}} needed to include the socialist junior partner to broaden their appeal, claim greater legitimacy and eliminate competition on the political [[Left-wing politics|Left]]. The socialists, who were losing their organization, were subjected to political pressure, ideological cleansing and purges in order to become suitable for unification on the terms of the PPR. The leading pro-communist leaders of the socialists were the prime ministers [[Edward Osóbka-Morawski]] and [[Józef Cyrankiewicz]].<ref name="Buszko 442-445"/><ref name="Lukowski 285-286"/><ref name="Buszko 398-399, 407">{{Harvnb|Buszko|1986|pp=398–399, 407}}.</ref>

During the most oppressive phase of the Stalinist period (1948–1953), terror was justified in Poland as necessary to eliminate reactionary subversion. Many thousands of perceived dissidents were arbitrarily tried and large numbers were executed.{{Ref label|u|u|none}} The People's Republic was led by discredited Soviet operatives such as [[Bolesław Bierut]], [[Jakub Berman]] and [[Konstantin Rokossovsky]].<ref name="Poland under Communism 40">{{Harvnb|Kemp-Welch|2008|p=40}}.</ref> The independent [[Catholic Church]] in Poland was subjected to property confiscations and other curtailments from 1949, and in 1950 was pressured into signing an accord with the government.<ref name="Zdobycie władzy">{{Harvnb|Leszczyński|2013}}.</ref><ref name="Po wojnie światowej wojna domowa">{{Harvnb|Daszczyński|2013}}.</ref> In 1953 and later, despite a partial thaw after the death of Stalin that year, the persecution of the Church intensified and its head, Cardinal [[Stefan Wyszyński]], was detained.<ref name="Poland under Communism 66-68">{{Harvnb|Kemp-Welch|2008|pp=66–68}}.</ref> A key event in the persecution of the Polish Church was the [[Stalinist show trial of the Kraków Curia]] in January 1953.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prażmowska|2011|pp=194–195}}.</ref><ref name="Lukowski 286-292">{{Harvnb|Lukowski|Zawadzki|2006|pp=286–292}}.</ref><ref name="Poland under Communism 39-48, 63">{{Harvnb|Kemp-Welch|2008|pp=39–48, 63}}.</ref>

In the [[Warsaw Pact]], formed in 1955, the Polish Army was the second largest, after the Soviet Army.<ref name="playground 434">{{Harvnb|Davies|2005b|p=434}}.</ref>