Poland DBQ 
Diego Lopez Liranzo
22 September 2014
AP European History
Form VI
Analyse the factors that contributed to the emergence of a workers’ opposition movement in Communist Poland in the period 1956-1981.
After World War II, the official communist party dominated all aspects of Polish politics, which soon became an issue with not only the working class of the country, but also the intellectual and educated Polish community. Between 1956 and 1981, there was an emergence of workers’ opposition against the communist party in Poland due to the blatant oppression and desperate living conditions of many of the Polish workers and their families. Workers demanded rapid change in policy from the party because the workers believed the government had been misleading in their political agenda and had steered to a policy of simply ignoring the plea for more democratic rights. Other factors that contributed to the opposition include deplorable economic conditions throughout the country, Catholic Church leaders support, and a massive attack on the government by Polish communist intellectuals. The massive disconnect between the communist party’s policy and the desire of the people was a factor in the emergence of the entire opposition movement. The communist party originally had promised the Polish workers that it would be a government that put the needs of the working class before all others, but over time it became obvious the government was following a policy of dictatorial political repression. When the Polish working class attempted to make its “voice heard” in Poznan during a protest against communist rule, several dozen workers were killed in the government’s suppression of the strike. Marketed in a governmental propaganda piece as an “exciting and uncommon” event, they promised that the party was “united with the nation.” (Doc 1) Edward Gierek, head of the Polish communist party, addressed the issue as a whole by demanding that the Polish workers not “demand that kind of
22 September 2014
AP European History
Form VI
Analyse the factors that contributed to the emergence of a workers’ opposition movement in Communist Poland in the period 1956-1981.
After World War II, the official communist party dominated all aspects of Polish politics, which soon became an issue with not only the working class of the country, but also the intellectual and educated Polish community. Between 1956 and 1981, there was an emergence of workers’ opposition against the communist party in Poland due to the blatant oppression and desperate living conditions of many of the Polish workers and their families. Workers demanded rapid change in policy from the party because the workers believed the government had been misleading in their political agenda and had steered to a policy of simply ignoring the plea for more democratic rights. Other factors that contributed to the opposition include deplorable economic conditions throughout the country, Catholic Church leaders support, and a massive attack on the government by Polish communist intellectuals. The massive disconnect between the communist party’s policy and the desire of the people was a factor in the emergence of the entire opposition movement. The communist party originally had promised the Polish workers that it would be a government that put the needs of the working class before all others, but over time it became obvious the government was following a policy of dictatorial political repression. When the Polish working class attempted to make its “voice heard” in Poznan during a protest against communist rule, several dozen workers were killed in the government’s suppression of the strike. Marketed in a governmental propaganda piece as an “exciting and uncommon” event, they promised that the party was “united with the nation.” (Doc 1) Edward Gierek, head of the Polish communist party, addressed the issue as a whole by demanding that the Polish workers not “demand that kind of