The GDR, the FRG and the Polish October 1956
The GDR, the FRG and the Polish October 1956

Summary/Abstract: In the consciousness of most historiographers, the Polish October 1956 has remained in the shadow of more dramatic contemporary events, such as Khrushchev.s speech delivered in February 1956 at the 20th CPSU party congress in Moscow, in which he disposed of Stalinism; the worsening international situation; and the fight for freedom and the Soviet intervention in Hungary in October and November 1956. Had it not been for the speech of the Soviet general secretary in February, W³adys³aw Gomu³ka would not have been elected to the position of first secretary of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers Party (PUWP) at the 8th Plenum of the Polish communists in October 1956. Without the armed clashes in Hungary, Gomu³ka.s return to power would perhaps not have proven so lasting. In spite of this, the October 1956 events and their consequences in Poland are historically significant sui generis. They demonstrate that, despite errors in internal policies and obstacles in the international arena, the de-Stalinization process became a palpable element of reality in the Polish People.s Republic. From the perspective of the two German states, the limited internal autonomy Poland managed to gain in October 1956 within the framework of the Eastern alliance constituted an immediate threat for the German Democratic Republic (GDR), but a long-term opportunity for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG).

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