Rola PZPR w państwie i społeczeństwie polskim
The Role of the Polish United Workers’ Party in Polish State and Society

Summary/Abstract: The Polish United Workers’ Party (PUWP) was established in 1948 and was ruling Poland for 45 years. This meant its dominant influence on two generations of Poles. It pursued the ideology of Marxism-Leninism and the principle of permanent subordination of Poland to the Soviet Union. From the beginning of its existence, it exercised almost absolute control of the country’s internal and foreign policy, administration, the economic sphere and official manifestations of social life. It penetrated into all areas of activity of Poland and its citizens. Collectivism with central planning of the society’s future became the most important for it. The economic and social doctrine of communists assumed the elimination of private property from the economic life. Communist dogmas and the primacy of politics led to a total State control in all areas of life in the country and interference in all spheres of citizens’ lives, including the most broadly understood culture, including customs and religion, and private life. At the end of the 70s, the PUWP reached its peak – it brought together nearly 3.2 million members, i.e. around 15 percent of adult inhabitants of Poland. The rule of PWP/PUWP led to the creation of a totalitarian regime of the State. Over the course of 45 years, it had varied development dynamics. Nevertheless, the fundamental principle of the monopoly of communist power and the perception of the State as the ownership of one party was a canon until 1989.

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