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The Polish People's Party (or Polish Peasant Party, ''Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe'' - PSL), existed in post-World War II Poland from 1945 to 1949. In the period of increasing solidification of communist power, but still some formal adherence to multiparty democracy principles, PSL was a centrist party, non-communist and not allied with the communists. PSL was defeated by the communists in the rigged legislative elections of 1947. ==PSL in post-World War II politics of Poland== A temporary government, declared as the Polish Committee of National Liberation, was established by Polish communists and allied factions in July 1944 in Lublin, when Poland was being liberated from the Nazis by the Soviet and Polish armies. The communists were pressured by the United States and Britain, as discussed with Joseph Stalin at the Yalta Conference, to admit into the Polish government participants of the democratic opposition, including members of the London-based Polish government-in-exile.〔 The prime minister of that government, Stanisław Mikołajczyk, returned to Poland in June 1945 and became deputy prime minister and minister of agriculture in the provisional government dominated by the communists and their allied socialist faction. Mikołajczyk revived the prewar agrarian People's Party, led by Wincenty Witos, as his power base. Under Mikołajczyk the party became the Polish People's Party.〔 The party's goal was to prevent the communists from monopolizing power, establish a parliamentary system with a market economy and to win free elections, which were promised by the Yalta agreements. PSL hopes were based on the party's ability to function legally, run its own network of offices, hold public meetings and publish in its own press. However, such accomplishments were threatened by the often intense harassment and repression, including newspaper censorship, forcible breaking up of party's meetings, and members' arrests, assaults and police intimidation. The armed right-wing underground declared war on all who "collaborated" with the communists, including Mikołajczyk and his party. The communist attacks and provocations were sometimes presented as actions of the underground; the opposite charge, of PSL cooperation with the armed subversion was also made and led in some instances to banning of PSL activities.〔 The government in exile, no longer internationally recognized, but holding onto its claim of exclusive legitimacy, renounced Mikołajczyk, its former chief, and declared him a traitor.〔 However, the most important and numerous anti-communist underground organization, the post-Armia Krajowa Freedom and Independence, practically supported PSL and its election effort. Freedom and Independence helped with distribution of printed election materials where obstructed by communist officials and appealed for voting for PSL.〔 The parliamentary elections took place in January 1947 and were falsified in a number of ways, to defeat the People's Party and ensure the victory of the communists Polish Workers' Party and its allied block partners, which included a rival breakaway peasant party. PSL for the time being remained legal, but was subjected to still increased suppression. Mikołajczyk himself fled to the West in October 1947, to avoid imprisonment and possible execution. The PSL lingered on for another year and a half before its remains were cajoled into merging with the communist-controlled peasant party to form the United People's Party (only a few of Mikołajczyk's people remained within the new structure), a formal participant of the communist-led ruling coalition.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Polish People's Party (1945–49)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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