Edward Osóbka-Morawski facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Edward Osóbka-Morawski
Osóbka-Morawski in 1944
1st Prime Minister of Polish People's Republic
In office 31 December 1944 – 5 February 1947
President	Bolesław Bierut
Deputy	Stanisław Janusz Władysław Gomułka Stanisław Mikołajczyk
Preceded by	Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski (As Prime Minister of the Second Polish Republic) Tomasz Arciszewski (As Prime Minister in exile)
Succeeded by	Józef Cyrankiewicz
Personal details
Born	5 October 1909 Bliżyn, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
Died	9 January 1997 (aged 87) Warsaw, Poland
Political party	Polish Socialist Party (before 1948) Polish United Workers Party (1948–1949, 1956–1990)

Edward Bolesław Osóbka-Morawski (5 October 1909 – 9 January 1997) was an important Polish politician. He was active in the Polish Socialist Party before World War II. After the war, he became the first Prime Minister of the new Polish government. This government was called the Polish People's Republic.

Edward Osóbka-Morawski led the government during a very difficult time for Poland. The country was recovering from the war. It was also facing big changes in its political system. He tried to guide Poland through these challenges.

Early Political Life

Edward Osóbka-Morawski was born in 1909. He joined the Polish Socialist Party (PPS) before World War II. This party believed in fairness and helping all people. They wanted a society where everyone had equal chances.

During World War II, Poland was occupied. After the war, a new government was formed. It was called the Polish Committee of National Liberation. This government was set up with support from the Soviet Union. Osóbka-Morawski became its chairman. This was a very important role.

Becoming Prime Minister

In October 1944, Osóbka-Morawski took on two big jobs. He became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was also the Minister of Agriculture. This meant he handled Poland's relationships with other countries. He also looked after farming in Poland.

A few months later, in June 1945, he became the Prime Minister. His government was known as the Provisional Government of National Unity. He served as Prime Minister until February 1947.

Challenges as Leader

As Prime Minister, Osóbka-Morawski faced many challenges. He believed his party, the Polish Socialist Party, should work with another non-communist party. This was the Polish Peasant Party. He hoped they could form a strong group. This group would stand against the growing power of the Communist party.

However, not everyone in his own party agreed. Another important socialist leader, Józef Cyrankiewicz, had a different idea. Cyrankiewicz thought the socialists should support the communists. But he also wanted to stop Poland from becoming a one-party state. A one-party state means only one political party is allowed.

The Communists used these disagreements to their advantage. They had strong support from the Soviet Union. Because of this, Osóbka-Morawski was forced to step down. Józef Cyrankiewicz then became the new Prime Minister.

Later Life and Legacy

After leaving his top job, Osóbka-Morawski continued to be involved in politics. He eventually accepted the Communist system. In 1949, he was removed from his new role as Minister of Public Administration. This was because of some disagreements with the party's ideas.

He was later allowed back into the Communist Party. This happened during a time of change in Poland in 1956. This event is known as the Polish October. The party was then called the Polish United Workers' Party.

Osóbka-Morawski worked as a party official for many years. This was during the time of the People's Republic of Poland. In 1990, after the fall of communism, he tried to bring back the old Polish Socialist Party. But his attempt was not successful. Edward Osóbka-Morawski passed away in Warsaw in 1997. He was 87 years old.

See also

• Stalinism in Poland
• Socialist realism in Poland