The elections and legitimation of Communist rule in Poland after the Second World War
Journal: Studia nad Autorytaryzmem i Totalitaryzmem
Year: 2024

The article discusses the significance of elections to the process of legitimation of the communist rule in Poland after the Second World War. The main research question is whether the elections gave the totalitarian/authoritarian rule real legitimacy and if they did (or didn’t), then why. The author draws broader conclusions from the example of Poland, which is his focus. The departure point of his analysis is the discussion of the circumstances in which the communist rule was established in Po