Topic: The Communists’ Takeover of Poland

Target group

8th‑grade students of an elementary school

Core curriculum

XXXVII. Beginning of communism in Poland. Student:

1. presents the circumstances of the takeover of power in Poland by the communists (the role of the Polish Committee of National Liberation, popular referendum, elections in 1947);

2. characterizes the attitudes of Poles towards the new authorities, with particular emphasis on armed resistance (unwavering soldiers [cursed]).

XXXVIII. Stalinism in Poland and its effects. Student:

1. presents political, economic, social and cultural transformations during the Stalinist period;

2. discusses the Stalinist terror system in Poland and assesses its effects.

General aim of education

The student will learn about the reality of the communist takeover in Poland.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• why did Poland find itself in the Soviet sphere of influence;

• how did the Communists take over all aspects of life after the war;

• what were the most important organizations of the independence underground;

• how did the Communist authorities fight against the resistance;

• what political, economic and social changes transpired in post‑war Poland.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Introduction

1. The teacher states the subject of the lesson, explains the aim of the lesson and together with students determines the success criteria to be achieved.

2. The teacher plays the recording of the abstract. Every now and then he stops it, asking the students to tell in their own words what they have just heard. This way, students practice listening comprehension.

Realization

1. Reading the content of the abstract. The teacher uses the text for individual work or in pairs, according to the following steps: 1) a sketchy review of the text, 2) asking questions, 3) accurate reading, 4) a summary of individual parts of the text, 5) repeating the content or reading the entire text.

2. The teacher displays the map from Task 1. He reads out the task and, if necessary, helps student work out the answers.

3. Discussing information presented on the timeline. The teacher then divides the class into groups - as many as there are events on the axis. Each team works on one assigned issue, deepening the information contained in the abstract. Then the students present their discussions.

4. The teacher together with the students sums up the current course of classes.

5. Students analyze the illustration and execute Task 3. To answer the question, they can use Internet sources or other publications. The teacher checks the correctness of the answer and provides feedback to the students.

6. Students perform Exercise 1. The teacher makes sure that the task has been correctly completed and provides feedback.

Summary

1. The teacher asks: If there was going to be a test on the material we have covered today, what questions do you think would you have to answer?
   If the students do not manage to name all the most important questions, the teacher may complement their suggestions.

2. The teacher asks a willing student to summarize the lesson from his point of view. He asks other students if they would like to add anything to their colleague's statements.

Homework

1. Listen to the abstract recording at home. Pay attention to pronunciation, accent and intonation. Learn to pronounce the words learned during the lesson.

2. Make at home a note from the lesson, for example using the sketchnoting method.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

The Communists’ Takeover of Poland

Due to the agreements of the Big Three, Poland found itself in the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence. Her borders and territory changed; in the West, her border was made up of the Oder and Lusatian Neisse, and in the East, it was demarcated by the Curzon Line. Poland acquired territories formerly belonging to Germany, commonly called the Recovered Territories. As stipulated at the Conference of Potsdam, the Germans living there were expelled and replaced with the repatriated Poles from the Kresy, who were forced to leave their homes. Poles from other regions came as well, counting on the improvement of their living conditions. The Provisional Government of National Unity, created in June 1945 and controlled by the Communists, began implementing changes that quickly led to them taking control of the country and its society. Reforms following the Soviet model were introduced, changes to the economy were started (economic plans, the battle for trade), and the fight against the armed underground and opposition, represented by the Polish People’s Party (PSL) and Stanisław Mikołajczyk (a PSL member, and a Deputy Prime Minister in the TRJN). Mass indoctrination and propaganda were conducted. The Communists’ main task was that of preparing elections that would sanction their authority. However, they needed time. Thus, they first conducted the referendum of June 1946, asking the citizens whether they wished to abolish the Senate, to introduce agrarian reform, and to affirm the Western border. According to the official data falsified by the authorities, the vast majority of people answered “yes” (3xTAK) to all of the questions. Notwithstanding the rigging and threats to political opponents, the opposition believed that it would still be possible to conduct a free parliamentary election, with the Western powers as the guarantors of its legitimacy. This, however, did not happen. The Communists fully controlled the elections, terrorized their political opponents, and rigged the results; this caused the authorities’ Democratic Bloc to receive 80% of votes. The people counted on the Western powers to react, but it merely amounted to expressions of disapproval. The elections caused the Communists to take full power. 1948’s “Small Constitution”, the election of Bolesław Bierut as President, and, above all, the creation of the Communist monoparty – the Polish United Workers’ Party (PZPR) merely affirmed this state of affairs. As early as 1944, a large part of the underground circles began their armed response against the Sovietization of society. The biggest organizations to take part in this were the National Armed Forces and the Freedom and Independence association. They aimed to fight for the freedom of Poland, the departure of the Soviet military, and the return of the Eastern border as it was before the war. Their members are called the cursed soldiers. However, by the end of 1949, most of them were defeated by the forces of the Polish People’s Republic and the USSR.