People's Republic of Poland

The People's Republic of Poland or Polish People's Republic (Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1989, during its period of rule by the Communist party, officially called the Polish United Workers' Party (Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza, or PZPR). The Communists were in effective control of the Polish government from 1944 onwards, but the new name was not adopted until the 1952 constitution came into effect.

Economy

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Poland suffered enormous losses during World War II. While in 1939 Poland had 35.1 million inhabitants, the census of 14 February 1946 showed only 23.9 million inhabitants. The losses in national resources and infrastructure amounted to 38% percent. Compared to Western nations, including Germany, Poland was still mostly an agricultural country. The implementation of the immense tasks involved with the reconstruction of the country was intertwined with the struggle of the new government for the stabilisation of power, made even more difficult by the fact that a considerable part of society was mistrustful of the communist government. The liberation of Poland by the Red Army and the support Soviet Union shown for the Polish communists was decisive for the left gaining the upper hand in the new Polish government.

Related Topics:
14 February - 1946 - Polish communists

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With the change of borders, Poland has also lost 77,000 square kilometers of eastern regions (Kresy), gaining instead the smaller but much more industrialized Regained Territories on the Oder-Neisse line.

Related Topics:
Kresy - Regained Territories - Oder-Neisse line

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As control of the Polish territories passed from occupying forces of Nazi Germany to Red Army, and from Red Army to Polish communists, Poland's new economic system began evolving towards communist central planning economy. One of the first major steps in that direction involved the agricultural reform issued by the PKWN government on 6th September 1944. All estates over 0.5 km² in pre-war Polish terrotories and all over 100 ha in Regained territories were nationalised without compensation. In total, 31,000 km² of land were nationalised in Poland and 5 million in the Regained Territories, out of which 12,000 km² were redistributed to peasants and the rest remained in the hands of the government (most of this was eventually used in the collectivization and creation of kolkhoz-like Pa?stwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne, PGR). However the collectivization of Polish farming never reached the extent of those in Soviet Union or other countries of the Eastern Bloc. http://encyklopedia.pwn.pl/62528_1.html

Related Topics:
Nazi Germany - Red Army - Polish communists - Economic system - Central planning - Agricultural reform - PKWN - 6th September - 1944 - Collectivization - Kolkhoz - Pa?stwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne

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Nationalization began in 1944 as well, with government taking control of German industries on Regained Territories. As nationalization was unpopular, the communists delayed the nationalization reform until 1946, when after the 3xTAK referenda they were fairly certain they had total control of the government and could deal with eventual public protests. However some semi-official nationalisation of various private non-German industries begun back in 1944. In 1946, all enterprises with over 50 employees were nationalised, with no compensation to Polish owners. http://encyklopedia.pwn.pl/49495_1.html

Related Topics:
Nationalization - Nationalization reform - 3xTAK - Referenda

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Heavy industry development, the x-year plans

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Shortage economy

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Comecon

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