▁only ▁obtained ▁through ▁massive ▁fra ud . ▁ ▁Government ▁officials ▁didn ' t ▁even ▁count ▁the ▁real ▁votes ▁in ▁many ▁areas , ▁and ▁simply ▁filled ▁in ▁the ▁relevant ▁documents ▁in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁instructions ▁from ▁the ▁Commun ists . ▁ ▁In ▁other ▁areas , ▁the ▁ball ot ▁boxes ▁were ▁either ▁destroyed ▁or ▁replaced ▁with ▁boxes ▁containing ▁pre filled ▁ball ots . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁election ▁marked ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁und is gu ised ▁Commun ist ▁rule ▁in ▁Poland , ▁though ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁officially ▁transformed ▁into ▁the ▁Polish ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁until ▁the ▁ad option ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁Constitution . ▁ ▁However , ▁G om u ł ka ▁never ▁supported ▁St alin ' s ▁control ▁over ▁the ▁Polish ▁Commun ists , ▁and ▁was ▁soon ▁replaced ▁as ▁party ▁leader ▁by ▁the ▁more ▁p li able ▁B ier ut . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁the ▁Commun ists ▁cons olid ated ▁their ▁power , ▁mer ging ▁with ▁Cy rank iew icz ' ▁fa ction ▁of ▁the ▁P PS ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁Polish ▁United ▁Work ers ' ▁Party ▁( known ▁in ▁Poland ▁as ▁' the ▁Party '), ▁which ▁would ▁mon opol ise ▁political ▁power ▁in ▁Poland ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁Polish - born ▁Soviet ▁Marsh al ▁Konst antin ▁R ok os so v sky ▁became ▁the ▁Minister ▁of ▁National ▁Def ence , ▁with ▁the ▁additional ▁title ▁Marsh al ▁of ▁Poland , ▁and ▁in ▁