1946 Polish Embassy Pictorial Map of Poland - 'The New Poland'

Looming Stalinist threat in Poland.

This is a c. 1946 PICK-S infographic pictorial map of Poland in the wake of World War II, emphasizing Poland's post-war role in Europe and underscoring the looming threat of Soviet communism. It was created in conjunction with the Polish Embassy in Washington, D.C. for distribution in the United States.

A Closer Look

A map of Poland dominates the sheet with pictorial icons marking Poland's industries and natural resources. Among these are electrical equipment, lumber, chemicals, meat packing, coal, sugar, salt, and oil. Infographics to the left and right describe Poland's population, railroad and highway network, and its industrial standing in the European and global context. Text at the bottom heralds Poland's progress and its importance to European trade as a connection between the East and the West.

The New Poland

The phrase 'New Poland' has been used twice in 20th-century history: once after World War I (1914 - 1918) and again after World War II (1939 - 1945). In this context, New Poland refers to the two-year period between World War II and the establishment of the Republic of Poland in 1947. This period was marked by political violence, Communist intimidation, and occupation by the Soviet Red Army. The 'Big Three' Allies (United States, Great Britain, Soviet Union) established Poland's new borders at the Potsdam Conference in July-August 1945. The Soviets gained much of the Polish territory they had conquered in 1939, and Poland gained land in the west and north, annexed from Germany. The Big Three also stipulated that 'free and democratic' elections had to be held in Poland before it could sign the United Nations Charter. This election, along with a 1946 referendum, was anything but 'free and democratic', but it garnered enough legitimacy to be recognized by the international community over the government-in-exile based in London from 1939. (The government-in-exile remained in the United Kingdom until the fall of the Communist government in 1990, when it was dissolved, and its responsibilities were transferred to the Third Polish Republic.)

Publication History and Census

This c. 1946 map was designed by PICK-S with information provided by the Polish Embassy in Washington, D.C. We note eight examples in OCLC: Trinity College, Frostburg State University, the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, the College of Wooster, the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, the University of Missouri Columbia, the University of California Berkeley, and the University of California Northern Regional Library Facility.

Condition

Good. Toning. Light wear along original fold lines. Verso repairs to fold separations. Slight loss at a few fold intersections.

References

OCLC 41297545, 830677365.