The Polish People's Republic pursued a policy of agricultural collectivization throughout the Stalinist regime period, from 1948 until the liberalization during Gomułka's thaw of 1956.
[1] In July 1948, during a Politburo meeting, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Hilary Minc, gave a speech on private ownership in the Polish economy.
Referring to Lenin's notion of the "permanent rebirth of capitalism", Minc announced the transformation of the Polish economy into a socialist one.
[2] The process of restructuring Polish agriculture was officially presented as protection for small farmers, whose position the rich kulaks allegedly endangered.
Their houses were searched, they were arrested, extra tax and quotas were imposed on them, their machines and goods were illegally destroyed.
[4] However, a number of poor peasants, influenced by official propaganda, supported the changes, hoping that their quality of life would improve.
Collectivization and persecution of private farmers, on whom quotas were enforced, led to a collapse of Polish agricultural production after 1950, and a large-scale exodus of villagers.
However, the position of private farmers had become well-established in Poland by that time, and after some attempts at promotion, the Polish government abandoned the policy of expanding collectivization.