The Military Gendarmerie ( Polish : Żandarmeria Wojskowa , abbreviated ŻW ) is a military police force established in 1990 in Poland as a specialized service of the Polish Armed Forces .
41-588: The exact role of the gendarmerie has been historically difficult to ascertain, with several changes and developments since the fall of communism. Prior to the abandonment of conscription in 2009, the ZW was primarily concerned with the conscription efforts of the Polish Armed Forces and chasing down avoiders, however the unit returned to traditional military policing after this with a confusing hiatus of their public role and deployment for 10 years with ad-hoc deployment at
82-728: A military engineers company, a platoon of the 1st Special Commando Regiment , and a logistics component from the 10th Logistics Brigade. Elsewhere, Polish forces were sent to MINURCAT in Chad and the Central African Republic (2007–2010). As of 2008, Poland had deployed 985 personnel in eight separarate UN peacekeeping operations (the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force , MINURSO , MONUC , UNOCI , UNIFIL , UNMEE , UNMIK , UNMIL , and UNOMIG ). Formerly set up according to Warsaw Pact standards,
123-452: Is performed with the middle and index fingers extended and touching each other, while the ring and little fingers are bent and touched by the thumb. The tips of the middle and index fingers touch the peak of the cap, two fingers supposedly meaning Honour and Fatherland (Honor i Ojczyzna). Czołem Żołnierze (the Polish language version of Greetings Soldiers ) is the official military greeting of
164-442: Is to ensure favourable and secure conditions for the realization of national interests by eliminating external and internal threats, reducing risks, rightly assessing undertaken challenges, and ably using existing opportunities. The Republic of Poland's main strategic goals in the area of defence include: The List of Polish wars chronicles Polish military involvements since the year 972. The present armed forces trace their roots to
205-581: The Armed Forces General Command and Armed Forces Operational Command were both established, superseding the previous individual service branch command structures. Prompted in part by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , the Homeland Defence Act was unanimously passed by the Polish parliament on March 17, 2022 and signed into law by President Duda the following day. In accordance with
246-756: The Central Powers failed to provide guarantees of Polish independence after the war. General Józef Haller , the commander of the Second Brigade of the Polish Legion, switched sides in late 1917, and via Murmansk took part of his troops to France , where he created the Blue Army . It was joined by several thousand Polish volunteers from the United States . It fought on the French front in 1917 and 1918. The Polish Army
287-671: The Council of State , and General Wojciech Jaruzelski , at that time the Chief of the General Staff , was named to replace him. Jaruzelski, a known Soviet loyalist, was put in place by the Soviets in order to ensure that a trusted group of officers was in control of one of the least trusted armies in the Warsaw Pact. After January 1990 and the collapse of the communist block, the name of the armed forces
328-743: The German attack in September 1939 , which was followed on 17 September 1939 by an invasion by the Soviet Union . Some Polish forces escaped from the occupied country and joined Allied forces fighting in other theaters while those that remained in Poland splintered into guerilla units of the Armia Krajowa (" Home Army ") and other partisan groups which fought in clandestine ways against the foreign occupiers. Thus, there were three threads to Polish armed forces from 1939;
369-721: The ISAF mission in Afghanistan led by NATO . Poland's contribution to ISAF was the country's largest since its entrance into NATO. Polish forces also took part in the Iraq War . From 2003 to 2008, Polish military forces commanded the Multinational Division (MND-CS) located in the South-Central Occupation Zone of Iraq. The division was made up of troops from 23 nations and totaled as many as 8,500 soldiers. In March 2003,
410-558: The Polish Armed Forces in the West , the Armia Krajowa and other resistance organizations fighting the Germans in Poland, and the Polish Armed Forces in the East , which later became the post-war communist Polish People's Army (LWP). Until the fall of communism , the army's prestige under communist rule continued to fall, as it was used by the government to resettle ethnic minorities immediately after
