Cnoty republikańskie i patriotyzm w PRL

Abstrakt

Republican virtues and patriotism in the Polish People’s Republic

Analysing the Polish People’s Republic with reference to republican and patriot virtues, the country governed by communists appears as a completely artificial formation, based on utopian principles, holding its position thanks to terror, propagan­da and remaining dependent on powerful overlord. Some warped features of republicanism inside the structure controlling the machinę of power interspersed merely with inner system of communist party and the nomenklatura, not raising any hopes that those features could evolve in the direction of the rules of classic republic. Attacking by means of patriotism, which apart from the law should be the main constituent of republicanism, was communists’ opportunistic approach to make use of Polish citizens’ emotions in order to acheive their goals: the legitimization of commu­nist rule first, then frightening into submission, orienting their job and, finally, pro- viding themselves and maintainingleadership and privileges. Evolution of propagated patriotism in the successive stages of the existance of The Polish People’s Republic indicated merely how itwould be used to maintain political status quo. It was changing along with the changing form of communist rule, assuming an adeąuate form to current condition of counter-revolutionary Polish society. That is why patriotism promoted by communists in the years 1944-1989 was similar to their predecessors belonging to Communist Party of Poland and appealing to it in turn played a part of a tool used to exercise power.