(SANITIZED)DOMESTIC POLITICAL SITUATION/POSITION OF GOMULKA IN PZPR (COMMUNIST PARTY)/STRENGTH OF OLD COMMUNIST ELEMENTS RE: FORMER SOCIALIST PARTY ELEMENTS/ATTITUDES OF POLISH YOUTH(SANITIZED)

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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP80T00246A040500290001-0
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RIPPUB
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S
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6
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December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
August 27, 2010
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1
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Publication Date: 
January 23, 1958
Content Type: 
REPORT
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP80T00246A040500290001-0 11;~gji 1111111, 11111!111 1 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.C. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law. COUNTRY poland ta/ of DATE OF INFO. PLACE & DATE DISTR. 23 JAN 1960 50X1-HUM Domestic political Situation / ' & t#Ion o ~ i7mu~ ka 1V11 pz P2 (~e~w .v tl. PAGES Of REQUIREMENT N~C~..4....4- na nor,,., .- 0:e NA Rn a repo on the domestic political situation in Poland STATE Ix IARMY X INAVY X AIR X 'Bl AEC LI I N FORMATION REPORT INFORMATION REPORT Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP80T00246A040500290001-0 50X1-HUM Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP80T00246AO40500290001-0 r SITUATION IN POLAND (G) r. ry?';./~ 50X1-HUM .GOMtTLKA personal position inside the United Workers party: From the point of view of his pas t,GOMULKA is rather disciple of the Polish Socia- list party( )than of the Communists .He came to the Communist ranks from Socialist organisation,and,from the point of vipolitical ~lolish traditions had been greatly influenoed, as a young man,by patriotic of Socialist movement. 50X1-HUM During the last Socialist party(PPS)Congress in Wroolaw,in 1947,GOMUIU,speaking about the possibility of merger betweerthe 5ooia- list party(PPS)and the Communists(Polish Workers party-PPR),emphasized that this merger should assure for the future unified working class par- ty Socialist leadership as far as ideological line is oonoerned.GOMULKA was at that time still Secretary General of the Polish Workers party, and these opinions impressed very much many Socialists. 50X1-HUM it was quite obvious that GOMULSA considered Socialist ideological leadership as antidote to the Moscow spinsored current of pro-Russian Communists,alteady in strength in Polish Workers party ranks. therefore, the present GOMUIZA stand and his efforts to libe- rate Poland(a-nd the United Workers party)from Russian interference is conform to his attitude taken during the first years after the 750X1-HUM As far as the re i.p,ternal situation of the United Wor- kers party is concerned, it is ne- cessary to bear well in mind the weakness of the so-called GOMULKA group. GOMULKA is almost alone,and those who are called at present his close col? laborators,betrayed him in the past in the most cases.During the unifi- cation Congress (merger between the Co~Q.tijs~pdtookistand against him. 1948 many men who are at present around This was the case of Gen.SPYCEAISKI(present Minister of National Defen- se)or Zenon RLI9Zg0,f'ysponsored N"Communistnruletmeanshbuttheir theywhad. imprisonment ,what the Moscow shown in theipast to be weak men,opportunists. GOMUILA must rely on the non-Communist (former Sooialis t) ele- ments,or political currents outside of the United Workers party.He has still backing of the Polish public opinion considering him as a man who had given initiative for liberation of Poland from the Russian interfe- renoe.But as far as former Communist elements are oonoeraed,the pro-Mos- cow group is far stronger as the Gomulkists, and is still controlling grea part of the United Workers party bureaucratic apparatus.Exemple of Warsaw organisation may be quoted: till present GOMULBA did not succeed to get control over the United Workers party apparatus in the town of Warsaw and in of Warsaw.Even recently GOMUIKA statemaats had been contra- 50X1-HUM dicted by the old line representatives. The former Communist elements know well that they are unpo- pular in Poland.They can not afford to attack openly GOMULKA or to oust him,beoause of fear ofpopular upraising.But they are hampering his ef- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP80T00246AO40500290001-0 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP80T00246A040500290001-0 Poland-G fort to push demooratisation and forge him to oompromise,using Russian intervention blaokmail.In result,GOMUIXA's popularity in Poland declined undoubtedly since October 1956.Reoenstly,there were many oases that durin workers meetings of the party in provinces GOMUIKA was openly criticised in his own presence,beoause of failing to satisfy hopes connected with the so-called Polish "October revolution" of 1956. Till Ares ent,howeve r, there are no signs that GOMUZ$A woul be disposed to yield under the pressure of pro-Moscow elements. The party Congress is scheduled for December 1957.But in Gomalkist circles opinions had been expressed openly that the Congress will take place only in the case there will be eertainety that the pro- Moscow group can not get ma jority,using pressures of its partisans in party bureaucratic apparatus. 