June 28, 1956, the first general strike in communist Poland
The economy in communist Poland was subordinated solely to political decisions. The economy has begun to crumble. The government-owned stores began to run out of basic food and industrial products. The situation was further worsened by the atmosphere of fear. People were afraid to demand their rights or improvements in their working conditions. In the 1950s in Czechoslovakia and East Germany, people began to demand a softening of the political course. All protests were suppressed by the Soviet military. In the city of Poznań and the surrounding area, as well as in other parts of Poland, the communists declared war on private shop owners and farmers, who owned small and medium-sized farms. Shops began to run out of products (mainly meat and butter). There was also a shortage of coal. At the Joseph Stalin Plant, where June 1956 began, working conditions continued to deteriorate. People were forced to work harder, without bonuses or special benefits. Workers repeatedly complained abo...