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Quiz about Poland Under Communist Rule
Quiz about Poland Under Communist Rule

Poland Under Communist Rule Trivia Quiz


This test covers the years 1945-89 in Poland under Communist Rule. Hope you enjoy!

A multiple-choice quiz by allieetal. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
allieetal
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
81,759
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
10 / 15
Plays
1465
- -
Question 1 of 15
1. At the conclusion of WWII, the western border of Poland was shifted approximately one hundred and fifty miles to the west. What was this new border called? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. After the war, the Soviets installed as the new Defense Minister in Poland a Russian general. The Poles were insulted not only because a Russian had been placed in charge of the Polish military, but also because this particular general had been the leader of the Soviet forces who had failed to come to the aid of the Warsaw resistance fighters. Who was he? Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. In February of 1956, this Soviet Communist leader denounced Stalin at the Twentieth Congress of the Soviet Communist party. His denunciation led to "the thaw" throughout Eastern Europe, including Poland. Who was this Soviet leader? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. This individual was head of the Polish Communist Party from 1947-56. He was an ardent Stalinist, known for his brutal use of the secret police. Who was he? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. When he became First Secretary of the Polish Communist Party in 1956, it nearly resulted in military intervention by the Soviet Army. However, the fact that his rise to power was supported by Mao Zedong, and that the Polish Army made clear that they were willing to fight to defend Poland's right to determine its own Communist leadership resulted in the Soviet Union backing down on its threat to invade. Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. True or False? Poland was the only Eastern European country in which there almost no collectivization of agriculture during the Communist years.


Question 7 of 15
7. On October 16, 1978, this archbishop of Krakow, who became Pope John Paul II, was elected by the Roman Catholic College of Cardinals as the new pope. What was his name? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. This group was organized in 1976 by Jacek Kuron and Adam Michnik to provide legal assistance to workers being persecuted for having taken part in strikes. It was part of growing phenomenon termed the "self-organization of Polish Society." Marginally legal, it provided vital support to Solidarity. What was the name of this group? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. In 1980, Solidarity strikers initially succeeded in getting the government to sign an agreement which recognized the right of workers to strike and recognized Solidarity as a legal independent trade union.


Question 10 of 15
10. This Communist leader declared martial law in Poland on December 13, 1981, established the Military Council of National Salvation to administer the country, and suspended Solidarity. Who was he? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. Which of the following persons was a leader of Solidarity? Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. On March 7, 1989 the Polish authorities finally conceded that the massacre of some 15,000 Polish officers early in World War II had been a Soviet NKVD atrocity, not a Nazi German one. Where did this massacre take place? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. Who became the first post-Communist era president of Poland? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. The Polish army did not contribute troops for the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 by Warsaw Pact troops. True or false?


Question 15 of 15
15. In 1945, this political party led by Stanislaw Mikolajczyk, posed the greatest challenge to Communist domination of Poland. What was the name of this political party? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. At the conclusion of WWII, the western border of Poland was shifted approximately one hundred and fifty miles to the west. What was this new border called?

Answer: The Oder-Neisse Line

The new Polish border was decided on by the Big Three (USSR, Great Britain and the United States) at the 1945 Yalta and Potsdam Conferences. The Soviet Union gained what had been Eastern Poland. Poland was compensated for its territorial losses by gaining 150 miles of what had been Germany. The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) did not recognize this new border until 1970.
2. After the war, the Soviets installed as the new Defense Minister in Poland a Russian general. The Poles were insulted not only because a Russian had been placed in charge of the Polish military, but also because this particular general had been the leader of the Soviet forces who had failed to come to the aid of the Warsaw resistance fighters. Who was he?

Answer: Marshall Konstanin K. Rokossovsky

The Warsaw Uprising took place in the section of the city located on the west bank of the Vistula River in the summer of 1944. Soviet troops had already reached the east bank at the time of the uprising. But Stalin ordered Marshall Rokossovsky to not aid the fighters, thereby insuring their slaughter by the German forces. Stalin wanted to eliminate all potential opposition to future Communist rule. Rokossovsky remained the Defense Minister of Poland until the mid-1950s.
3. In February of 1956, this Soviet Communist leader denounced Stalin at the Twentieth Congress of the Soviet Communist party. His denunciation led to "the thaw" throughout Eastern Europe, including Poland. Who was this Soviet leader?

Answer: Nikita Khrushchev

Nikita Khrushchev, the successor to Stalin, was the only Soviet leader not to die while in power until Gorbachev. He was deposed in 1964 and replaced by Leonid Brezhnev. Georgi Malenkov was his main competitor for the position of Soviet Communist party chief. Yuri Andropov was the Russian ambassador to Hungary during Khrushchev's rule and played a vital role in the crushing of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
4. This individual was head of the Polish Communist Party from 1947-56. He was an ardent Stalinist, known for his brutal use of the secret police. Who was he?

