Civil Military Relations and Defense Reform in Poland
Abstract
Poland historically occupies a very important place in Europe. Its location and geography place it on the main strategic axis of Europe. Poland is very often seen as a Central European leader, both politically and militarily. Two very important events, the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the disbanding of the Warsaw Pact in 1991 created a new situation in Central and Eastern Europe. From the beginning, these changes in the European order included security problems. This paper describes changes in the national security of Poland since 1989 with a focus on the Polish Armed Forces (PAF). The author's purpose is to review the changes that have already been made by the Polish Armed Forces, those that are being executed now, and those that are planned for the future. Section 1 provides background information about the security environment changes in Europe after 1989. Section 2 describes Polish undertakings to improve and adapt its National Security Strategy and other doctrine to meet NATO and European Union standards. Section 3 focuses on the efforts of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff to achieve a military standard compatible with NATO and EU needs. Section 4 reviews the reforms that the Polish Armed Forces have made in terms of manpower reduction, equipment modernization, doctrinal updates, personnel reform, military education, military disciplinary law, and command and control. It also describes specific reforms that the Polish Army, Air Forces, and Navy have made since modernization efforts began as well as those that are planned for the future.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 13, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA449644
Entities
People
- Marek Tomaszycki
Organizations
- United States Army War College