Poland, Popular Republic, 200 Zlotych – 1974

Description

In 1952 the new Constitution turned the nominal Republic of Poland in the People”s Republic of Poland, making clear the communist character, already in force since the establishment of the Republic. In fact, since 1948 the stalinization of the economy had been applied, with the nationalization of industry, the collectivization of the land, and centralized planning. The economy and standard of living grow continuously, making a large part of the population accept the new regime. The most complicated part was the persecution of the Catholic Church, deeply rooted in Poland. The death of Stalin and the subsequent deestalization, reoriented the economy as well as in the Soviet Union to favor the production of consumer goods. After a massive strike in Poznan, the need for new leadership in the Communist Party was clear, choosing Gomulka who had been released after de -stating, but without the approval of Moscow. Despite tensions with the USSR, an era of nationalist communism in Poland begins. Gomulka promised a certain turn to social democracy, which ended in the sixties, with a new turn towards repression. In 68, the wave of liberalism was closed with strong repression as well. The result of instability was a change in the direction of the party, assuming Gierek the position of first secretary. As Gomulka 15 years before, Gierek assumed the position promising changes to greater freedom and well -being. The Government tried to achieve this, based on Western credits and the mass import of Western technology, to develop local industry and increase well -being, but the oil crisis implied the impossibility of returning credits and increasing external debt, non -existent previously. The opposition was organized more effectively, and the rise in prices of consumer goods in the early 80s, it was answered with a mass strike initiated in Danzig, which forces the government to legalize the unions and reduce repression. But shortly after, fearing the Soviet intervention, the policy hardened until the end of the decade, in which the situation was unsustainable. The economy was stagnant and economic liberalization measures began to be taken, transforming the country into a market economy. The decisive changes occurred in the late 1989, in which the Constitution is modified again being the Republic of Poland, and eliminating the Marxist aspects of the same. In the numismatic, the time begins using the circulating of the previous time, dated 1949, and until 1957 does not begin the emission of new pieces, with all the basic circulating in aluminum to 5 Zlotych, from whose value, already Brass pieces, cupro-niquel and some in silver are seen.