Poland's Politics: Idealism vs. Realism (Russian Research Center Studies, 51)

Poland’s peculiar position in the international sphere is reflected in the singularity of her politics. Adam Bromke, providing requisite background material but concentrating on specific events, presents the provocative thesis that the most significant phenomenon of Polish political life is the discrepancy felt between Poland’s potential and actual status in the world. This traditional antinomy between idealism and realism is defined and extended by the author to place the program and policies of the Communist party and other indigenous political movements in a broad historical perspective and to illuminate the nature and direction of Polish political developments. PREFACE CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PART I. Political Idealism and Political Realism 1. THE EARLY POLITICAL REALISM 2. THE DECLINE OF POLITICAL REALISM 3. POLITICAL IDEALISM 4. THE RISE OF COMMUNISM 5. THE REVIVAL OF POLITICAL REALISM 6. THE TRIUMPH OF POLITICAL REALISM PART II. Political Realism and Communism 7. GOMULKA'S POLITICAL PROGRAM 8. POLAND AND THE SOVIET UNION 9. GOMUŁKA AND THE POLISH PEOPLE 10. THE COMMUNIST PARTY AND ITS ALLIES 11. THE PAX GROUP 12. THE ZNAK GROUP 13. POLITICAL IDEALISM AND POLITICAL REALISM: THE SYNTHESIS NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX