Polish People's Army
| Polish People's Army | |
|---|---|
| Ludowe Wojsko Polskie | |
Emblem worn by LWP soldiers | |
| Founded | May 1943 |
| Disbanded | December 1989 |
| Service branches | Polish Land Forces Polish Army Air Force (1943–1947) Polish Air Force (1947–1989) Polish Air Defence Force (1962–1989) Polish Navy |
| Headquarters | Seltsy, Russian SFSR (1943–1945) Warsaw, Poland (1945–1989) |
| Leadership | |
| Supreme Commander-in-Chief | Wojciech Jaruzelski (last) |
| Minister of National Defence | Florian Siwicki (last) |
| Chief of the General Staff | Józef Użycki (last) |
| Personnel | |
| Active personnel | 200,000 (World War II) |
| Related articles | |
| History | World War II - Eastern Front
|
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 formalized 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.