Polish legislative election, 1947
Encyclopedia
The Polish legislative election of 1947 was held on January 19, 1947 in the People's Republic of Poland
. The anti-communist opposition candidates and activists were persecuted and the eventual results were falsified. According to the official results, the communist-controlled Democratic Bloc (Blok Demokratyczny), composed of the Polish Workers Party (PPR), Polish Socialist Party (PPS), Popular Party
(SL), and Democratic Party (SD) and non-partisan candidates, gained 80.1% votes (390 out of 444 seats). In fact, the Democratic Bloc gained only about 50% of the votes.
The elections were not free, as opposition candidates were discriminated against and the votes were rigged. Nonetheless, the election gave the Soviet Union
and its Polish satellite
communist government enough legitimacy to claim that Poland was 'free and democratic', and allowing Poland to sign the charter of the United Nations.
It was the first legislative election in Poland since 1938
. The election marked the beginning of open Communist rule in Poland.
and its proxies, the Polish communists. In 1946 the communists already tested their strength by falsifying the Polish people's referendum, 1946
("3xYES Referendum") and banning all right-wing parties (under the pretext of their pro-Nazi stance). By 1947 the only remaining legal opposition was the Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe (Polish People's Party) of Stanisław Mikołajczyk, which refused to join the communist alliance.
Although the Yalta agreement called for free elections in Poland, those held in January 1947 were controlled by the Polish communists. The election law
, introduced before the elections, allowed the government - which since its establishment in 1944 was controlled by the communists - to remove over half a million people from the list of those eligible for voting, under false accusations of collaboration
with the Nazis or 'anti-government bandits' (i.e. Armia Krajowa
and other Polish resistance
movements loyal to the Polish government in exile
). Over 80,000 members of the Polish People's Party were arrested under various false charges in the month preceding the election, and around 100 of them were murdered by the Polish Secret Police (Urząd Bezpieczeństwa, UB). 98 opposition parliamentary candidates were also crossed from the registration lists under these accusations. Finally, in some regions - especially those known to be strongholds of the Polish Peasants Party - the entire electoral list of that party was disqualified for various technical and legal reasons.
The entire falsification action was organized and closely monitored by specialists from Polish secret police, worked closely with their Soviet
counterparts like Aron Pałkin and Siemion Dawydow, both high-ranking officers from the Soviet Ministry for State Security
. The Soviet assistance was asked for before the referendum of 1946 by a prominent Polish communist, Bolesław Bierut, head of the provisional Polish parliament (State National Council
). Over 40% of the members of the electoral commissions who were supposed to monitor the voting were recruited by the UB.
es were simply destroyed even before being counted or exchanged with the boxes filled with prepared votes. Where possible, government officials simply filled in the numbers in the relevant documents as per instructions from the communist officials without bothering to count the real votes. In his report to Joseph Stalin
, after the 1947 results, Pałkin estimated that the real results (i.e. votes cast) gave communists about 50%. The opposition itself estimated that it should have received about 80% of the votes if the elections were not rigged and the voters were not terrorised.
A Time Magazine
article covering the elections noted in its lead paragaph: In a spirit of partisan exuberance tempered with terror, Poland approached its first nationwide popular election, ten days hence. By last week most of the combined opposition (Socialist and Polish Peasant Party) candidates had been jailed, and their supporters more or less completely cowed by the secret police, by striking their names from voting lists and by arrest. The Communist-dominated Government ventured to predict an "overwhelming" victory.
". In the same year, the new Legislative Sejm voted for the Small Constitution of 1947
, and Bolesław Bierut, a Pole who was a Communist and a citizen of the USSR, was elected president of Poland by the parliament. Over the next two years, the Communists would ensure their rise to power by monopolizing political power in Poland under the PZPR.
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
. The anti-communist opposition candidates and activists were persecuted and the eventual results were falsified. According to the official results, the communist-controlled Democratic Bloc (Blok Demokratyczny), composed of the Polish Workers Party (PPR), Polish Socialist Party (PPS), Popular Party
Stronnictwo Ludowe
The People's Party was a Polish political party, active from 1931 in the Second Polish Republic. An agrarian populist party, its power base was composed mostly from peasants....
(SL), and Democratic Party (SD) and non-partisan candidates, gained 80.1% votes (390 out of 444 seats). In fact, the Democratic Bloc gained only about 50% of the votes.
