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Concept
Polish People's Republic
Summary
The Polish People's Republic (Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL), or simply Poland (Polska), was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern-day Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million near the end of its existence, it was the second most-populous communist and Eastern Bloc country in Europe. A unitary state with a Marxist–Leninist government, it was also one of the main signatories of the Warsaw Pact alliance. The largest city and official capital since 1947 was Warsaw, followed by the industrial city of Łódź and cultural city of Kraków. The country was bordered by the Baltic Sea to the north, the Soviet Union to the east, Czechoslovakia to the south, and East Germany to the west.
The Polish People's Republic was ruled by a communist government that was established through electoral fraud following the 1946 Polish people's referendum and the 1947 Polish legislative election. The Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR) became the dominant political faction under a one-party state but the country had more liberal policies than other socialist states due to its strategic location in the Cold War and internal opposition. The state's official name was the "Republic of Poland" (Rzeczpospolita Polska) between 1947 and 1952 in accordance with the temporary Small Constitution of 1947. The name "People's Republic" was introduced and defined by the Constitution of 1952.
Despite the numerous economic hardships, some major achievements were established during this period, including improved living conditions, rapid industrialization, and urbanization. Access to universal health care, abortion and free education were made available, and the population almost doubled between 1947 and 1989. Poland also maintained a large standing army, known as the Polish People's Army. In addition, units of the Soviet Armed Forces were also stationed in Poland as in all other Warsaw Pact countries.
The Ministry of Public Security (UB) and later the Security Service (SB) were the chief intelligence agencies that acted as the secret police.
Official source
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