People’s Army (Armia Ludowa, AL), an underground military organisation created by a decree of the State National Council of 1 January 1944. An armed formation of the Polish Workers’ Party (PPR), formed by renaming the People’s Guard (Gwardia Ludowa, GL). An action to gain forces from other organisations failed (only a small part of the People’s Militia of the Polish Socialist Workers’ Party was incorporated into the AL). The Polish Partisan Staff (PSzP) remained independent from the AL divisions and brigades. The task of the AL was the anti-German diversion in favour of the Red Army, the participation in organising and defending the system of government created by the PPR (the State National Council and field councils) and the takeover of power in the liberated areas. The State National Council formally exercised authority over the AL, actually – the PPR. Its body-in-chief was the Major Command: General M. Żymierski (“Rola”) – commander-in-chief, F. Jozwiak (“Witold”) – chief of the General Staff, and J. Czechowski – a representative of the Presidium of the State National Council in the Major Command. Commanders and members of the various tiers of commands were included in the appropriate instances of the PPR; the main press body: “Armia Ludowa”. The People’s Army operated in the area of the General Government and partially on the so-called areas annexed to the Third Reich. The local structure of the organisation was made of: districts, provinces, sub-areas, counties, regions (quarters) and stations. The combat structure of the People’s Army was made of field units (from groups to brigades) and garrison units (sortie groups). In early 1944, the People’s Army had 6-8,000 people; in July 1944 – about 30,000 people. Brigades of several hundreds people, arising from the expansion of branches and guerrilla battalions, were directly subordinated to the AL Major Command (Brigade of the People’s Army). In July 1944, the guerrilla forces consisted of approximately 6,000 people, including 40% in the brigades. There were also smaller units, including the “Czwartacy” Battalion. The commanding staff consisted mainly of promoted trained guerrillas, members of the PSzP groups, non-commissioned officers and officers coming from other organisations, especially from the Home Army AK. The People’s Army gained weapons and equipment mainly from the enemy, but also received some from the PSzP (especially from July 1944) by air. The People’s Army concentrated mainly on destroying the German communication lines, liaison (half of all the operations), especially at the back of the Soviet-German front in order to support the Red Army. It attacked the Nazi terror apparatus, organised economic sabotage and fought the pacification and anti-guerrilla expeditions. Battles of, i.a., of Rąblów (May 1944), in Janów and Lipsko Forests as well as in the Solska Wilderness (9–25 June), of Ewina (12 September), in the Suchedniów Forests (16–19 September), of Gruszka (29–30 September). About 500 members of the People’s Army participated in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. Under the decree of the State National Council of 21 July 1944, the People’s Army was combined with the Polish Army in the USSR into the People's Army of Poland in 1944. The troops of the People’s Army used its previous name in the areas occupied by the Germans, some used the formal one – Guerrilla Troops of the Polish Army. In areas occupied by the Red Army, the AL soldiers joined the Polish Army and constituted the main group of supply for the forces of the Ministry of Public Security.

M. Wieczorek Armia Ludowa. Powstanie i organizacja, Warsaw 1979;

Tajne oblicze GL, AL i PPR, coll. and prep. M.J. Chodkiewicz, P. Gontarczyk, L. Żebrowski, vol. 1–3, Warsaw 1997–99;

R. Nazarewicz Armii Ludowej dylematy i dokumenty, Warsaw 1998.

The content of this entry has been prepared on the basis of the source materials of the Polish Scientific Publishers PWN.