| dc.description.abstract | As a result of World War II, Poland, much like the remaining Central-European states, found itself in the Soviet
security zone. Thus, the future of the Polish state, its borders, its political system, and its international
position were to be decided by the Kremlin. Of course, that meant restriction of the national sovereignty and
democracy, which in those conditions constituted the rule rather than an exception. However, during the first
three years after the war. building of the communist system was not openly pursued, and total submission of
Poland to the policy of Moscow was not an overt objective. It seemed to many participants in the Polish public
life that nothing had been determined yet, and that it would be possible to form the political system of the
state according to the expectations of the majority of Poles. Those illusions and hopes were reflected in the
political debate about the choice of a democratic system pattern. Democracy, its essence, its institutions and
legal solutions, its circumstances and prospects were widely discussed. The word democracy was the favourite term
of the political commentaries. Moreover, it was considered one-sidedly, mainly in the context of the form of the
state system. For some, democracy was an autonomous value, for others, on the other hand, it was only an
instrument and a screen to build the totalitarian regime. Those controversies and debates about concept and the
essence of democracy constituted an important contribution to the debate about the future of the country, and
confirmed the aspirations to build a civic society in Poland. | en_EN |
