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| Polish People's Republic Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa | |
|---|---|
| 1947–1989 | |
.svg) Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
 | |
| Capital and largest city | Warsaw |
| Official languages | Polish |
| Dominant mode of production | Socialism |
| Government | Unitary Marxist–Leninist republic |
| Area | |
• Total | 312,685 km² |
| Population | |
• 1989 estimate | 37,970,155 |
The Polish People's Republic (PPR) was a socialist state ruled by a Marxist-Leninist government from 1947 to 1989, and was the first country in the Eastern Bloc to abandon socialism. The PPR was complex nation, with a fraught political history. The nation was plagued by internal contradictions and conflicts, due to several factors, including the prevalent influence of the Catholic Church.
Politics[edit | edit source]
The Sejm was the legislative branch of the Polish People's Republic. It had one deputy for every 60,000 inhabitants and met at least twice a year. The Sejm elected a chairman and deputy chairman to preside over its sessions. The Sejm also elected the Council of State, which had one president and four vice presidents.[1] The Sejm elected a Council of Ministers, which was similar to the Soviet Council of People's Commissars.[2]
Economy[edit | edit source]
Prior to the Second World War, Poland had been lagging behind the rest of Europe in terms of industrial development. Foreign capitalists controlled almost two-thirds of investments.[3] The war devastated the country's cities and economic centers, causing Poland's industrial output in 1945 to be only 48% of what it had been in 1938.[4]
After the socialist system was in place, the economy began to grow rapidly with Poland's industrial output in 1948 reaching 153% of what it had been in 1938. Post-war recovery combined with the introduction of the socialist system result in growth of over 300% from 1945 to 1948.[4]
This growth continued for several decades. In 1977 production was 193% of what it had been in 1971, compared to only 44% in 1960. This comes out to an almost 500% increase in industrial output between 1960 and 1977 (more than doubling between 1960 and 1970, than increasing by 93% from there).[5]
Land redistribution[edit | edit source]
Before the revolution, two-thirds of farms had 121.5 acres or less of land, but these farms made up less than 15% of total farmland. Large farms of over 125 acres made up only 0.9% of total farms but the majority of farm area.[3]
Living standards[edit | edit source]
Healthcare[edit | edit source]
Prior to communist rule Poland was one of countries with the poorest health in Europe. In the 1930s life expectancy was around 46 years and infant mortality was estimated at 150 deaths per 1000 live births, compared to 61 years in Germany in the same period. During the war, life expectancy in Poland fell by a further 20-25%.[6][7]
Once the socialist system was in place, things began to improve rapidly due to healthcare being a state priority. Life expectancy in Poland increased to 70 years and infant mortality decreased to 30 deaths per 1000 live births.[8] Poland and the rest of central and Eastern Europe managed to almost completely close the healthcare gap with Western Europe by the 1960's, acomplishing in 20 years what took the West almost a century.[9]
However, Poland and much of Eastern and Central Europe also suffered a health catstrophe caused by the rise of chronic diseases associated with smoking and alchohol. Sales of cigarettes rose from 20 billion cigarettes per annum after WWII to around 100 billion in the 1980s, and an increase of alcohol consumption from 3 liters per annum to nearly 9 liters in the same period.[10]
Education[edit | edit source]
Pre-communist Poland saw widespread illiteracy and lack of education. In 1935 it was reported that across the Polish poviats less than 80% of people in urban areas could read whilst in rural areas this percentage fell even further to as low as 30%. Poviats closer to the capital showed similar statistics only with rural statistics being a bit closer to the urban ones.[11]
After the communist takeover, the educational system was improved and the level of illiteracy was drastically reduced. In 1960 census date showed 645,000 total illiterates and 270,000 semi-illiterates among those over 50 and by 1988, the illiteracy rate in Poland was only 2%.[12]
Women's rights[edit | edit source]
Women made major gains in the Polish People's Republic such as with reproductive rights and abortion are a major example of this. From 1932 to 1956 abortion was only legal in cases of criminal sexual activity. In socialist Poland, the Sejm responded to the struggles of women by legalizing abortion in 1956, and during the 60s and 70s abortion became freely available in hospitals with the law leaving it to physicians to decide whether an abortion should take place, with easy access to abortion largely guarenteed.[13]
Socialist Poland ensured everyone, regardless of gender, had equal access to work, education, childcare and care for the elderly. Women's employment was equal high in the People's Republic, often cited at 90%, but as soon as the state collapsed particpation fell to 68% and continued to fall to 45% by 2011. Social advancemnt was equally open to everyone with 30% of students in engineering courses being women, a rate significantly higher than the West even in the modern day.[14]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Bolesław Bierut (1952). Constitution of the Polish People's Republic: 'The Supreme Organs of State Authority'. Warsaw.
- ↑ Bolesław Bierut (1952). Constitution of the Polish People's Republic: 'The Supreme Organs of State Administration'. Warsaw.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Political Economy: 'The Economic System of the People's Democracies in Europe; The Prerequisites of the People's Democratic Revolution' (1954). [MIA]
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 United Nations statistical yearbook (1949) (p. 126). 1948 edition.
