Polish October

Polish October
Part of the Cold War
Władysław Gomułka at the height of his popularity on 24 October 1956 addressing a crowd of people in Warsaw, asking for an end to demonstrations and a return to work.[1]
Date October–December 1956 Main phase: 19 – 22 October 1956 Location Polish People's Republic Result Confirmation of Władysław Gomułka as leader of the Polish United Workers' Party Defusing of Polish-Soviet tensions; armed conflict averted End of Stalinist era in Poland, beginning of the political thaw Status of forces agreement on Soviet troops in Poland; withdrawal of many Soviet advisors Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Parties involved in dispute
Soviet Union	Poland
Commanders and leaders
Nikita Khrushchev Anastas Mikoyan Nikolai Bulganin Vyacheslav Molotov	Władysław Gomułka Edward Ochab Józef Cyrankiewicz Aleksander Zawadzki
Political support
Natolin faction	Puławian faction

The Polish October (Polish: Polski październik), also known as the Polish thaw or Gomułka's thaw, was a change in the politics of the Polish People's Republic that occurred in October 1956. Władysław Gomułka was appointed First Secretary of the ruling Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR) marking the end of Stalinism in Poland.

The hardline Stalinist faction of the PZPR was weakened in 1956 from the Secret Speech by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in February, the death of Polish leader Bolesław Bierut in March, and the violent protests in Poznań in June. These events highlighted the people's dissatisfaction with the situation in Poland which allowed Gomułka's nationalist reformer faction to come to power. The Soviets were pressured to compromise with the Gomułka faction, leading to brief but tense negotiations. The Soviets gave permission for Gomułka to stay in power and greater autonomy to Poland in exchange for maintaining its loyalty to Moscow.

The Polish October resulted in a temporary liberalisation and the effective end of Stalinism in Poland, though Gomułka's regime became more oppressive during the 1960s. News of the events in Poland contributed to the more violent but less successful Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Some social scientists term it the Polish October Revolution which, despite being less dramatic than the Hungarian Revolution, may have had an even deeper impact on the Eastern Bloc and on the Soviet Union's relationship with its satellite states.^[2]