50X1-HUM so-called "revisionnist" current inside the United Workers party is popular among the younger members,universitary youth first of all,but its effective weight from the point of view of party internal situation should be considered rather insignificant. In these oiroumstanoes,GOMUISA is threed in many cases to oompromise.These tactics are dangerous because the public opinion is becoming more and more restless. 2.TheAroblem of former Socialist (PPS)elements s 50X1-HUM the former Communist(PPR) element] had shown already their incapacity to sponsor any kind of new party pri- gram.These elements,held justly responsable for the past policy of the "old r4gime",are completely compromised in public opinion,even among the mass of workers. control 50X1-HUM Therefore unless the pro-Moscow group will succeed to get Ithe fyrther process of disintegra4 tion of the United Workers party is unevitable. GOMUIBA group is too weak to take full leadership. Therefore,the Socialist elements are in some way the only possible successors of the present Communist leadership. These elements gained a lot of ground more re certi y. The syndical movement (trade-unions) are practically in Socialist hands.Inside the United Workers party,the Un:t former Socialists get hold of a number of important posts in thoarty organisation.A number of voievodies is al- ready in their hands. The question if the Socialist party (PPS) should be recon- structed or not is left for the future,and depends on the developments )inside the United Workers party.But,in faet,Sooialist organisati s e in full revival. Meetings of former dotialist party members beeam I phenomenon.. The Communist elements are aware of danger.kfforts had been made to force a number of former Socialists to subscribe some kind of declaration that they will remain faithful to the United Workers party.A declaration of this kind had been signed by a dozen of minor lea- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP80T00246A040500290001-0 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP80T00246AO40500290001-0 'oiana-u 50X1-HUM3 ders (minor from the point of view of Socialist ranks-some of them are oc- oppying important posts in the United Workers party some Ministers were among them),but they had afterwards to withdraw from their stand?and offer explanations on a meeting of former Socialist party members in Warsaw, last Spring This revival of Socialist force in Poland is most important phenomenon,espeoially in view of revival of the Peasant movement,too. 50X1-HUM The Western propaganda may have great influence on the proses of revival of Socialism in Poland. the Communists and Moseo* are trying even at present to con- vince everybody that the Socialist movement in the West is paRctioally dead,and only Communists remained as leading force of the working class. The foreign broadeastings,like Voice of America or Radio Free Burope,are giving too little about the Socialisi in the Weet.The problems like ac- tivity of non-Communist trade-unions,pa]itioal action of Socialists in different oountries,ahould be introduced in the programs at great extend.. It be necessary to show that Moscow is not thOonly place where there is (or pretends to be)realisation of Socialist principles. the problems like Labor party stand,i`rench Sooialists or unification of Italian Soeialists,are of great propaganda importance for the Socialists in all "Satellite" eountries,tiging to reconstruct their ranks. The Western Socialism formulas are the best antidotun to Moscow sponsored propaganda of Socialism made in Russia. 50X1-HUM As far as Poland is oonoerned,this problem should be conside- red as a crucial one.He expressed the opinion that the o s working class will never abandon principle of social ow- nership of big industrial en#e-rprieee-.The hatred of everything Russian is extremely strong(he used the expression that this hatred takes form of some pathological stata of mind).It is necessary to show to the Polish working class that the West is able to offer its own Socialist formula, formula of freedom. _ 3.The youth problems The new regime created after the war had some popularity among youth originated from working class or peasantry,b Because they got possibi- lity to go to universities and polytechnioal sohools,and make career. KHRUSHCHBT's speech on the XX Congress of the Communist par- ty of the Soviet Union,distributed in Poland almost immediately after the Congress(it is question of speech pronounced on the secret meeting,not official report)provoked extremely violent reaction and moral crisis!. The confidence in the new Communist regime had fallen in pieees.In result it could be observed some kind of anti-ideological stand,wave of pessi- mism and tendency almost to anarohy.t - he Communibt education was superfi- cial and operated with ready formulas lacking in fact any substantial meaning,but very attractive from the point, of view of external form.4 nee the confidence in these formulas had beers destroyed,all the education had Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP80T00246AO40500290001-0 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP80T00246AO40500290001-0 