Better Not at All Than Not Well. A Review of a Biography of Władysław Gomułka
Better Not at All Than Not Well. A Review of a Biography of Władysław Gomułka
Author(s): Jerzy EislerSubject(s): Oral history, Political history, Recent History (1900 till today), Interwar Period (1920 - 1939), WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Post-War period (1950 - 1989)
Published by: Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: Władysław Gomułka ‘Wiesław’; communism; Polish United Workers’ Party; Polish Workers’ Party; Anita Prażmowska; biography; communist leadership
Summary/Abstract: Władysław Gomułka was the Polish communist leader who, most probably, played the most important role in the history of Poland. In the years 1943–48 he was the Secretary of the Polish Workers’ Party, and next, from 1956 to 1970, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers’ Party. According to the rule ‘the more power the more responsibility’, which had particular significance in non-democratic systems, Gomułka was responsible or co-responsible for everything good but also for everything bad that happened in Poland during his rule. At the same time he is this Polish communist leader, on whose life and activity over twenty books were published. One of the recent ones was published by Anita Prażmowska. Unfortunately, this is not a successful attempt.
Journal: Kwartalnik Historyczny
- Issue Year: 124/2017
- Issue No: 02 (en)
- Page Range: 159-176
- Page Count: 18
- Language: English