451-791: The Polish Land Forces ( Wojska Lądowe ), the Polish Navy ( Marynarka Wojenna ), the Polish Air Force ( Siły Powietrzne ), the Polish Special Forces ( Wojska Specjalne ), and the Polish Territorial Defence Force ( Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej ), under the command of the Ministry of National Defence of Poland . According to SIPRI , Poland spent $ 31.6 billion on its defense budget in 2023, ranking 14th in
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#1732854532746492-620: The Russian Empire with a certain degree of autonomy, had a separate Polish army in the years 1815–1830, which was disbanded after the unsuccessful November Uprising. Large numbers of Poles also served in the armies of the partitioning powers, Russian Empire , Austria-Hungary and German Empire . During World War I , the Polish Legions were set up in Galicia , the southern part of Poland under Austrian occupation. They were both disbanded after
533-464: The "Polish Military"—abbreviated WP ), are the national armed forces of the Republic of Poland . The name has been used since the early 19th century, but can also be applied to earlier periods . The Polish Legions and the Blue Army , composed of Polish volunteers from the United States and those who switched sides from the Central Powers , were formed during World War I . In the war's aftermath,
574-593: The General Staff of the Polish Army of 15 June 1990. At this formation the structure was as follows: In addition, the following Military Gendarmerie Departments were established: Warsaw , Kraków , Bydgoszcz , Szczecin , Wrocław and Poznań , and also the Military Gendarmerie Training Center in Mińsk Mazowiecki . In August 2001, Sejm (lower house of parliament of Poland ) passed Act on
615-571: The Military Gendarmerie and other law enforcement authorities which specify tasks and authorities of the Military Gendarmerie. In 2007, the Military Gendarmerie was granted partner status to the European Gendarmerie Force , and since 2015 become a full member. In October 2020, the Military Gendarmerie were ordered to help the civilian police in the "protection of safety and public order ", starting from 28 October 2020. The order
656-614: The Military Police died during their official duties: This Polish military article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Polish Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland ( Polish : Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej , pronounced [ˈɕiwɨ ˈzbrɔjnɛ ʐɛt͡ʂpɔsˈpɔlitɛj ˈpɔlskʲɛj] ; abbreviated SZ RP ), also called the Polish Armed Forces and popularly called Wojsko Polskie in Poland ( [ˈvɔj.skɔ ˈpɔl.skjɛ] , roughly
697-715: The Polish Armed Forces took part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq , deploying special forces and a support ship . Following the destruction of Saddam's regime the Polish Land Forces supplied a brigade and a division headquarters for the 17-nation Multinational Division Central-South , part of the U.S.-led Multi-National Force – Iraq . At its peak Poland had 2,500 soldiers in the south of the country. Other completed operations include 2005 'Swift Relief' in Pakistan, in which NATO Response Force -allocated personnel were despatched. Polish Land Forces personnel sent to Pakistan included
738-535: The Polish Army was reformed from the remnants of the partitioning powers' forces and expanded significantly during the Polish–Soviet War of 1920. World War II dramatically impacted Polish military structures, with the initial defeat by Nazi Germany and Soviet Union invasions leading to the dispersion of Polish forces. After the war, the Polish People's Army (LWP) was formed and its standards aligned to those of
779-538: The Polish armed forces are now fully organized according to NATO requirements. Poland is also playing an increasingly larger role as a major European peacekeeping power in the world through various UN peacekeeping actions, and cooperation with neighboring nations through multinational formations and units such as the Multinational Corps Northeast and POLUKRBAT . As of 1 January 2010, the Armed Forces of
820-399: The Polish flag, the latter is a march strictly used for march pasts, military parades and other processions. The Polish Armed Forces are the only military entity in the world to use a two-finger salute which is only used while wearing a hat (it refers to the fact that the salute is given to the emblem itself) with the emblem of the Polish eagle, such as military hat rogatywka . The salute
861-653: The Republic of Poland have transitioned to a completely contract-based manpower supply system. On 10 April 2010, a Polish Air Force Tu-154M crashed near Smolensk, Russia while in transit to a ceremony commemorating the Katyn massacre . On board the plane were the President (Commander-in-Chief), the Chief of Staff, all four Branch Commanders of the Polish Military, and a number of other military officials; all were killed. In 2014–2015,
