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Class Struggle in Socialist Poland: With Comparisons to Yugoslavia
Here is a detailed analysis of recent events in Poland which places them into an historical and theoretical context and compares them to the situation in the neighboring country of Yugoslavia.
265 pages, Hardcover
First published June 15, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 28, 2021
Another excellent book from Szymanski!
Here he covers Polish history since WWI up until the Solidarity movement in 1980/1981, gives an insightful comparison to Yugoslavia (specifically from the mid-60s to the mid-70s), and ends it with a materialist look on interventions in general.
Among other things, he argues that the Polish revolution at the end of the second World War was not imported by the Soviets. Poland actually had a significant radical Marxist tradition since the end of the last century (hello, Rosa Luxemburg) and there was a genuine workers' uprising after the Nazis were driven out by the Red Army. Though one cannot ignore the Soviet help in protecting this young revolution. This coupled with the unique position of the Polish intelligentsia and the Catholic Church's strong role in the country put the country on a unique trajectory going forward. That trajectory being compromises with the above mentioned powers, heavy subsidizing of small peasant farming instead of collectivization, and reliance on the continual rise of living standards for legitimization.
The comparisons with Yugoslavia are particularly insightful since he focuses on its experiments with liberalization, decentralization and the introduction of ever stronger market influence. Basically what we find is a drop in rate of growth of the economy, a drop in real wages, a drop in workers' rights and protections and a sharp increase in inflation because of these experiments.
In an addendum he establishes a material outlook on interventions and focuses mainly on the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan (with a quick summary of its history prior to the April Revolution) and its non-intervention in Poland in 1980.
What this book showed me personally more than anything is that monolithic view of the Eastern block as communist authoritarian regimes/lapdog governments of the USSR is straight up garbage. Not that I was thinking like this before reading this book but it does remain a problem even among the communist left. The experiences of each and every country that puts itself on the socialist path is full of struggles and setbacks, compromises and shifts of focus, as well as victories and significant achievements in the bettering of the life of their people.
Here he covers Polish history since WWI up until the Solidarity movement in 1980/1981, gives an insightful comparison to Yugoslavia (specifically from the mid-60s to the mid-70s), and ends it with a materialist look on interventions in general.
Among other things, he argues that the Polish revolution at the end of the second World War was not imported by the Soviets. Poland actually had a significant radical Marxist tradition since the end of the last century (hello, Rosa Luxemburg) and there was a genuine workers' uprising after the Nazis were driven out by the Red Army. Though one cannot ignore the Soviet help in protecting this young revolution. This coupled with the unique position of the Polish intelligentsia and the Catholic Church's strong role in the country put the country on a unique trajectory going forward. That trajectory being compromises with the above mentioned powers, heavy subsidizing of small peasant farming instead of collectivization, and reliance on the continual rise of living standards for legitimization.
The comparisons with Yugoslavia are particularly insightful since he focuses on its experiments with liberalization, decentralization and the introduction of ever stronger market influence. Basically what we find is a drop in rate of growth of the economy, a drop in real wages, a drop in workers' rights and protections and a sharp increase in inflation because of these experiments.
In an addendum he establishes a material outlook on interventions and focuses mainly on the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan (with a quick summary of its history prior to the April Revolution) and its non-intervention in Poland in 1980.
What this book showed me personally more than anything is that monolithic view of the Eastern block as communist authoritarian regimes/lapdog governments of the USSR is straight up garbage. Not that I was thinking like this before reading this book but it does remain a problem even among the communist left. The experiences of each and every country that puts itself on the socialist path is full of struggles and setbacks, compromises and shifts of focus, as well as victories and significant achievements in the bettering of the life of their people.
May 10, 2024
Another of the infamous vlogger Hakim's recommendations.
Clearly dated in some ways: One can't help but wonder how Szymanski would have re-evaluated some of his sweeping conclusions had he lived to see the fall of the Eastern bloc less than a decade later (and/or how he'd respond to Socialism Betrayed: Behind the Collapse of the Soviet Union).
With that said, the chapter on Yugoslavia was a solid overview of its operative differential experimentation as far as "actually existing socialism" goes (fascinating material for behavioural economics concerning participation rates in councils of workers' self-management, how workers saw their position relative to technocrats, etc.).
The history of Solidarity treats it as a sort of abortive colour revolution where, as we all clearly know, it ultimately achieved its aims of marketization & undermining the PUWP. Still, there are worthwhile lessons in the dialectical 'line struggle' between its shift between organic movement for procedural democratic reform on the one hand, and reactionary exploitation of crises on the other hand. Hindsight is 20/20, but the case for rational flexibility is solid--if somewhat undermined by the simplistic, passing references to China's Cultural Revolution and its implications for a state in flux.
The "Epilogue" deep-dive into the Afghan case from a mid-80s perspective is, well...tragic, as you'd expect. Maybe underemphasizes the extent of class-struggle outside of Kabul, and even in Kabul could've explored the role of RAWA, for example.
The author's other work Human Rights in the Soviet Union: Including Comparisons with the U.S.A. was more ambitious, but this one delivers what it promises, plus some bonus material. Worth checking out if you're unfamiliar with Solidarity's history, or are looking for depth into what a more Soviet model versus Yugoslav "workers self-management" model meant practically for workers, day-to-day.
Clearly dated in some ways: One can't help but wonder how Szymanski would have re-evaluated some of his sweeping conclusions had he lived to see the fall of the Eastern bloc less than a decade later (and/or how he'd respond to Socialism Betrayed: Behind the Collapse of the Soviet Union).
With that said, the chapter on Yugoslavia was a solid overview of its operative differential experimentation as far as "actually existing socialism" goes (fascinating material for behavioural economics concerning participation rates in councils of workers' self-management, how workers saw their position relative to technocrats, etc.).
The history of Solidarity treats it as a sort of abortive colour revolution where, as we all clearly know, it ultimately achieved its aims of marketization & undermining the PUWP. Still, there are worthwhile lessons in the dialectical 'line struggle' between its shift between organic movement for procedural democratic reform on the one hand, and reactionary exploitation of crises on the other hand. Hindsight is 20/20, but the case for rational flexibility is solid--if somewhat undermined by the simplistic, passing references to China's Cultural Revolution and its implications for a state in flux.
The "Epilogue" deep-dive into the Afghan case from a mid-80s perspective is, well...tragic, as you'd expect. Maybe underemphasizes the extent of class-struggle outside of Kabul, and even in Kabul could've explored the role of RAWA, for example.
The author's other work Human Rights in the Soviet Union: Including Comparisons with the U.S.A. was more ambitious, but this one delivers what it promises, plus some bonus material. Worth checking out if you're unfamiliar with Solidarity's history, or are looking for depth into what a more Soviet model versus Yugoslav "workers self-management" model meant practically for workers, day-to-day.
November 29, 2022
A pretty good introduction to Poland's socialist history, though definitely one that could perhaps use some more context or information. The last part on the role of intervention was interesting too and took what I thought was a dialectic approach. Definitely feel like I learned something about Poland's history and the people's own role in forming a socialist society, independent from the USSR, who I had assumed played a much bigger role.
January 28, 2015
It's a really good overview of polish socialist history and development imo
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews