Editing History of Poland (section)

===Stagnation and crackdown (1958–1970)===

[[File:Bloki ul. Piątkowska - panoramio.jpg|thumb|right|[[High-rise building|Apartment blocks]] built in communist Poland (these located in [[Poznań]])]]

One of the confirmations of the end of an era of greater tolerance was the expulsion from the communist party of several prominent "[[Revisionism (Marxism)|Marxist revisionist]]s" in the 1960s.<ref name="Poland under Communism 124-143"/>

In 1965, the [[Episcopal Conference of Poland|Conference of Polish Bishops]] issued the [[Letter of Reconciliation of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops]], a gesture intended to heal bad mutual feelings left over from World War II.<ref name="Stelmachowski 33">{{Harvnb|Stelmachowski|2011|p=33}}.</ref> In 1966, the celebrations of the 1,000th anniversary of the [[Christianization of Poland]] led by Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and other bishops turned into a huge demonstration of the power and popularity of the [[Catholic Church in Poland]].<ref name="playground I 15-16">{{Harvnb|Davies|2005a|pp=15–16}}</ref>

The post-1956 liberalizing trend, in decline for a number of years, was reversed in March 1968, when student demonstrations were suppressed during the [[1968 Polish political crisis]]. Motivated in part by the [[Prague Spring]] movement, the Polish opposition leaders, intellectuals, academics and students used a historical-patriotic ''[[Dziady (poem)|Dziady]]'' theater spectacle series in Warsaw (and its termination forced by the authorities) as a springboard for protests, which soon spread to other centers of higher education and turned nationwide. The authorities responded with a major crackdown on opposition activity, including the firing of faculty and the dismissal of students at universities and other institutions of learning. At the center of the controversy was also the small number of Catholic deputies in the [[Sejm]] (the [[Znak (association)|Znak Association]] members) who attempted to defend the students.<ref name="Poland under Communism 148-163">{{Harvnb|Kemp-Welch|2008|pp=148–163}}.</ref>

In an official speech, Gomułka drew attention to the role of Jewish activists in the events taking place. This provided ammunition to a nationalistic and [[antisemitism|antisemitic]] communist party faction headed by [[Mieczysław Moczar]] that was opposed to Gomułka's leadership. Using the context of the military victory of [[Israel]] in the [[Six-Day War]] of 1967, some in the Polish communist leadership waged an antisemitic campaign against the remnants of the Jewish community in Poland. The targets of this campaign were accused of disloyalty and active sympathy with Israeli aggression. Branded "[[Zionism|Zionists]]", they were scapegoated and blamed for the unrest in March 1968, which eventually led to the emigration of much of Poland's remaining Jewish population (about 15,000 Polish citizens left the country).<ref name="Poland under Communism 148-163"/>

With the active support of the Gomułka regime, the [[Polish People's Army]] took part in the infamous [[Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia]] in August 1968, after the [[Brezhnev Doctrine]] was informally announced.<ref name="Poland under Communism 163-171">{{Harvnb|Kemp-Welch|2008|pp=163–171}}.</ref>

In the final major achievement of Gomułka diplomacy, the governments of Poland and [[West Germany]] signed in December 1970 the [[Treaty of Warsaw (1970)|Treaty of Warsaw]], which normalized their relations and made possible meaningful cooperation in a number of areas of bilateral interest. In particular, West Germany recognized the post-World War II ''de facto'' border between Poland and [[East Germany]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Prażmowska|2011|p=203}}.</ref><ref name="Poland under Communism 177-180">{{Harvnb|Kemp-Welch|2008|pp=177–180}}.</ref>