The elections were not free, as opposition candidates were discriminated against and the votes were rigged. Nonetheless, the election gave the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and its Polish satellite
Satellite state
A satellite state is a political term that refers to a country that is formally independent, but under heavy political and economic influence or control by another country...
communist government enough legitimacy to claim that Poland was 'free and democratic', and allowing Poland to sign the charter of the United Nations.
It was the first legislative election in Poland since 1938
Polish legislative election, 1938
The Polish legislative election, 1938 was held on 6 to 11 November of that year. It was the last election in the Second Polish Republic. This election was held under the April Constitution of 1935, which was written to favor the Sanation movement....
. The election marked the beginning of open Communist rule in Poland.
Background
By 1946, Poland was mostly under the control of the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and its proxies, the Polish communists. In 1946 the communists already tested their strength by falsifying the Polish people's referendum, 1946
Polish people's referendum, 1946
The People's Referendum of 1946, also known as the "Three Times Yes" referendum, was a referendum held in Poland on 30 June 1946 on the authority of the State National Council...
("3xYES Referendum") and banning all right-wing parties (under the pretext of their pro-Nazi stance). By 1947 the only remaining legal opposition was the Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe (Polish People's Party) of Stanisław Mikołajczyk, which refused to join the communist alliance.
Although the Yalta agreement called for free elections in Poland, those held in January 1947 were controlled by the Polish communists. The election law
Election law
Election law is a discipline falling at the juncture of constitutional law and political science. It researches "the politics of law and the law of politics"...
, introduced before the elections, allowed the government - which since its establishment in 1944 was controlled by the communists - to remove over half a million people from the list of those eligible for voting, under false accusations of collaboration
Collaboration
Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing...
with the Nazis or 'anti-government bandits' (i.e. Armia Krajowa
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
and other Polish resistance
Polish resistance movement in World War II
The Polish resistance movement in World War II, with the Home Army at its forefront, was the largest underground resistance in all of Nazi-occupied Europe, covering both German and Soviet zones of occupation. The Polish defence against the Nazi occupation was an important part of the European...
movements loyal to the Polish government in exile
Polish government in Exile
The Polish government-in-exile, formally known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in Exile , was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Poland of September 1939, and the subsequent occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which...
). Over 80,000 members of the Polish People's Party were arrested under various false charges in the month preceding the election, and around 100 of them were murdered by the Polish Secret Police (Urząd Bezpieczeństwa, UB). 98 opposition parliamentary candidates were also crossed from the registration lists under these accusations. Finally, in some regions - especially those known to be strongholds of the Polish Peasants Party - the entire electoral list of that party was disqualified for various technical and legal reasons.
The entire falsification action was organized and closely monitored by specialists from Polish secret police, worked closely with their Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
counterparts like Aron Pałkin and Siemion Dawydow, both high-ranking officers from the Soviet Ministry for State Security
Ministry for State Security (USSR)
The Ministry of State Security was the name of Soviet secret police from 1946 to 1953.-Origins of the MGB:The MGB was just one of many incarnations of the Soviet State Security apparatus. Since the revolution, the Bolsheviks relied on a strong political police or security force to support and...
. The Soviet assistance was asked for before the referendum of 1946 by a prominent Polish communist, Bolesław Bierut, head of the provisional Polish parliament (State National Council
State National Council
Krajowa Rada Narodowa in Polish was a parliament-like political body formed in the late stages of the Second World War in the Soviet Union, as part of the formation of a new Communist Polish government...
). Over 40% of the members of the electoral commissions who were supposed to monitor the voting were recruited by the UB.
The elections
The opposition candidates and activists were persecuted until the very election day and the publicized results were falsified, with the official results known to selected government officials long before the actual elections took place. The real results were not known to anyone, as in the areas government control was high enough, some of the ballot boxBallot box
A ballot box is a temporarily sealed container, usually square box though sometimes a tamper resistant bag, with a narrow slot in the top sufficient to accept a ballot paper in an election but which prevents anyone from accessing the votes cast until the close of the voting period...
es were simply destroyed even before being counted or exchanged with the boxes filled with prepared votes. Where possible, government officials simply filled in the numbers in the relevant documents as per instructions from the communist officials without bothering to count the real votes. In his report to Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, after the 1947 results, Pałkin estimated that the real results (i.e. votes cast) gave communists about 50%. The opposition itself estimated that it should have received about 80% of the votes if the elections were not rigged and the voters were not terrorised.
