Gwardia Ludowa
Encyclopedia
Gwardia Ludowa (ˈɡvardja luˈdɔva; People's Guard) or GL was a communist armed organisation in Poland
, organised by the Soviet created Polish Workers Party. It was the largest military organization which refused to join the structures of the Polish Underground State. It was created in 1942 and in 1944 it was incorporated by the Armia Ludowa
.
warfare, sabotage and reprisal actions, and destroy the Polish independence movement, subordinating Poland to the Soviet Union. In addition, Gwardia Ludowa was connected to the intelligence services of the Soviet Union
.
The first partisan detachments (foray groups were organized even earlier) of Gwardia Ludowa were formed in May 1942 near Piotrków
and Radom
. By the end of the year the organisation was divided onto 7 administrative areas:
The Lwów area was never fully developed and in 1943 it was passed to the Soviet partisans
. Gwardia Ludowa was commanded directly by the head of the Polish Workers' Party
. The first commander of GL was Bolesław Mołojec. After his execution in at the end of 1942 by the Polish Workers' Party
he was succeeded by Franciszek Jóźwiak.
GL was divided into partisan units and garrison units assembled for quick ambushes (after which the garrison units returned to their homes). By the end of 1942 GL had approximately 5,000 members, including, at least nominally, every member of the Polish Workers' Party
. By late 1943 the number rose to about 10,000. Among them approximately 1,700 were partisans, and the rest were part-time combatants.
For the most part, the GL carried out acts of sabotage, including the sabotage of rail transport. However, the units of GL also fought on several occasions against the forces of Armia Krajowa
and NSZ
.
On July 21, 1944, by a decree of the Krajowa Rada Narodowa, the Soviet-recognized Polish government in exile, the Gwardia Ludowa became a part of the newly formed Armia Ludowa
.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, organised by the Soviet created Polish Workers Party. It was the largest military organization which refused to join the structures of the Polish Underground State. It was created in 1942 and in 1944 it was incorporated by the Armia Ludowa
Armia Ludowa
Armia Ludowa was a communist partisan force set up by the Polish Workers' Party during World War II. Its aims were to support the military of the Soviet Union against German forces and aid the creation of a pro-Soviet communist government in Poland...
.
History
Gwardia Ludowa was created on January 6, 1942. It was tasked to fight against Germany, by means of partisanPartisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
warfare, sabotage and reprisal actions, and destroy the Polish independence movement, subordinating Poland to the Soviet Union. In addition, Gwardia Ludowa was connected to the intelligence services of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
The first partisan detachments (foray groups were organized even earlier) of Gwardia Ludowa were formed in May 1942 near Piotrków
Piotrków
Piotrków may refer to the following places in Poland:*Piotrków Trybunalski, a city in Piotrków County, Łódź Voivodeship*Piotrków Kujawski, a city in Gmina Piotrków Kujawski in Radziejów County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship...
and Radom
Radom
Radom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and...
. By the end of the year the organisation was divided onto 7 administrative areas:
- WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
- LublinLublinLublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
- RadomRadomRadom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and...
-KielceKielceKielce ) is a city in central Poland with 204,891 inhabitants . It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship... - KrakówKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
- Łódź
- SilesiaSilesiaSilesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
- Lwów
The Lwów area was never fully developed and in 1943 it was passed to the Soviet partisans
Soviet partisans
The Soviet partisans were members of a resistance movement which fought a guerrilla war against the Axis occupation of the Soviet Union during World War II....
. Gwardia Ludowa was commanded directly by the head of the Polish Workers' Party
Polish Workers' Party
The Polish Workers' Party was a communist party in Poland from 1942 to 1948. It was founded as a reconstitution of the Communist Party of Poland, and merged with the Polish Socialist Party in 1948 to form the Polish United Workers' Party.-History:...
. The first commander of GL was Bolesław Mołojec. After his execution in at the end of 1942 by the Polish Workers' Party
Polish Workers' Party
The Polish Workers' Party was a communist party in Poland from 1942 to 1948. It was founded as a reconstitution of the Communist Party of Poland, and merged with the Polish Socialist Party in 1948 to form the Polish United Workers' Party.-History:...
he was succeeded by Franciszek Jóźwiak.
GL was divided into partisan units and garrison units assembled for quick ambushes (after which the garrison units returned to their homes). By the end of 1942 GL had approximately 5,000 members, including, at least nominally, every member of the Polish Workers' Party
Polish Workers' Party
The Polish Workers' Party was a communist party in Poland from 1942 to 1948. It was founded as a reconstitution of the Communist Party of Poland, and merged with the Polish Socialist Party in 1948 to form the Polish United Workers' Party.-History:...
. By late 1943 the number rose to about 10,000. Among them approximately 1,700 were partisans, and the rest were part-time combatants.
For the most part, the GL carried out acts of sabotage, including the sabotage of rail transport. However, the units of GL also fought on several occasions against the forces of Armia Krajowa
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
and NSZ
Narodowe Sily Zbrojne
Narodowe Siły Zbrojne was a Polish, anti-Soviet and anti-Nazi paramilitary organization which was part of the Polish resistance movement in World War II, fighting the Nazi German occupation of Poland in the General Government, and later the Soviet puppet state known as the Polish People's Republic...
.
On July 21, 1944, by a decree of the Krajowa Rada Narodowa, the Soviet-recognized Polish government in exile, the Gwardia Ludowa became a part of the newly formed Armia Ludowa
Armia Ludowa
Armia Ludowa was a communist partisan force set up by the Polish Workers' Party during World War II. Its aims were to support the military of the Soviet Union against German forces and aid the creation of a pro-Soviet communist government in Poland...
.
Commanders
The prominent commanders and chiefs of staff were:- Marian SpychalskiMarian SpychalskiMarian "Marek" Spychalski was a Polish architect, military commander, and communist politician.Born to a working-class family in Łódź, he graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology in 1931...
- Franciszek Jóźwiak
- Mieczysław Moczar
- Franciszek Zubrzycki