State National Council
Encyclopedia
Krajowa Rada Narodowa in Polish
(translated as State National Council or Homeland National Council, abbreviated to KRN) 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
. The KRN was to a large extent subjugated and controlled by the Soviet Union.
The KRN was created on the night of 31 December 1943 on the initiative of Joseph Stalin
and the newly recreated (after the destruction of Communist Party of Poland
(KPP) in Stalin's pre-war Great Purge
) Polish communist party
, the Polish Workers' Party
(PPR). It declared itself to be a "widely representative of anti-fascist democratic movements". From the very beginning, the KRN viewed the members of the pre-war Sanacja
government and contemporary Polish government in exile
as fascist
and denied them representation in the KRN. They, in turn, declared the KRN an illegal body.
The KRN was dominated by pro-Soviet and pro-communist activists from various Polish pre-war parties. The KRN included some members of the Polish Socialist Party
(PPS), the Polish People's Party (PSL), the People's Party (SL), the Democratic Party
(SD), the Labour Party (SP), non-aligned and Jewish politicians. Bolesław Bierut of the PPR, nominated by Stalin, became its chairman. The Vice-chairmen were Wincenty Witos
(PSL), Stanisław Grabski (nonaligned) and Stanisław Szwalbe (PPS).
On 21 July 1944 the KRN together with the Union of Polish Patriots
(ZPP) formed the new government, the Polish Committee of National Liberation
(Polski Komitet Wyzwolenia Narodowego, PKWN), which included some former members of the Polish-government-in-exile (like Stanisław Mikołajczyk) and represented a half-hearted attempt by communists to meet the Yalta conference
requirements of forming a coalition government and carrying out free elections. On 31 December of that year the KRN transformed the PKWN into Provisional Government of Republic of Poland
(Rząd Tymczasowy Republiki Polskiej, RTRP, both headed by Edward Osóbka-Morawski
.
On 9 January 1944 the Polish government in exile created its own parliament, the Council of National Unity
(Rada Jedności Narodowej, RJN).
Until the elections to parliament (Sejm
), the KRN held both legislative and executive powers, and Bolesław Bierut was the head of state. In July 1945, the KRN had 273 members (97 from PPR, 77 from PPS, 56 from SL, 17 from SD, 26 non-aligned). In October 1946 it was expanded to 444 members (135 from PPR, 111 from PPS, 62 from SL, 57 from PSL, 37 from SD, 4 from SP, 3 Jewish representatives (1 each from the Bund
, Communists and zionists), 26 non-aligned).
The Polish legislative elections, 1947 were rigged by the Communists, who knew from the Polish people's referendum, 1946
that they could not win any free elections (they had, at best, support from a third of the Polish population). This, combined with extensive repressions and persecution, forced most of the opposition to the Communists to leave the country. The new Sejm, which replaced the KRN, was totally dominated by Communists and their allies.
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
(translated as State National Council or Homeland National Council, abbreviated to KRN) was a parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
-like political body formed in the late stages of the Second World War in 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....
, as part of the formation of a new Communist Polish government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
. The KRN was to a large extent subjugated and controlled by the Soviet Union.
The KRN was created on the night of 31 December 1943 on the initiative of 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...
and the newly recreated (after the destruction of Communist Party of Poland
Communist Party of Poland
The Communist Party of Poland is a historical communist party in Poland. It was a result of the fusion of Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania and the Polish Socialist Party-Left in the Communist Workers Party of Poland .-1918-1921:The KPRP was founded on 16 December 1918 as...
(KPP) in Stalin's pre-war Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
) Polish communist party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
, the 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:...
(PPR). It declared itself to be a "widely representative of anti-fascist democratic movements". From the very beginning, the KRN viewed the members of the pre-war Sanacja
Sanacja
Sanation was a Polish political movement that came to power after Józef Piłsudski's May 1926 Coup d'État. Sanation took its name from his watchword—the moral "sanation" of the Polish body politic...
government and contemporary 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...
as fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
and denied them representation in the KRN. They, in turn, declared the KRN an illegal body.
The KRN was dominated by pro-Soviet and pro-communist activists from various Polish pre-war parties. The KRN included some members of the 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...
(PPS), the Polish People's Party (PSL), the People's Party (SL), the 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...
(SD), the Labour Party (SP), non-aligned and Jewish politicians. Bolesław Bierut of the PPR, nominated by Stalin, became its chairman. The Vice-chairmen were Wincenty Witos
Wincenty Witos
Wincenty Witos was a prominent member of the Polish People's Party from 1895, and leader of its "Piast" faction from 1913. He was a member of parliament in the Galician Sejm from 1908–1914, and an envoy to Reichsrat in Vienna from 1911 to 1918...
(PSL), Stanisław Grabski (nonaligned) and Stanisław Szwalbe (PPS).
Union of Polish Patriots
Union of Polish Patriots was a political body created by Polish communists and Joseph Stalin in Soviet Union in 1943...
(ZPP) formed the new government, the Polish Committee of National Liberation
Polish Committee of National Liberation
The Polish Committee of National Liberation , also known as the Lublin Committee, was a provisional government of Poland, officially proclaimed 21 July 1944 in Chełm under the direction of State National Council in opposition to the Polish government in exile...
(Polski Komitet Wyzwolenia Narodowego, PKWN), which included some former members of the Polish-government-in-exile (like Stanisław Mikołajczyk) and represented a half-hearted attempt by communists to meet the Yalta conference
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference, sometimes called the Crimea Conference and codenamed the Argonaut Conference, held February 4–11, 1945, was the wartime meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, represented by President Franklin D...
requirements of forming a coalition government and carrying out free elections. On 31 December of that year the KRN transformed the PKWN into Provisional Government of Republic of Poland
Provisional Government of Republic of Poland
The Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland was created by Krajowa Rada Narodowa on the night of 31 December 1944.-Background:...
(Rząd Tymczasowy Republiki Polskiej, RTRP, both headed by Edward Osóbka-Morawski
Edward Osóbka-Morawski
Edward Osóbka-Morawski was a Polish activist in PPS before World War II, and after the Soviet takover of Poland, Chairman of the Communist interim government called the Polish Committee of National Liberation formed in Lublin with Stalin's approval and backing.In October 1944, Osóbka-Morawski...
.
On 9 January 1944 the Polish government in exile created its own parliament, the Council of National Unity
Council of National Unity
Rada Jedności Narodowej was the quasi-parliament of the Polish Underground State during World War II...
(Rada Jedności Narodowej, RJN).
Until the elections to parliament (Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
), the KRN held both legislative and executive powers, and Bolesław Bierut was the head of state. In July 1945, the KRN had 273 members (97 from PPR, 77 from PPS, 56 from SL, 17 from SD, 26 non-aligned). In October 1946 it was expanded to 444 members (135 from PPR, 111 from PPS, 62 from SL, 57 from PSL, 37 from SD, 4 from SP, 3 Jewish representatives (1 each from the Bund
General Jewish Labour Bund in Poland
The General Jewish Labour Bund in Poland was a Jewish socialist party in Poland which promoted the political, cultural and social autonomy of Jewish workers, sought to combat antisemitism and was generally opposed to Zionism.-Creation of the Polish Bund:...
, Communists and zionists), 26 non-aligned).
The Polish legislative elections, 1947 were rigged by the Communists, who knew from 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...
that they could not win any free elections (they had, at best, support from a third of the Polish population). This, combined with extensive repressions and persecution, forced most of the opposition to the Communists to leave the country. The new Sejm, which replaced the KRN, was totally dominated by Communists and their allies.