Results found: 2

Search results

Search:
in the keywords: COMECON

Sort By:

Limit search:

People's Republic of Poland in the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance 1956-1970

100%

Skobelski R.

Kwartalnik Historyczny

2007

vol. 114

issue 3

49-90

People’s Republic of Poland in the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance 1956-1970 The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) was established in 1949 upon the initiative of Stalin and comprised a successive step towards the formation of the Eastern bloc. The Council, which generally speaking, served Soviet interests, consolidated the Soviet economic model in dependent countries and made it easier for the Kremlin to control and influence the shape and trends of their economies. During the first years of the existence of COMECON, Poland was forced to assume the role of a supplier of fuel and raw material not only for her eastern neighbour but also for the GDR and Czechoslovakia. The breakthrough caused by the Twentieth Convention of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the ”Polish October” events partially changed this highly unfavourable situation. The new Polish authorities, especially Gomułka, attached great hope to COMECON. The leader of the Polish United Workers’ Party went on the assumption that it would suffice to better organise the work performed by the Council for it to become an efficient motor force for economic progress. Hence the considerable activity pursued by Warsaw in initiating various changes within the Council and pertaining to, i.e. the structure of the COMECON apparatus. The Council was, however, unable to create longer-term conditions suitable for accelerating the economic growth of its member states. The reason lay in limitations stemming from the character of the centrally planned economies of the socialist countries. The prime obstacle for cooperation within COMECON was the chaotic currency/financial system. On the other hand, the strategy of a mutual synchronization of economic plans as well as efforts aimed at production specialisation and coordination merely rendered indelible the negative economic tendency prevalent among the Council countries, affecting the autocratisation and bureaucratisation of the economic administration and increasing the technological backwardness. All these factors were accompanied by the contradictory interests of the member states and the stand represented by the Soviet Union for whom COMECON possessed not only economic but predominantly political significance. The Kremlin treated the Council as yet another instrument for maintaining the cohesion of the Eastern bloc and for providing additional chances for the economic dependence of the members states and the exploitation of their economies.

Nieudany eksperyment. Rada Wzajemnej Pomocy Gospodarczej latach 1949-1991

72%

Skobelski R.

Studia Zachodnie

2017

vol. 19

183-207

Rada Wzajemnej Pomocy Gospodarczej została powołana 8 stycznia 1949 r. z woli Józefa Stalina i była ważnym elementem umacniania dominacji ZSRR w Europie Środkowowschodniej. Początkowo ugrupowanie miało przede wszystkim utrwalać i podtrzymywać radziecki model ekonomiczny w państwach zależnych, oparty na odrzuceniu praw rynkowych, centralnym planowaniu i forsownej industrializacji. Służąc ogólnie interesom Kremla, RWPG przez cały okres swojego istnienia ułatwiała mu kontrolę i wpływ na kształt oraz kierunki rozwoju gospodarek krajów „demokracji ludowej”. U podstaw tego systemu leżała ścisła współpraca polityczna, ekonomiczna i militarna poszczególnych państw socjalistycznych z moskiewskim centrum, przy równoczesnym znacznym ograniczeniu handlu z krajami kapitalistycznymi (zwłaszcza do 1956 r.). RWPG, zrzeszająca państwa z gospodarkami centralnie sterowanymi, pozbawionymi mechanizmów wolnorynkowych, a do tego bez wcześniejszych, szerszych tradycji wzajemnej współpracy nie stała się ani strefą wolnego handlu, ani unią celną, ani też wspólnym rynkiem. Nie było więc żadnych możliwości racjonalnej integracji w ramach ugrupowania, rozumianej jako podstawy do zapewnienia członkom harmonijnego i trwałego wzrostu gospodarczego. Upadek realnego socjalizmu i rozpad bloku wschodniego na przełomie lat 80. i 90. oznaczał również rychłe rozwiązanie ich podstawowych struktur, w tym RWPG, co nastąpiło ostatecznie w 1991 r.

RWPG (translator’s note: the Polish abbreviation of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance; the English abbreviation: COMECON) was founded on January 8th, 1949 at the will of Joseph Stalin and was an important element in strengthening domination of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in Central and Eastern Europe. In the beginning, the organization was supposed first of all to solidify and support the Russian economic model in the subordinate countries that was based on rejecting market principles and on focusing on central planning and extensive industrialisation. Serving the interests of the Kremlin generally, COMECON throughout the whole period of its existence, facilitated the Kremlin’s control and influence on the shape of economic development of the countries within the so called “people’s democracy”. The core of this system was a close political, economic and military cooperation of socialist countries with the Moscow centre along with significant limitations imposed on trading with capitalist countries (especially after 1956). RWPG bringing together centrally controlled countries, lacking free market mechanisms, and furthermore with no earlier, broader traditions in mutual help, did not become either a free market zone, or a customs union, nor did it form a common market. Thus, a rational integration within the organization, viewed as the basis for ensuring for its members a harmonious and continuous economic growth, was not possible. On the contrary – RWPG strengthened all negative features developed in economic systems of socialist countries (autarchy, bureaucracy, technological delay, etc.) and maintained its dependency on the Soviet Union. The fall of real socialism and dissolution of the Eastern Block at the end of the eighties and in the beginning of the nineties last century meant an immediate dissolution of its basic structures, namely the Warsaw Pact and then the COMECON. As far as the latter is concerned, there were still ideas about transforming the organization and maintaining its existence, but, obviously, in another form. In 1990 it was intended to elaborate new By-laws of the organization and then in the beginning of the following year it was discussed to change the integration model to be based on partnership principle. At the same time Russians put forward an idea to transform RWPG into the International Organization of Mutual Assistance that would only serve as a consulting and not a decision making body and which would incorporate principles of a free market into its activities. However, the break up of RWPG was inevitable, and the process accelerated after January 1st, 1991 that marked the end of transactions in transfer rubles among the members of the group, which since then were not able to pay in dollars. In this way on June 28th, 1991, at the last session of the Council in Budapest, 9 RWPG members decided to end its activities, which was sealed by signing a special report.

Refine search results

1 Kwartalnik Historyczny

1 Studia Zachodnie

2 Skobelski R.

1 2017

1 2007

Search results

People's Republic of Poland in the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance 1956-1970

Nieudany eksperyment. Rada Wzajemnej Pomocy Gospodarczej latach 1949-1991