A Time Magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
article covering the elections noted in its lead paragaph: In a spirit of partisan exuberance tempered with terror, Poland approached its first nationwide popular election, ten days hence. By last week most of the combined opposition (Socialist and Polish Peasant Party) candidates had been jailed, and their supporters more or less completely cowed by the secret police, by striking their names from voting lists and by arrest. The Communist-dominated Government ventured to predict an "overwhelming" victory.
Aftermath
Many members of opposition parties, including Mikołajczyk - who would have likely become the Prime Minister of Poland had the election been honest - saw no hope in further struggle and, fearing for their lives, left the country. Western governments issued only token protests, if any, which led many anti-Communist Poles to speak of postwar "Western betrayalWestern betrayal
Western betrayal, also called Yalta betrayal, refers to a range of critical views concerning the foreign policies of several Western countries between approximately 1919 and 1968 regarding Eastern Europe and Central Europe...
". In the same year, the new Legislative Sejm voted for the Small Constitution of 1947
Small Constitution of 1947
Small Constitution of 1947 was a temporary constitution issued by the communist-dominated Sejm of 1947-1952. It confirmed the practice of separation of powers and strengthened the Sejm. It was renewed in 1949, 1950 and 1951...
, and Bolesław Bierut, a Pole who was a Communist and a citizen of the USSR, was elected president of Poland by the parliament. Over the next two years, the Communists would ensure their rise to power by monopolizing political power in Poland under the PZPR.
Results
| Party/Coalition | Votes | Number | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | |
| Democratic Bloc (coalition of 4 Left parties) | ? | 80.1% | 390 | 87.6% |
| :Polish Workers' Party Polish Workers' Party The Polish Workers' Party was a communist party in Poland from 1942 to 1948. It was founded as a reconstitution of the Communist Party of Poland, and merged with the Polish Socialist Party in 1948 to form the Polish United Workers' Party.-History:... |
- | - | 114 | - |
| :Polish Socialist Party Polish Socialist Party The Polish Socialist Party was one of the most important Polish left-wing political parties from its inception in 1892 until 1948... |
- | - | 116 | - |
| :Agrarian Party Stronnictwo Ludowe The People's Party was a Polish political party, active from 1931 in the Second Polish Republic. An agrarian populist party, its power base was composed mostly from peasants.... |
- | - | 109 | - |
| :Democratic Party Democratic Party (Poland) The Democratic Party is a Polish centrist party. The party faced a revival in 2009, when it was joined by liberal politician Paweł Piskorski, formerly member of Civic Platform.-History:The party was established on April 15, 1939... |
- | - | 41 | - |
| :Independents | - | - | 10 | - |
| Polish Peasants Party | ? | 10.3% | 28 | 6.3% |
| Labour Party | ? | 4.7% | 15 | 3.4% |
| Polskie Stronnitctwo Ludowe-Nowe Wyzwolenie | ? | 3.5% | 7 | 1.6% |
| Catholic groups | ? | 1.4% | 5 | 1.1% |
Further reading
- Michał Skoczylas, Wybory do Sejmu Ustawodawczego z 19 stycznia 1947 roku w świetle skarg ludności (Elections to the Legislative Sejm on 19 January 1947 in the light of citizens complains), TRIO, 2003, ISBN 83-88542-43-5
- Jerzy Drygalski, Jacek Kwasniewski, No-Choice Elections, Soviet Studies, Vol. 42, No. 2 (Apr., 1990), pp. 295–315, JSTOR
- George Sakwa, Martin Crouch, Sejm Elections in Communist Poland: An Overview and a Reappraisal, British Journal of Political Science, Vol. 8, No. 4 (Oct., 1978), pp. 403–424,
- Richard F. Staar, Elections in Communist Poland, Midwest Journal of Political Science, Vol. 2, No. 2 (May, 1958), pp. 200–218, JSTOR
- Nikita PetrovNikita PetrovNikita Vasilyevich Petrov is a Russian historian. He works at Memorial, a Russian organization dedicated to Soviet political repression. Petrov specializes in Soviet security services....
, The Role of the MGB of USSR in the Sovietization of Poland: the Referendum and Sejm Elections in 1946-1947 (http://bbb.livejournal.com/1269125.html)