Analysing the Polish Military

Abstract

The potential combat capabilities of a nation’s armed forces can be investigated along three dimensions: the quantity and quality of military hardware; doctrine and strategy; and the combat motivation among troops. The study of military hardware allows one to quantitatively measure the combat potential of a military organisation. Investigation of doctrine and strategy permits one to observe and analyse where, when and how equipment and personnel may be employed. A knowledge of combat motivation, meanwhile, indicates the willingness of military personnel to fulfil the objectives assigned to them by their nation and its leaders. This study focuses upon the latter dimension, that is, the combat motivation of the lower ranking members of the armed forces of the Polish People’s Republic (PRL). This is done by examining the attitudes of Polish émigrés who served in the Polish military between the years 1956–82.