Polityka gospodarcza władz II Rzeczypospolitej w narracji szkolnych podręczników historii (1950–2007)

Abstract

History textbooks from the first years after the war did not provide an extensive analysis of the economic policy of the Second Polish Republic. Reflections on this topic constituted only a small portion of the authors’ deliberations. Until the middle of the 1950s, authors evaluated the economic activity of the authorities very critically. They used a narration full of ideological expressions and political phraseology and did not hide their negative attitudes towards the reality of the interwar Poland. In the following decades, history textbooks showed that authors started to slowly move away from complete criticism of the authorities of the Second Polish Republic, also when economy was concerned. Positive opinions pointing to the usefulness and measurable benefits of some of the initiatives and economic actions appeared. In the textbooks from the 1970s, some economic information was extended. Authors started using economic terminology and tried to explain the complex economic situation of the interwar Poland in more detail. There was less ideologising and discrediting of the economic policy of the authorities. Instead, the authors started appreciating the work of W. Grabski and his contribution to the economic reforms. In the next decades, the textbooks presented more detailed information about the disadvan-tageous conditions and difficulties concerning the economic policy of the authorities of the Second Polish Republic who, despite the circumstances, strove for the development of the country through introducing reforms. First, the authors mentioned the underdevelopment of the independent Poland that was inherited from the occupants. Then, they mentioned investment achievements of those years (e.g. railroading). The newly open manufacturing plants indicated that the economic policy of the authorities was moving in the right direction. After 1989, approving phrases started appearing in the textbooks, for example: “an offensive economic policy”, “currency cure”, “the flywheel of the entire economy”. In the textbooks from the years 2002–2007, the authors enumerated the most important economic successes of the interwar Poland. They used elements of economic thought in their course of thinking.