Answer: Boleslaw Bierut

Boleslaw Bierut was one of the Muscovite Communists who dominated Polish Communist politics. He died in March of 1956. His eventual successor was Gomulka (1956-70), a nationalist Communist. Edward Gierek(1970-80) succeeded Gomulka after widespread rioting over increased food prices forced him out of office. Gierek, in turn, was forced out of office when the Polish economy took another down turn in the late 70s. Stanislaw Kania held office very briefly following Gierek until he was replaced by Jaruzelski.
5. When he became First Secretary of the Polish Communist Party in 1956, it nearly resulted in military intervention by the Soviet Army. However, the fact that his rise to power was supported by Mao Zedong, and that the Polish Army made clear that they were willing to fight to defend Poland's right to determine its own Communist leadership resulted in the Soviet Union backing down on its threat to invade.

Answer: Wladyslaw Gomulka

In return for Soviet tolerance, Gomulka committed himself to preserving the Communist monopoly of power, although in a more national form. He dropped the Soviet Defense Minister, Marshall Rokossovsky from his government. But he would later squander his initial popularity by his unwillingness to initiate any substantial economic reform and his slavish support of Soviet foreign policy. Widespread riots in 1970 forced him out of office.
6. True or False? Poland was the only Eastern European country in which there almost no collectivization of agriculture during the Communist years.

Answer: True

Over 90% of Polish land was owned by private individuals throughout the Communist regime.
7. On October 16, 1978, this archbishop of Krakow, who became Pope John Paul II, was elected by the Roman Catholic College of Cardinals as the new pope. What was his name?

Answer: Karol Wojtyla

The election of Wojtyla dealt a severe blow to already troubled government of Edward Gierek. Pope John Paul II and Ronald Reagan later formed an alliance called the 'Holy Alliance' whose purpose was the eradication of Communism in Poland and all of Eastern Europe. This alliance helped funnel crucial funds to the Solidarity Movement.
8. This group was organized in 1976 by Jacek Kuron and Adam Michnik to provide legal assistance to workers being persecuted for having taken part in strikes. It was part of growing phenomenon termed the "self-organization of Polish Society." Marginally legal, it provided vital support to Solidarity. What was the name of this group?

Answer: KOR

KOR (Komitet Obrony Robotnikow), or the Committee for the Defense of Workers, founded by Jacek Kuron and Adam Michnik, was crucial in garnering the support of all parts of Polish Society for the protest movement. Previous protests movements in Eastern Europe had often been plagued by lack of the necessary universal support. Past Communist leaders had successfully capitalized on discord between workers and intellectuals to stifle opposition groups. KOR, with its marginally legal status, helped in the organization of the illegal Solidarity Movement.
9. In 1980, Solidarity strikers initially succeeded in getting the government to sign an agreement which recognized the right of workers to strike and recognized Solidarity as a legal independent trade union.

Answer: True

Solidarity did initially get the government to concede to 21 demands on August 31, 1980. Other concessions included the release of political prisoners, an agreement that the state radio system would broadcast Catholic Sunday Mass, and that competence not party affiliation be the criterion for designating managerial personnel.

However in 1981, martial law was declared in Poland and Solidarity was outlawed.
10. This Communist leader declared martial law in Poland on December 13, 1981, established the Military Council of National Salvation to administer the country, and suspended Solidarity. Who was he?

Answer: Wojciech Jaruzelski

Jaruzelski had hoped that the Solidarity movement would not survive its return to illegal status. But Solidarity survived to challenge the Communist regime again.
11. Which of the following persons was a leader of Solidarity?

Answer: Lech Walesa

He had first become involved in unofficial, illegal trade union activity in the shipyards in Gdansk in 1970. Ten years later he established the first large independent trade union in post-war Poland and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983. He was President of Poland from 1990-95.
12. On March 7, 1989 the Polish authorities finally conceded that the massacre of some 15,000 Polish officers early in World War II had been a Soviet NKVD atrocity, not a Nazi German one. Where did this massacre take place?

Answer: Katyn Forest

The Katyn Forest massacre was first brought to international attention by Nazi German forces who called in the International Red Cross upon finding the mass graves. The International Red Cross found extensive evidence backing the Nazi claim that the massacre had been done by the Soviets.

But the incident was hushed up because the Soviet Union had just joined the Allied Forces fighting against Germany. Gorbachev made an official apology for the massacre to the Polish President, also in 1989.
13. Who became the first post-Communist era president of Poland?

Answer: Wojciech Jaruzelski

Because of a compromise worked out between the Communist government and Solidarity during round table negotiations for the election of 1989, the Communist leader, Jaruzelski became the first Post-Communist era President of Poland. This compromise, also, allocated 65% of all seats of the Sejm (the lower parliamentary house)to the Communist while all other seats were to be freely elected.

Other than the allocated seats, the Communist won only one more seat in the Senate but none in the Sejm. Jaruzelski would retire from office after only a year.
14. The Polish army did not contribute troops for the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 by Warsaw Pact troops. True or false?

Answer: False

Romania was the only Eastern European country which refused to take part in crushing the Prague Spring of 1968 in Czechoslovakia.
15. In 1945, this political party led by Stanislaw Mikolajczyk, posed the greatest challenge to Communist domination of Poland. What was the name of this political party?

Answer: Polish Peasant Party

In 1946, the Peasant Party claimed a membership of 600,000 much great than that of the Polish Worker's Party (aka Communist Party). The Communist were sufficiently concerned to postpone repeatedly the early and free elections which they had agreed to with the United States and Great Britain.

However, the Communist willingness to use intimidation and terrorization tactics assured their rise to power.
Source: Author allieetal

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