PRL, kraje socjalistyczne i Globalne Południe w latach 1955–1990. Stan badań i postulaty badawcze
The Polish People’s Republic, Socialist Countries and the Global South in 1955–1990: The State of Research and Research Proposals

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this article is to present the current state of research dedicated to the relations of communist states with the Global South and to present the experience of PRL in this respect. During the Cold War, the countries of the Soviet bloc maintained very active relations with Third World states and national liberation movements. These contacts, initiated in the mid-1950s, were of varied nature and concerned political, military, economic and socio-cultural cooperation. The Soviet Union played the lead role in these relations, but countries under Moscow’s tutelage – notably the GDR, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Romania – also sought to be present in the Third World. Warsaw also pursued an active policy towards the states and national liberation movements of the Global South, although its strategy differed from the conduct of other communist countries. The involvement of PRL was more cautious and more, than in the case of other countries, focused on economic benefits. The review of the state of research shows that a lot is already known about communist Poland’s policy towards the Third World, but many areas remain poorly researched. The gaps in our knowledge that still remain may inspire future research dedicated to the relations between the Communist bloc and the Global South.

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