Polish People's Army

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. The Sovietization 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 in 1984 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. 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 • Scud B- 25 launchers in 1980s • 122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30)- 715 Selfpropelled artillery • 2S1 Gvozdika-498 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==