Po land-G fallen to pieces.The old regime destroyed libraries "epurating" books contrary to the Moscow line.lherefore the young generation had little intellectual preparation ,lack of knowledge of the West;but all that produced even stronger reaction against the old regime,in result. The Soviets made big effort to russify the younger genera- tion,operating with the same system Tsarist regime did at the time.F.ex. towards the end of 1955 Moscow prepared hand-book of Polish history for. Polish sohools,considering that the Poles did not sufficiently "epuratef" their own hiatory.This hand-book was worse that the famous hand-book of IIATATSBI used before the I World war.Even POLITBUREATT headed by BIERUT did not dare to translate it in Polish,and ordered some Polish professors to elaborate independent Polish version. The present Minister of National -Education BIBRROWSBI is doing well suppressing all this party litterature and giving back to the schools liberty of teaohing.All old hand-books are gradually replaced by adeggate manuals.This will make possible to save the Polish youth from total degenration. As far as the United Workers party is oonoerned,great part of younger generation had been educated km after the war in Socialist organisation called OMTUR(ORQANIZA(JA MWDZIBZY TOWARZYSTWA UNIW$4SYTB- TOW ROBOTNICZYCR-Youth Organisation of Workers Universities Association, organisation which existed before the war and was reconstructed in 1944- 45 under the sponsorship of the Prime Minister OSOBSA-MORAWSRI,Socialist). After the merger with Communists in 1948,OMTUR was liqui- dated and Communist Union of Youth(ZMP)took its place.But to-day great part of younger United Workers party members are disciples of OMTtTB.They are 8-ooialis-to-,not Communists,and their influence is growing. Another factor of regeneration of youth is newly rP~?,~+r oted Boy-Scouts organisation. 50X1-HUM 4.4'esidue of the "old regime",politioal police: notwithstanding changes which tool: place after October 1956 the so-called Moscow group of the United Workers party is still control- ling great part of party bureaucracy and some sectors of Governmental ad. minis tra tion.One of the most typical exemples is the continuation of ao- tivity of censure of books or papers.Obstaoles are still put as far as penetration of Western litterature is oonoerned.This old apparatus is frightened by any perspective of ohanges,beoause they knior web],*hat they will loose their posts. The political poliee(UB)was completely disbanded under e- normous pressure of the public opinion.The primes of the police are uni- versally known.In many places " Nate"cemeteries of victims of political Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP80T00246AO40500290001-0 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP80T00246AO40500290001-0 ro lane--G, cA - po li o e M Wv_ L0 There are still many "old" elements even in the present kind- etry of Interior.But they can not,even if they wish,reoonetruot the old police under the new form,because of fear of strong popular reaction.At present, the control over internal situation is entrusted to the Politioal Department of the Ministry of Interior.This Department has at its dispo- sal a small force of secret polioe,besides Militia,offioial polioe.But this new secret police is extremely weak,and unable to exerce terror the old Security police did. 5.General remarks about internal situations heAh situation is almost decisive factor as far as further developments are concerned.lheestern help is essential for Poland to keep independence from Russia. 50X1-HUM The situation is particularly tense in towns and industrial oentres.The peasantry got already great advantages from the new policy, but the working elass,which backed GOMUIKk,is becoming more and more res- tless because of lack of greater improvement of living conditions. hearts are still for GOMUZ - KA,but stoma ens are asking loader and louder for their rights,too. The hatred tzxRm against Russians and the Communism, considered as Russian product,is such that even a spark may produce great fire.This is some gumatmtee against any attempt to go back to the old regime.But at the same time there is danger thot GOMULKA cautious tacties(see above 6.Remarks about the Russians: 50X1-HUM in many occasions the Russians asked "when such changes as in Poland will take place in the Soviet Union".These remarks are heard however only at the lower le- vel of the party,or from non-party men. The Communist party as such is apparently not popular in Rus- sia.The army has some popularity only because is considered by the mass of population as something "different" from the present Communist regime led by the party. Russian Communism seams to have more and more imperialistic character and almost follows the patterns of the old jVanslavistiO`formet- las used by Russian imperialist under Empire. "ere is great danger of Russian reactions as far as Polish de- velopments are conoerned:Poland beeame,especially since October 1956,de- st ti f t rue ve ac or of Soviet regime and present Soviet empire in Europe. 7.German problems important. The question of the present frontier is considered AR Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/08: CIA-RDP80T00246AO40500290001-0 the most