- ↑ United Nations statistical yearbook (1979) (p. 168). 1978 edition.
- ↑ “Before World War II (WWII) Poland was one of the countries with the poorest health in Europe. In the 1930's life expectancy in Poland was around 46 years for both sexes; in the same period in Germany it was over 61 years. Infant mortality was estimated at the level of 150 deaths per 1000 live births. The situation was exacerbated by WWII; between 1939 and 1945 life expectancy in Poland fell by 20-25 years.”
Mateusz Zygmunt Zatonski, Witold A. Zatonski (2016). Health in the Polish People's Republic. University of Bath. - ↑ United Nations statistical yearbook, vol. 1948 edition (1949).
- ↑ “The health transformation that took place in Poland after WWII proceeded very rapidly. Control of infectious diseases and infant mortality became a state priority in the post-war Polish People’s Republic... Life expectancy in Poland increased to 70 years and infant mortality decreased to 30 deaths per 1000 live births.”
Mateusz Zygmunt Zatonski, Witold A. Zatonski (2016). Health in the Polish People's Republic. University of Bath. - ↑ “The epidemiological transition that in the United Kingdom or Germany took almost a century, in Poland, and many other Central and East European (CEE) countries, occurred in the two decades following WWII. This process led the CEE region to almost closing the health gap dividing it from Western Europe in the 1960's.”
Mateusz Zygmunt Zatonski, Witold A. Zatonski (2016). Health in the Polish People's Republic. University of Bath. - ↑ “In Poland the consumption of vodka and smoking prevalence reached some of the highest levels in Europe. This dramatic increase in exposure to lifestyle risk factors (an increase in cigarette sale from 20 billion cigarettes per annum after WWII to around 100 billion in the 1980s, and an increase of alcohol consumption from 3 liters per annum to nearly 9 liters in the same period), led Poland and the CEE region to a health catastrophe caused by the rise of chronic diseases.”
Mateusz Zygmunt Zatonski, Witold A. Zatonski (2016). Health in the Polish People's Republic. University of Bath. - ↑ “In Polesie in the Kobrin poviat, less than 75 percent write and read in towns, and only 52% in the countryside. In Kosowski poviat, 82% in small towns, and 43% in rural areas. In the Koszalin poviat, where there are no cities, there are only 30 percent who can read and write.
Polesie is in fact one of the areas of the Commonwealth that is economically and culturally neglected, but, it should be remembered, not the most neglected. Unfortunately, data from the poviats of the Warsaw Province, i.e. from economically quite high standing and in orbit of the capital's influence, show that the condition is not much better there either. In the Płońsk poviat, 73% write and read in cities. population, 68% in the countryside 77 percent in Sierpc and 68 percent in Ciechanów 80% (cities) and 70% (village).
Census statistics are current today just as much as they were three years ago. And the figures of this statistic are not only dangerous, they are terrifying.”
"30 procent analfabetów…" (1935-01-10). New Courier. Archived from the original on 2023-02-13. Retrieved 2023-02-26. - ↑ “As early as 1960, the census showed 645,000 total illiterates and 270,000 semi-illiterates among those over 50. In 1988, the illiteracy rate in Poland was 2%.”
"Analfabetzym". Polish Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2023-02-13. Retrieved 2023-02-26. - ↑ “At the beginning of the 20th century, abortion was illegal under any circumstance in Poland. But in 1932, Poland enacted a code that legalized abortion in the cases of a criminal act, namely rape, incest, and underage sex. This was the first abortion law that condoned abortion in the case of a crime. The law remained on the books from 1932 until 1956.
...
In 1956, the Polish Sejm (the lower house of parliament), in keeping with Communist Party orthodoxy, legalized abortions when women expressed “difficult leaving conditions”. During the 60s and 70s, abortion became freely available in both public hospitals and private clinics. While the Soviet system encouraged mothers to carry the child to term, the law left it to physicians to decide whether abortion should be performed and largely guaranteed easy access to the operation.”
Predrag Pandiloski (2015-01-26). "Reproductive Rights in Post-Communist Poland" Brown Political Review. Archived from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2023-02-26. - ↑ “Stamped into the DNA of this society, from the postwar years until 1991, was that everyone had to work; for that, there had to be equal access to education, childcare (which was mainly attached to workplaces) and care for the elderly.
...
Throughout the communist years female workforce participation was incredibly high, often cited at 90%... As communism collapsed, participation fell to 68% and it now stands at 45%.
...
"The regime made absolutely no distinction between men and women. I never even thought about the division – all advance in society was open to men and women equally. "As far as education is concerned it was absolutely equal, to the extent that at the technical universities – the very high-standard engineering universities – I think 30% of students were women" (this was in the 1960's – engineering courses at Imperial College London still have a male to female ratio of 5:1 today).”
Zoe Williams (2011-04-08). "End of communism hasn't helped Polish women – but there is no nostalgia" The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2023-02-26.