Six-Year Plan
Six-Year Plan (1950–1955) was the second centralized plan of the People's Republic of Poland, following the completed Three-Year Plan (1947–1949). It concentrated on increasing the heavy industry sector.
By 1950, the Polish government was dominated by Stalinist hardliners, such as Hilary Minc, and liberal economists responsible for creation of the Three-Year Plan were no longer influencing government policy. The Six-Year Plan, designed to bring the economy of Poland in line with the Soviet economy, concentrated on heavy industrialization, with projects such as Nowa Huta. The plan was accepted by the Sejm on July 21, 1950. Later on, it was modified several times, and never fully completed.
Polish society paid a heavy price for poorly thought-out and rapid industrialization. Living standards were reduced, since investments in other fields, such as construction, were cut. In agriculture, the idea of collectivization was promoted, to the protests of Polish farmers. The plan was fashioned after similar Soviet plans, and was based on certain Soviet-style principles, such as central planning of economy, limiting the so-called Capitalist elements, and close cooperation with other Eastern Bloc nations. New urban districts were built in big cities, attracting residents of overpopulated villages. At the same time, however, the balance between supply and demand deepened, and shortages of basic products were common. As a result, rationing was re-introduced in the early 1950s.
The only real achievement of the Six-Year Plan was quick development of heavy industry. At the same time, however, other fields of Polish economy, such as services and food industry, remained underdeveloped, as all state funds were directed at construction of shipyards, steel plants, chemical plants and car factories. Among major investments of the plan are:
- Skawina Aluminum Factory,
- development of Oswiecim Chemical Works (formerly Buna Werke),
- development of Zaklady Azotowe Kedzierzyn (formerly IG Farben Heydebreck),
- development of Synthetic Fibres Plant Stilon Gorzow Wielkopolski (formerly IG Farben-Werks Landsberg (Warthe)),
- Shoe Factory at Nowy Targ,
- Lenin Steelworks at Nowa Huta,
- Warsaw Steelworks,
- FSO Warszawa,
- FSC Lublin,
- FSC Star at Starachowice,
- Wierzbica Cement Plant,
- development of Jaworzno Power Station,
- development of Czestochowa Steelworks,
- development of Gdansk Shipyard (formerly Schichau-Werft and Danziger Werft),
- development of Szczecin Shipyard (formerly AG Vulcan Stettin).
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- Recovered Territories
- Polish population transfers (1944–1946)
- Expulsion of Germans
- Operation Vistula
- Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland
- Polish Committee of National Liberation
- Provisional Government of National Unity
- Trial of the Sixteen
- Cursed soldiers
- Augustów roundup
- 1946 Polish people's referendum
- 1947 Polish legislative election
- Small Constitution of 1947
- Amnesty of 1947
- Battle for trade
- Three-Year Plan
under Bierut's rule
autarchic communism
international opening
- 1971 Łódź strikes
- Letter of 59
- June 1976 protests
- Workers' Defence Committee
- Flying University
- 1980 Lublin strikes
- Gdańsk Agreement
- Jastrzębie-Zdrój strikes
- Solidarity (Polish trade union)
- Independent Students' Association
- Rural Solidarity
- Bydgoszcz events
- 1981 warning strike in Poland
- 1981 Polish hunger demonstrations
autocratic rule and demise