Polish General Staff Explained

Post:	Chief
Body:	the General Staff
Flag:	Flaga Szefa Sztabu Generalnego Wojska Polskiego.svg
Flagborder:	yes
Flagcaption:	Flag of the PGS Chief
Insignia:	Odznaka pamiątkowa Sztabu Generalnego Wojska Polskiego.png
Insigniacaption:	Emblem of the PGS
Incumbent:	General Wiesław Kukuła
Incumbentsince:	10 October 2023
Department:	Polish Armed Forces
Member Of:	General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces
Reports To:	Minister of National Defence
Appointer:	President of Poland
Formation:	28 October 1918
First:	Tadeusz Jordan-Rozwadowski

Polish General Staff, formally known as the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces (Polish: Sztab Generalny Wojska Polskiego) is the highest professional body within the Polish Armed Forces. Organizationally, it is an integral part of the Ministry of National Defence and the Chief of the General Staff is the highest ranking military officer at the Ministry. It was created in 1918, and for a time bore the name Main Staff (Sztab Główny). Currently General Wiesław Kukuła holds the position of Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces (Szef Sztabu Generalnego Wojska Polskiego).^[1]

History and structure

On 25 October 1918, a decision was made to establish the directorate of the chief of staff of the Polish Army. In 1928 the General Headquarters of the Polish Army was established, known commonly at the time as the Main Staff (Sztab Główny). In September 1939, during the Invasion of Poland by the Wehrmacht and the Red Army, all the institutions of the General Staff ceased to function and were transferred to joint German and Soviet. control. On 8 August 1944, the General Command of the Polish Army was created and on 1 January 1945, the National Council of Poland decided to establish the General Staff of the Polish Army, the head of which was appointed Soviet-Polish General Vladislav Korchits.

The General Staff consists of the following command personnel and organizational units at the Ministry of National Defence (MON):

Command personnel (Kadra kierownicza):^[2]

• Chief of the General Staff (Szef Sztabu Generalnego WP) - Generał broni Wiesław Kukuła
• First Deputy Chief of the General Staff (I Zastępca szefa Sztabu Generalnego WP) - Generał broni Piotr Błazeusz
• Deputy Chief of Staff (Zastępca szefa Sztabu Generalnego WP) - Generał dywizji Dariusz Pluta
• Deputy Chief of Staff (Zastępca szefa Sztabu Generalnegi WP) - Generał dywizji Karol Dymanowski
• Director of the Chief of the GS's Secretariat (Szef Sekretariatu Szefa SG WP) - Col. Cezary Kiszkowiak
• Director of the Legal Department (Szef Zespołu Prasowego - rzecznik prasowy SG WP) - Col. Joanna Klejszmit
• Director of the Coordination Center (Szef Centrum Koordynacyjnego) - Col. Adam Górecki
• Chief NCO (Starszy podoficer SG WP) - Starszy chorąży sztabowy Andrzej Woltmann

General Staff Directorates (Zarządy Sztabu Generalnego WP):^[3]

• Organization and Manpower Complement Directorate (Zarząd Organizacji i Uzupełnień P1) - Colonel
• Intelligence and Reconnaissance Analysis Directorate (Zarząd Analiz Wywiadowczych i Rozpoznawczych P2) - Generał brygady
• Armed Forces Application Planning and Training Directorate (Zarząd Planowania Użycia Sił Zbrojnych i Szkolenia - P3/P7) - Generał brygady
• Logistics Directorate (Zarząd Logistyki - P4) - Colonel
• Armed Forces Development Planning and Programming Directorate (Zarząd Planowania i Programowania Rozwoju Sił Zbrojnych - P5) - Colonel
• Management and Command Directorate (Zarząd Kierowania i Dowodzenia - P6) - Colonel
• Material Planning Directorate (Zarząd Planowania Rzeczowego - P8) - Colonel

List of Chiefs

Kingdom of Poland (1917–1918)

Head of the Inspectorate

Chief of Staff

Third Polish Republic (1990−present)

See also

• Staff (military)
• General Inspector of the Armed Forces

Notes and References

1. News: Polish president appoints new army chiefs. 2023-10-10. Polskie Radio. 2023-10-26. en-EN.
2. Web site: Kadra Kierownicza. 2023-10-26. Wojsko-Polskie.pl. pl.
3. Web site: Zarządy SGWP. 2021-02-25. Wojsko-Polskie.pl. pl.