Treść książki

Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
2.TheExternalRelationsofthePeople’sRepublicofPoland
25
sioninquestion,aswellason16August1945,awholeseriesofbilateralagree-
ments(primarilyeconomicinnature)weresigned,allofthemveryunfavourable
forPoland.10Ontheplusside,itdidinthiswayprovepossibletoputanendtothe
SovietlootingofthePolisheconomyandinfrastructurethathadbeentakingplace
withtheactiveparticipationoftheRedArmyreturningfromGermanyandfeeling
freetobehaveentirelyasitsawtonPolishterritory.1116Augustalsobroughtthe
signingofanagreementsettingthenalcourseofPoland,seasternborderinline
withwhathadbeenagreedatYalta.Incontrast,thestatusofSovietforcesstationed
onPolishsoilwentunregulateduntilaslateas1956.
TheallianceagreementandothersdeterminingthesatellitestatusofthePeople,s
RepublicofPolandwerepartofthethree-tierstructuretothecommunistblocthat
MoscowhadstartedtoputinplacefromthemomentitbecameclearthattheRed
ArmywouldliberateEasternEurope.Therstlayerweldingtogethertheblocof
communiststates(inwhichcommunistpartiesbackedupbySovietforcehadtaken
power)comprisedthe"star-shapedformation”ofbilateralagreementsMoscowhad
enteredintowiththecapitalsofthesatellitestates.Thentherewasthe"crossforma-
tion”,wherebythestatescementedalliancesthroughagreementswithoneanother,
inlinewiththeprincipleof"everyonewitheveryoneelse”.Polandconcludedagree-
mentsofthiskindinthelate1940s.Finally,thethirdlayercomprisedmultilateral
agreementsthatwereactuallytheinstrumentsbywhichMoscowexertedcontrol
andenforceddiscipline.TheagreementsinquestionbeganwiththeFebruary1947
oneprovidingfortheestablishmentofCominform,i.e.theInformationBureau
oftheCommunistandWorkers,Parties(ItalianandFrenchincluded),thisbeing
dissolvedfollowingStalin,sdeathin1953.Foraslongasitexisted,Cominform
servedasanideologicalandpropagandanetwork,therolepassinginlateryearsto
theworldcongressesofcommunistparties.Thenextinstitutionofthiskindwas
ComecontheCouncilforMutualEconomicAssistanceestablishedinJanuary
1949withaviewtocooperationbeingcoordinatedanda"socialistdivisionof
labour”(i.e.assignmentofeconomictasks)achieved.Thiswasdoneinsuchaway
thatthestateswithintheblocmightmanage,withoutbecomingeconomically
dependentonorevenmakingtradingcontactswiththeWest.Thelastimpor-
tantorganisationintheserieswastheWarsawPact,asbothapoliticalandmilitary
alliancefoundedon14May1955,onthepretextoftheadditionalthreatposedby
WestGermany,sinclusionwithinNATO.Theveneerofmultilateralismprovided
theSovietauthoritieswithfurtherapparentlegitimisationoftheirdefactocontrol
10OneofthesedenotedtheruthlessexploitationofPolishcoalminesbytheUSSRupuntil1956.It
wasfromtheSovietpoolthatthewarreparationsowingtoPolandweretobegranted(atthelevelof15%
ofwhattheUSSRitselfobtained).WedonotknowwhatfractionofthissumeverpassedtoPoland,or
indeedifanypartofthetotaleverdid.Formoreonthissee:J.ZającandR.Zięba,Polskawstosunkach
międzynarodowych1945–1989[Polandininternationalrelations1945–1989],WydawnictwoAdamMar-
szałek,Toruń2005,pp.71–73.
11Somethingthatinteraliaentailedthedismantlingofwholefactoriesandrailwaysandtheir"reloca-
tion”totheUSSR.