Editing Polish Workers' Party (section)

==Provisional Government of National Unity==

The Polish social [[left-wing politics|Left]] was critical with respect to the prewar [[Sanation]]-ruled [[Second Polish Republic]] and called for the establishment of a more just and democratic post-war Poland. A return to the [[March Constitution (Poland)|March Constitution]] of 1921 was advocated. These postulates and the Soviet demand for Poland's eastern [[Kresy]] territories were accepted by the PPR and allied [[Polish Socialist Party]] (PPS) leaders, with considerable support from the agrarian movement politicians, who were also opposed to the [[April Constitution of Poland|April Constitution]] (1935) regime. Leftist sentiments, increasingly prevalent in Poland in 1944 and 1945, mixed with the widespread unease and fear regarding Poland's expected domination by the Soviet Union.<ref name="Czubiński historia Polski 220-222"/>

Further determinations regarding the future of Poland were made at the [[Yalta Conference]] in February 1945. The United States and Britain accepted the Soviet position in respect to postwar borders (the extent of Poland's western expansion at the expense of Germany was not specified), but differed with the Soviets on the issue of participation of the [[London]]-based [[Polish government-in-exile|government-in-exile]] in the formation of Poland's new compromise government. The [[Allies of World War II|Allied leaders]] ultimately authorized converting the existing in Poland, communist-dominated [[Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland|Provisional Government]] to [[Provisional Government of National Unity]] (TRJN), with greater participation of democratic and pro-Western forces, but no formal role for the government-in-exile. The TRJN was charged with conducting [[election|free elections]] soon, based on which a permanent Polish government would be established. As for the practical implementation, a commission representing the three great powers negotiated the issue of the TRJN in Moscow and the talks had been stalled for a long time, until joined by former Prime Minister Mikołajczyk of the government-in-exile. In June Mikołajczyk agreed to a temporary deal, which turned out to permanently favor the communist side.<ref name="Brzoza 387–396"/><ref name="Czubiński historia Polski 220-222"/>

The exact shape of the TRJN was determined during talks in Moscow on 16–21 June 1945. The [[State National Council|KRN]] and the Provisional Government were represented there by seven politicians, including Bierut and Gomułka, three representatives, including Mikołajczyk, came from the emigrant circles and there were five non-communists from Poland. Mikołajczyk unsuccessfully tried to limit the dominant role of the communists and became only a deputy prime minister. Mikołajczyk's [[Polish People's Party (1945–1949)|People's Party]] was granted the right to nominate ⅓ of the KRN members; [[Wincenty Witos]] and [[Stanisław Grabski]] were the new vice-chairmen of that body. On 28 June 1945, Chairman Bierut of the KRN created the TRJN, and on 5 July the US and the United Kingdom withdrew their recognition of the government-in-exile.<ref name="Brzoza 387–396"/>

The TRJN was led by the socialist Prime Minister Osóbka-Morawski of the previous Provisional Government. Gomułka and Mikołajczyk were included as deputy prime ministers. The formally coalition government had seven PPR members, six from the peasant People's Party and [[Polish Socialist Party]] each, and two from the centrist [[Alliance of Democrats (Poland)|Democratic Alliance]] (SD). The government was controlled by the PPR and other politicians reconciled to the reality of Soviet domination. Mikołajczyk's party however, aware of its popularity, counted on winning the planned parliamentary elections and was the only participant that actually thought of the TRJN as being temporary.<ref name="Czubiński historia Polski 229-233"/>