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#1732854532746902-722: The Uprising ( Wojskowa Służba Ochrony Powstania ), interwar-era military police in the Second Polish Republic , formations of the January and November Uprising , Duchy of Warsaw and finally, some officials of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , first created in early 17th century. The modern Polish Military Gendarmerie was formed on 1 September 1990 on the basis of order No. Pf-42 / Org. Minister of National Defense of 18 April 1990 and order No. 062 / Org. Chief of
943-412: The act, Poland intends to roughly double the size of the armed forces to 300,000 personnel, and to spend at least 3% of GDP on defence budget in 2023. This includes increasing the size of the tank fleet by adding approximately 1,000 new tanks and adding 600 new howitzers to Poland's ground forces. Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that it is Poland's goal to build
984-452: The armed forces, usually given by the members of the government or military establishment as well as visiting dignitaries during ceremonial occasions. The soldiers will usually respond with Czołem (States title/rank of dignitary ) . State Protection Service The State Protection Service ( Polish : Służba Ochrony Państwa [ˈswuʐ.ba ɔˈxrɔ.nɘ ˈpaɲ.stfa] ) is a Polish uniformed service which provides VIP security for
1025-529: The capital), as well as the Operational Command and General Staff which are the main decisional organs in the chain of command. As of 2022, the unit also has a Criminal Directorate acting as an intelligence gathering unit for cybersecurity purposes. The Polish Military Gendarmerie is a military police force that traces its history to the communist-era Military Internal Service ( Wojskowa Służba Wewnętrzna ), World War II -era Service for Protection of
1066-688: The early 20th century, yet the history of Polish armed forces in their broadest sense stretches back much further. After the partitions of Poland , during the period from 1795 until 1918, Polish military was recreated several times during national insurrections that included the November Uprising of 1830, and the January Uprising in 1863, and the Napoleonic Wars that saw the formation of the Polish Legions in Italy . The Congress Poland , being part of
1107-572: The five different branches was as follows: All five branches are supported by: The Polish armed forces has consistently held two yearly military parades ( Polish : Defilada wojskowa ) on Armed Forces Day and National Independence Day . These parades take place on Ujazdów Avenue and near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Piłsudski Square respectively. The Armed Forces Day Parade was introduced in 2007 and 2008 as first grand military parades since
1148-463: The former Warsaw Pact . The LWP's reputation suffered due to its role in political suppression both domestically and abroad, such as during the Prague Spring . Following the fall of communism, Poland shifted towards Western military standards, joining NATO in 1999 and undertaking substantial modernization of its forces. The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland comprise five main service branches:
1189-584: The government's will. Since the coronavirus pandemic however, ZW has taken an increasingly public role in society. In further confusion, in 2021 the Gendarmerie was demoted from a full service branch of the Polish Armed Forces , instead being classified as an "other" unit, alongside the Inspectorate of Armed Forces Support (logistics unit), the Warsaw Garrison (various representational and ceremonial duties in
1230-542: The highways and national roads to inspect the goods of large trucks and their roadworthiness, and for the first time arrest powers were extended to the ZW when dealing with truck drivers who carry unregistered arms, drugs or illegal immigrants which fall out of the jurisdiction zones of the border force. In urban areas, local ZW units have been signposted to augment the local police in carrying out pedestrianised patrols and fining drivers who do not follow pedestrian-priority road laws. It also appears that ZW has begun to augment
1271-405: The holiday was reinstated and have been held yearly since 2013. The first Polish military parade took place on 17 January 1945 and as of 2019, the 3 May Constitution Day parade was officially reinstated. Marsz Generalski and Warszawianka (1831) are the main military musical pieces performed at ceremonial events. While the former is a solemn march used during inspections and the march on of
