# Polish General Staff

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 was renamed the Main Staff (Sztab Główny) in 1928 before being reverted back to General Staff (Sztab Generalny) in 1945 by the Soviet backed Communist Government. Currently General Wiesław Kukuła holds the position of Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces (Szef Sztabu Generalnego Wojska Polskiego).

## History and structure

On 25 October 1918, a decision was made to establish the directorate of the chief of staff of the Polish Army. On 22 December 1928 the General Staff was renamed to the Main Staff (Sztab Główny). By October 1939, during the Invasion of Poland by the Wehrmacht and the Red Army, all the institutions of the Main Staff had evacuated to the Polish government-in-exile and all the buildings were taken over by the Germans and Soviets. On 8 August 1944, the Main Staff of the Polish Army was created by the Soviet-controlled Polish Committee of National Liberation and on 10 July 1945, the Provisional Government of National Unity reverted its name back to the General Staff of the Polish Army, the head of which was appointed Soviet-Polish General Vladislav Korchits. The Polish government-in-exile kept the previous name until the positions dissolution.
The General Staff consists of the following command personnel and organizational units at the Ministry of National Defence (MON):
Command personnel (Kadra kierownicza):
* Chief of the General Staff (Szef Sztabu Generalnego WP) - Generał Wiesław Kukuła
* First Deputy Chief of the General Staff (I Zastępca szefa Sztabu Generalnego WP) - Generał dywizji Karol Dymanowski
* Deputy Chief of Staff (Zastępca szefa Sztabu Generalnego WP) - Generał broni Stanisław Czosnek
* Director of the Chief of the GS's Secretariat (Szef Sekretariatu Szefa SG WP) - Col. Arkadiusz Rubajczyk
* 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 Piotr Smuga
General Staff Directorates (Zarządy Sztabu Generalnego WP):
* Organization and Manpower Complement Directorate (Zarząd Organizacji i Zasobów Osobowych - P1) - Colonel Bogdan Sowa
* Intelligence and Reconnaissance Analysis Directorate (Zarząd Analiz Wywiadowczych i Rozpoznawczych - P2) - Generał brygady Mieczysław Bieniek
* Armed Forces Application Planning and Training Directorate (Zarząd Planowania Operacyjnego - P3) - Generał brygady Mirosław Polakow
* Logistics Directorate (Zarząd Logistyki - P4) - Generał brygady Mariusz Skulimowski
* Armed Forces Development Planning and Programming Directorate (Zarząd Planowania i Programowania Rozwoju Sił Zbrojnych - P5) - Generał brygady Rafał Ostrowski
* Management and Command Directorate (Zarząd Kierowania i Dowodzenia - P6) - Colonel Piotr Chodowiec
* Training Directorate (Zarząd Szkolenia - P7) - Generał brygady Rafał Miernik
* Material Planning Directorate (Zarząd Planowania Rzeczowego - P8) - Generał brygady Krzysztof Zielski

## List of Chiefs
### Kingdom of Poland (1917–1918)
#### Head of the Inspectorate

| No. | Portrait | Head of the Inspectorate | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | | von Barth, Felixgen. piech. Felix von Barth [pl] (1851–1931) | 23 April 1917 | 19 October 1918 | 18 days |
| 2 | | Minkiewicz, Henrykpłk Henryk Minkiewicz (1880–1940) | 19 October 1918 | 28 October 1918 | 9 days |

#### Chief of Staff

| No. | Portrait | Chief of Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | | Rozwadowski, Tadeuszgen. dyw. Tadeusz Rozwadowski (1866–1928) | 28 October 1918 | 14 November 1918 | 17 days |

### Second Polish Republic (1918−1939)
#### Chief of the General Staff

| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | Rozwadowski, Tadeuszgen. dyw. Tadeusz Rozwadowski (1866–1928) | 14 November 1918 | 15 November 1918 | 1 day |
| 2 | Szeptycki, Stanisławgen. broni Stanisław Szeptycki (1867–1950) | 16 November 1918 | 7 February 1919 | 84 days |
| 3 | Haller, Stanisławgen. dyw. Stanisław Haller (1872–1940) | 8 February 1919 | 22 July 1920 | 1 year, 165 days |
| (1) | Rozwadowski, Tadeuszgen. dyw. Tadeusz Rozwadowski (1866–1928) | 22 July 1920 | 1 April 1921 | 253 days |
| 4 | Sikorski, Władysławgen. dyw. Władysław Sikorski (1881–1943) | 1 April 1921 | 6 December 1922 | 1 year, 249 days |
| 5 | Piłsudski, JózefMarszałek Polski Józef Piłsudski (1867–1935) | 17 December 1922 | 9 June 1923 | 174 days |
| (3) | Haller, Stanisławgen. dyw. Stanisław Haller (1872–1940) | 9 June 1923 | 16 December 1925 | 2 years, 190 days |
| 6 | Kessler, Edmundgen. bryg. Edmund Kessler [pl] (1880–1930) | 16 December 1925 | 12 May 1926 | 147 days |
| (3) | Haller, Stanisławgen. dyw. Stanisław Haller (1872–1940) | 12 May 1926 | 15 May 1926 | 3 days |
| 7 | Burhardt-Bukacki, Stanisławgen. bryg. Stanisław Burhardt-Bukacki (1890–1942) | 17 May 1926 | 28 June 1926 | 42 days |
| 8 | Piskor, Tadeuszgen. bryg. Tadeusz Piskor (1889–1951) | 28 June 1926 | 22 December 1928 | 2 years, 177 days |

