The PZPR Secretariat decided that Khrushchev 's speech should have wide circulation in Poland , a unique decision in the Eastern Bloc . Bierut 's successors seized on Khrushchev 's condemnation of Stalinist policy as a perfect opportunity to prove their reformist , democratic credentials and their willingness to break with the Stalinist legacy . In late March and early April , thousands of Party meetings were held all over Poland , with Politburo and Secretariat blessing . Tens of thousands took part in such meetings . The Secretariat 's plan succeeded beyond what they expected . During this period , the political atmosphere in Poland shifted as questions were increasingly asked about taboo subjects like the Polish Communists ' legitimacy , responsibility for Stalin 's crimes , the arrest of the increasingly popular Gomułka , and issues in Soviet – Polish relations , such as the continued Soviet military presence in Poland , the Molotov – Ribbentrop Pact , the Katyn massacre , and the Soviet failure to support the Warsaw Uprising . A new Party Congress was demanded , as was a greater role for the Sejm and a guarantee of personal liberties . Alarmed by the process , the Party Secretariat decided to withhold the speech from the general public
Katyn massacre
Katyn massacre
Polish October