Polish People's Army

The Polish People's Army (Polish: Ludowe Wojsko Polskie, pronounced [luˈdɔvɛ ˈvɔjskɔ ˈpɔlskʲɛ]; LWP) was the second formation of the Polish Armed Forces in the East during the latter stages of the Second World War (1943–1945), and subsequently the armed forces of the Polish communist state (1945–1989), which was formalised in 1952 as the Polish People's Republic. The creation of communist-led Polish armed forces that were outside the command of the Polish government-in-exile was allowed and facilitated by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, following efforts made in the early 1940s by Soviet-based Polish exiles Wanda Wasilewska and Zygmunt Berling. Initially called the Polish Army in the USSR from 1943 to 1944, it became the Polish Troops and Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland from 1944 to 1952, and thereafter the Armed Forces of the Polish People's Republic. During these restructurings, the Polish military was increasingly integrated into Soviet military and command structures, becoming comparatively more distinct and independent in 1956. On 7 October 1950, the anniversary of the Battle of Lenino—one of the first major engagements of Polish Armed Forces in the East against Axis forces—was declared the official "Day of the Polish People's Army" by the People's Republic.

History

World War II

What became the LWP was formed during World War II, in May 1943, as the 1st Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Division, which developed into the First Polish Army, unofficially known as Berling's Army. Because of the shortage of Polish officers and the policies of the Soviet Union, in March 1945 Soviet Red Army officers accounted for nearly 52% of the officer corps (15,492 out of 29,372). Around 4,600 of them remained in the LWP by July 1946. It was not the only Polish formation that fought on the Allied side, nor the first one formed in the East. The earlier Polish force formed in the Soviet Union, known as Anders' Army, was loyal to the Polish government-in-exile and by that time had moved to Iran. The communist-led Polish forces soon grew beyond the 1st Division into two major commands – the First Polish Army (initially under Zygmunt Berling) and the Second Polish Army (commanded by Karol Świerczewski). The First Polish Army participated in the Vistula–Oder Offensive, the Battle of Kolberg and the final Battle of Berlin.

Immediate post-war years

After the war the Polish Army was reorganized into six (later seven) military districts. These were the Warsaw Military District, headquartered (HQ) in Warsaw, the Lublin Military District, HQ in Lublin, the Kraków Military District, HQ in Kraków, the Łódź Military District, HQ in Łódź, the Poznań Military District, HQ in Poznań, the Pomeranian Military District, HQ in Toruń, and the Silesian Military District, HQ in Katowice. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Polish Army was under the command of Marshal of the Soviet Union, Marshal of Poland and Minister of Defense of Poland Konstantin Rokossovsky. It was increasingly integrated into Soviet military structure and organisation. This process was mitigated in the aftermath of the Polish October of 1956, when Władysław Gomułka formalised aspects of Poland's military relationship with the Soviet Union. The Sovietisation of the armed forces structure was phased out altogether and thus the combat and service support structures were integrated once more into regular combat formations following the old Polish model.

Cold War

An anti-Zionist purge in the Polish Army took place in 1968 to systematically remove soldiers of Jewish origin, following the Six-Day War between Israel and Arab countries.

Characteristics

=== Uniform === In 1949, the first fundamental uniform reform after the war was made. The "Dress Rules for the Soldiers of the Polish Army" were introduced and were to apply from January 1, 1951. In the Polish People's Army, a soft field cap modeled on the pre-war one was introduced. After the war, the pre-war garrison caps were used again. Stiffened caps were only worn until around 1950 when they were completely replaced by round caps. In 1982, the Polish Rogatywka, modeled on the pattern from 1935, were restored in the Polish Army's Representative Company. In the late 1950s, camouflaged field uniforms were introduced, starting with:

wz. 58 "deszczyk" – used since 1958 to 1968. wz. 68 "moro" – used since 1968 to 1989. wz. 89 "puma" – incompletely implemented in 1989.

=== Chaplaincy === Throughout the entire period of the existence of the Polish People's Army, its officers and soldiers were provided with pastoral care. Such a service was provided by the General Dean's Office of the Polish Army.

=== Battle Honours === For Warsaw For Battle of Berlin

Training

In the 1980s, the Polish People's Republic had 4 military academies and 11 higher officers' schools, which trained auxiliary corpsmen and corresponded in rank to higher educational institutions. In 1954, judo instructors from the Warsaw and Kraków institutes of physical culture, participated in the training program for border guards and military personnel of the airborne units of the Polish army.

Equipment

Ground Forces

Air Force

Artillery

==== Rocket Artillery ==== RM-70- 30 BM-21 Grad-250 in 1980s. 9K52 Luna-M- 40 launchers in 1980s R-11 Zemlya - 22 launchers in 1960s Scud B- 25 launchers in 1980s

==== Towed artillery ==== 76 mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3) 122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30)- 715 152 mm gun-howitzer D-20-166

===== Selfpropelled artillery ===== 2S1 Gvozdika-498 152 mm SpGH DANA- 111 2S7 Pion-8

Air defense

==== Mobile missile ==== 2K12 Kub 2K11 Krug 9K33 Osa

==== Mobile self-propelled AA guns ==== ZSU-23-4 Shilka-150 were delivered from USSR until 1991 Towed anti-aircraft gun

ZU-23-2-252 ZU-23 and 72 ZUR-23-2 series

=== Artillery tractors === Mazur D-350 ATS-59 AT-T

=== Utility vehicles === Willys MB Gaz-67 Gaz-69 UAZ-469 FSC Lublin-51 Gaz-66 Ził-130 Ził-131 Ził-157 KrAZ-255 Star 28/29 Star 66 Star 660 Star 200 Star 244 Star 266

== Engagements == Battle of Lenino - 1943 Lublin–Brest offensive - 1944 Battle of Studzianki - 1944 Vistula-Oder offensive - 1945 Battle of Kolberg - 1945 Siege of Danzig - 1945 Battle of the Seelow Heights - 1945 Battle of Bautzen - 1945 Battle of Berlin - 1945 Anti-communist resistance in Poland (1944–1946) Battles for Bircza - 1945–1946 Operation Vistula - 1947 Poznań protests of 1956 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia - 1968 Polish protests of 1970 Pacification of Wujek - 1981 Martial law in Poland (13 December 1981 – 22 July 1983)

== See also == Air Force of the Polish Army Polish Armed Forces Polish Armed Forces (Second Polish Republic) Main Directorate of Information of the Polish Army (GZI WP) Internal Military Service (WSW) Border Protection Forces (WOP) Polish Legions (Napoleonic period) Polish Military Organisation Armia Ludowa Gwardia Ludowa Polish forces in the West Polish forces in the East Anders' Army First Polish Army (1944–1945)

References

== Sources == Smith, Joseph E. (1969). Small Arms of the World (11 ed.). Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: The Stackpole Company. ISBN 9780811715669. The Military Balance 2017. Arundel House, Temple Place, London, UK: International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). 2017. ISBN 978-1-85743-900-7. OCLC 960838207 – via Routledge.

== External links == Media related to Ludowe Wojsko Polskie at Wikimedia Commons Maps showing the LWP positioning Personnel policy of the LWP in the post-war period