Despite the similarity of experience with the wartime aggression, the communistrise to power in Poland and Yugoslavia proceeded very differently. In both of these countries the communist ascent already started during the war. However, the Yugoslav Communist Party completely consolidated its power already in 1945 by relying on its own forces, while the Polish communists only managed to strengthen their authority two years after the end of the war, thanks to the massive support from the Soviet Union and the presence of the Red Army. The contribution attempts to make a comparative presentation of the rise of the Polish and Yugoslav Communist Parties to power, as well as place an emphasis on the Polish example, which is not as widely known in Slovenia.