#### Chief of the Main Staff

| No. | Chief of the Main Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | Piskor, Tadeuszgen. dyw. Tadeusz Piskor (1889–1951) | 22 December 1928 | 5 December 1931 | 2 years, 348 days |
| 2 | Gąsiorowski, Januszgen. bryg. Janusz Gąsiorowski (1889–1949) | 3 December 1931 | 7 June 1935 | 3 years, 186 days |
| 3 | Stachiewicz, Wacławgen. bryg. Wacław Stachiewicz (1894–1973) | 7 June 1935 | 18 September 1939 | 4 years, 103 days |

### Polish government-in-exile (1939−1946)

| No. | Chief of the Main Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | Kędzior, Aleksanderpłk Aleksander Kędzior [pl] (1897–1986) | 7 November 1939 | 5 June 1940 | 211 days |
| 2 | Klimecki, Tadeuszgen. bryg. Tadeusz Klimecki (1895–1943) | 5 June 1940 | 4 July 1943 † | 3 years, 29 days |
| 3 | Kopański, Stanisławgen. dyw. Stanisław Kopański (1895–1976) | 21 July 1943 | 3 September 1946 | 3 years, 44 days |

### Republic of Poland / People's Republic of Poland (1945−1989)

| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | Korczyc, Władysławgen. broni Władysław Korczyc (1893–1966) | 9 May 1945 | 18 January 1954 | 8 years, 254 days |
| – | Pigarewicz, Borysgen. broni Borys Pigarewicz [pl] (1898–1961) Acting | 18 January 1954 | 23 March 1954 | 64 days |
| 2 | Bordziłowski, Jerzygen. broni Jerzy Bordziłowski (1900–1983) | 23 March 1954 | 6 February 1965 | 10 years, 320 days |
| 3 | Jaruzelski, Wojciechgen. dyw. Wojciech Jaruzelski (1923–2014) | 6 February 1965 | 10 April 1968 | 3 years, 64 days |
| 4 | Chocha, Bolesławgen. dyw. Bolesław Chocha (1923–1987) | 10 April 1968 | 11 January 1973 | 4 years, 276 days |
| 5 | Siwicki, Floriangen. broni Florian Siwicki (1925–2013) | 12 January 1973 | 21 November 1983 | 10 years, 313 days |
| 6 | Użycki, Józefgen. broni Józef Użycki (born 1932) | 22 November 1983 | 1 January 1990 | 6 years, 40 days |

### Third Polish Republic (1990−present)

| No. | Chief of the General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | Użycki, Józefgen. broni Józef Użycki (born 1932) | 1 January 1990 | 24 September 1990 | 266 days |
| 2 | Stelmaszuk, Zdzisławgen. broni Zdzisław Stelmaszuk [pl] (born 1936) | 25 September 1990 | 4 August 1992 | 1 year, 314 days |
| 3 | Wilecki, Tadeuszgen. broni Tadeusz Wilecki [pl] (born 1945) | 4 August 1992 | 9 March 1997 | 4 years, 216 days |
| 4 | Szumski, Henrykgen. broni Henryk Szumski (1941–2012) | 10 March 1997 | 29 September 2000 | 3 years, 203 days |
| 5 | Piątas, Czesławgen. Czesław Piątas (born 1946) | 30 September 2000 | 31 January 2006 | 5 years, 123 days |
| – | Cieniuch, Mieczysławgen. broni Mieczysław Cieniuch (born 1951) Acting | 31 January 2006 | 27 February 2006 | 27 days |
| 6 | Gągor, Franciszekgen. Franciszek Gągor (1951–2010) | 27 February 2006 | 10 April 2010 † | 4 years, 42 days |
| – | Stachowiak, Mieczysławgen. broni Mieczysław Stachowiak [pl] (born 1952) Acting | 10 April 2010 | 7 May 2010 | 27 days |
| 7 | Cieniuch, Mieczysławgen. Mieczysław Cieniuch (born 1951) | 7 May 2010 | 6 May 2013 | 2 years, 364 days |
| 8 | Gocuł, Mieczysławgen. Mieczysław Gocuł (born 1963) | 7 May 2013 | 31 January 2017 | 3 years, 269 days |
| 9 | Surawski, Leszekgen. Leszek Surawski (born 1960) | 31 January 2017 | 2 July 2018 | 1 year, 152 days |
| 10 | Andrzejczak, Rajmundgen. Rajmund Andrzejczak (born 1967) | 2 July 2018 | 10 October 2023 | 5 years, 100 days |
| 11 | Kukuła, Wiesławgen. Wiesław Kukuła (born 1972) | 10 October 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 154 days |