Military Gendarmerie (Poland) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-588: The most powerful ground forces of all the North Atlantic Treaty Organization members in Europe. Since 2011, the Armed Forces are in the middle of a long-term modernization program. Plans involve new anti-aircraft missile systems, ballistic missile defense systems, a Lead-In Fighter Trainer (LIFT) aircraft, medium transport and combat helicopters, submarines, unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as self-propelled howitzers. Technical modernization plans for
1353-497: The police and fire services in search operations – ZW equipment and personnel have begun to be deployed to search for missing persons. In the past, ZW units have been regularly deployed for this purpose to search for deserters and conscription-avoiders and much experience remains in this area. Most visibly to the public eye however is the expansion of use of ZW units in protection of public events and gatherings. ZW units have been increasingly regularly deployed to supplement or overtake
1394-621: The program is the acquisition of around 1,200 unmanned aerial vehicles, including at least 1,000 with combat capabilities. Additionally, new helicopters and air defense systems are to be procured along with five light vessels for the navy. A new submarine force is to be jointly operated with a NATO partner, and general upgrade and modernization efforts are aimed at the country's air defenses, naval forces, cyber warfare capabilities, armored forces, and territorial defense forces (to have 50,000 volunteer members). The Polish Armed Forces consist of 292,000+ active duty personnel. In 2023, troop strength in
1435-532: The roles of the national police in overseeing public events, gatherings and sports events. Notably however, they have been excluded from protests (from which they are constitutionally banned) and VIP/government protection (unlike other Gendarmerie forces in Spain and France, however, in Poland this role is undertaken by the SOP ). The ŻW is organized into: The current commander is gen. dyw. Tomasz Połuch. PM-98 Soldiers of
1476-432: The war ( Operation Vistula ), and to violently suppress opposition several times, during the 1956 Poznań protests , the 1970 Polish protests , and during martial law in Poland in 1981–1983. The LWP also took part in the suppressing of the 1968 democratization process of Czechoslovakia, commonly known as the Prague Spring . That same year Marshal of Poland Marian Spychalski was asked to replace Edward Ochab as chairman of
1517-500: The world in terms of military expenditures. In 2023, Poland spent the greatest share of its GDP for military expenditures (3.9%) among all NATO members. With over 216,100 active personnel in 2024, the Polish Armed Forces are the third largest military in NATO, after Turkey and the USA . Pursuant to the national security strategy of Poland, the supreme strategic goal of Poland's military forces
1558-480: The years 2013 through to 2022 have been put in place. During the 2013 to 2016 period of the plan, 37.8 billion PLN, or 27.8% of the period's military budget of 135.5 billion PLN was invested into technical modernisation. Significant military equipment acquisitions are also planned for through the 2022 period, with the Ministry of Defense outlying 61 billion złoty to be spent on further modernization. A major feature of
1599-600: Was changed to "Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland" to accord with the Polish State's new official name. Following the subsequent disbandment of the Warsaw Pact , Poland was admitted into NATO on 12 March 1999 and the Polish armed forces began a major reorganization effort in order to conform to the new western standards. From 2002 until 2014, Polish military forces were part of the Coalition Forces that participated in
1640-451: Was given in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland . Since the beginning of the pandemic, the ZW has taken an increasingly public and pervasive role in the policing of society, often supplementing or fully overtaking the traditional roles of the national Police force. Among other notable role changes and developments in the last two years, the ZW has overtaken all duties on patrolling
1681-412: Was recreated in 1918 from elements of the three separate Russian, Austro-Hungarian, and German armies, and armed with equipment left following World War I. The force expanded during the Polish–Soviet War of 1919–1922 to nearly 800,000 men, but then were reduced after peace was reestablished. At the onset of World War II , on 1 September 1939 Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Polish forces were overwhelmed by