The Polish People's Republic is a republic of the working people.

The Polish People's Republic carries on the most glorious progressive traditions of the Polish Nation and gives effect to the liberation ideals of the working masses.

The Polish working people, under the leadership of the heroic working class, and on the basis of the alliance between workers and peasants, fought for many decades for the liberation from national enslavement imposed upon the Nation by the Prussian, Austrian and Russian conquerors and colonisers, just as they fought for the abolition of exploitation by the Polish capitalists and landlords.

During the Occupation, the Polish Nation waged an unflinching heroic fight against the murderous Nazi invasion. The historic victory of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics over fascism liberated Polish soil, enabled the Polish working people to take power into their own hands, and established conditions for the national re-birth of Poland within new and just frontiers. The Recovered Territories were restored to Poland forever.

By carrying out the memorable directives of the Manifesto of the Polish Committee of National Liberation of July 22-nd, 1944, and by developing the principles laid down in the programme of that Manifesto, the People's Authority — thanks to the selfless and creative efforts of the Polish working people in the fight against the bitter resistance of the remnants of the old capitalist-landlord system — has accomplished great social changes. As a result of revolutionary struggles and transformations, the power of the capitalists and landlords has been overthrown, a State of People's Democracy has been firmly established, and a new social system, in accord with the interests and aspirations of the great majority of the people, is taking shape and growing in strength.

The legal principles of this system are laid down by the Constitution of the Polish People's Republic.

The basis of the People's Authority in Poland to-day is the alliance between the working class and the working peasants. In this alliance, the leading role belongs to the working class — the leading class of the people, the class based on the revolutionary gains of the Polish and international working class movement, and on the historic experience of victorious socialist building in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the first State of workers and peasants.

Implementing the will of the Polish Nation, the Legislative Seym of the Republic of Poland, in accordance with its purpose, solemnly adopts the present Constitution as the fundamental law by which the Polish Nation and all organs of authority of the Polish working people shall be guided, in order:

To consolidate the People's State as the fundamental power assuring to the Polish Nation the highest degree of prosperity, its independence and sovereignty;

To accelerate the political, economic and cultural development of the Fatherland, and the growth of its resources;

To strengthen the patriotic feelings, the unity and solidarity of the Polish Nation in its struggle still further to improve social conditions, to eliminate completely the exploitation of man

by man, and to put into effect the great ideals of Socialism;

To strengthen friendship and co-operation between nations, on the 'basis of the alliance and brotherhood which to-day link the Polish Nation with the peace-loving nations of the world for the attainment of their common aim — to make aggression impossible and to consolidate world peace.