Armed Forces Day, known also as the Feast of the Polish Armed Forces (), is a national holiday celebrated annually on 15 August in Poland, commemorating the anniversary of the 1920 victory over

Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

at the Battle of Warsaw during the

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (14 February 1919 – 18 March 1921) was fought primarily between the Second Polish Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, following World War I and the Russian Revolution. After the collapse ...

. Armed Forces Day is held in conjunction with the Day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, itself a separate public holiday. The event is marked by

military parade A military parade is a formation of military personnels whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as Drill team, drilling or marching. Large military parades are today held on major holidays and military events around the ...

s, equipment reviews, showcases and remembrances by all branches of the

Polish Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (, ; abbreviated SZ RP), also called the Polish Armed Forces and popularly called in Poland (, roughly "the Polish Military"—abbreviated ''WP''), are the national Military, armed forces of the Poland, ...

across the country. One of the most prominent events of the day is in the capital Warsaw, which hosts a large military parade through the city's center. Originally celebrated during the Second Republic, the holiday was barred by authorities during the communist era beginning in 1947, only to be revived again in 1992.

History

In the event known by the critics as the "Miracle of the Vistula," the

Polish Army The Land Forces () are the Army, land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military histor ...

under the command of Marshal

Józef Piłsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Chief of State (Poland), Chief of State (1918–1922) and first Marshal of Poland (from 1920). In the aftermath of World War I, he beca ...

successfully repulsed a

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

offensive outside of Warsaw in mid-August 1920. The defeat of the Russian army ensured the capital's protection and the survival of the young

Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 7 October 1918 and 6 October 1939. The state was established in the final stage of World War I ...

. To commemorate the republic's victory over the Red Army, Minister of Military Affairs

Stanisław Szeptycki Stanisław Maria Jan Teofil Szeptycki (3 November 1867 – 9 October 1950) was a Polish count, general and military commander. Biography Born in 1867 in Galicia, Austria-Hungary to the aristocratic Szeptycki family, he was the grandson of Poli ...

established the Feast of the Soldier (''Święta Żołnierza''), or Soldiers Day, in 1923. In proclaiming the holiday, Szeptycki declared that, " the anniversary of the memorable defeat of the Bolshevik onslaught on Warsaw, we honor the memory of those killed in battles with enemies throughout all ages and for Polish independence." The date of 15 August was chosen as it coincided with the 21st Mountain Division's evening counterattack on Russian troops, eventually forcing the Red Army's general retreat. Additionally, the government of the Second Republic desired the military's greater integration with the new state, as well as for the armed forces to improve its image among the civilian public. The Feast of the Soldier remained a celebrated holiday until 1947, when the newly installed communist government of the

People's Republic of Poland The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...

discontinued the tradition. In 1950, the

Council of Ministers Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...

under Prime Minister

Józef Cyrankiewicz Józef Adam Zygmunt Cyrankiewicz (; 23 April 1911 – 20 January 1989) was a Polish Socialist (PPS) and after 1948 Communist politician. He served as premier of the Polish People's Republic between 1947 and 1952, and again for 16 years between 1 ...

passed regulations to officially celebrate the military on 12 October. Renaming the celebration as Polish Armed Forces Day (''Dzień Wojska Polskiego''), the day marked the anniversary of the Soviet-organized

Polish 1st Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Division Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

engaging

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

units at the

Battle of Lenino The Battle of Lenino was a tactical World War II engagement that took place on 12 and 13 October 1943, north of the village of Lenino, Mahilyow Voblast, Lenino in the Mogilev region of Byelorussian SSR, Byelorussia. The battle itself was a part ...

in October 1943. The communist government found it impossible to celebrate the original date of 15 August and its coinciding historical significance, owing to its glorification of the

's defeat. Following the return of democracy in the wake of the events of 1989, the

Sejm The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...

approved the restoration of Armed Forces Day to the original 15 August date and meaning on 30 July 1992, repealing the earlier communist era 1950 declaration.

Commemorations

Armed Forces Day is celebrated throughout Poland, with military parades, commemorations for active personnel, veterans, and the dead. As the day coincides with the religious Day of the Assumption, church masses across the country reflect on the memory of Poland's military dead. Additionally, a number of military-themed events are held throughout many of the nation's larger towns and cities, including equipment demonstrations for the general public and open house events. In Warsaw, the holiday is commemorated by several state events in the central Śródmieście borough of the capital. As head of state and commander-in-chief, the

President of Poland The president of Poland ( ), officially the president of the Republic of Poland (), is the head of state of Poland. His or her prerogatives and duties are determined in the Constitution of Poland. The president jointly exercises the executive ...

presides over promotions of high-ranking officers, including the promotion of colonels to generals at the

Presidential Palace A presidential palace is the official residence of the president in some countries. Some presidential palaces were once the official residences to monarchs in former monarchies that were preserved during those states' transition into republics. ...

. The pageantry continues with commemorations near the

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier A Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or Tomb of the Unknown Warrior is a monument dedicated to the services of an unknown soldier and the common memories of all soldiers killed in war. Such tombs are located in many nations and are usually high-profile na ...

held in

Piłsudski Square Piłsudski Square (), is the largest city square of Poland's capital, located in the Warsaw city centre. The square is named after Marshal Józef Piłsudski who was instrumental in the restoration of Polish statehood after World War I.

. The events in Warsaw typically involve the participation of the nation's political establishment, including the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

, the

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

, and leading members of the

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

. Leading politicians also lay wreaths at the

Monument, as well as at the

. As a

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

member state, Armed Forces Day in Poland typically draws representatives from other allied militaries in attendance. The centennial celebrations for 2020 were "1920 Battle of Warsaw – a Polish victory for the freedom of Europe".

Armed Forces Day Parade

One of the main attractions of the Warsaw festivities is a

of servicemen and women, as well as a review of existing military equipment, held normally along

Ujazdów Avenue Ujazdów may refer to the following places in Poland: *Ujazdów, Warsaw, a neighbourhood in Śródmieście, Warsaw **Ujazdów Avenue in Warsaw **Ujazdów Castle in Warsaw **Ujazdów Park in Warsaw *Ujazdów, Włodawa County in Lublin Voivodeship (e ...

. Active servicemen and women participate at many events, joined often by volunteers appearing in historical dress, including those donning the equipment and dress of the

or other historical periods. The first grand military parades since the holiday was reinstated in Warsaw were in 2007 and 2008, and parades have been held yearly since 2013. In 2019, the parade took place in the southern city of

Katowice Katowice (, ) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Katowice urban area. As of 2021, Katowice has an official population of 286,960, and a resident population estimate of around 315,000. K ...

to honour the participation of

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

's residents in the

Silesian Uprisings The Silesian Uprisings (; ; ) were a series of three uprisings from August 1919 to July 1921 in Upper Silesia, which was part of the Weimar Republic at the time. Ethnic Polish and Polish-Silesian insurrectionists, seeking to have the area tran ...

from 1919 to 1921.

Image gallery

File:Polish president with army.PNG, President

Lech Kaczyński Lech Aleksander Kaczyński (; 18 June 194910 April 2010) was a Polish politician who served as the city mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 2005, and as President of Poland from 2005 until his death in 2010 in an air crash. The aircraft carrying ...

reviewing troops, Warsaw, 2007 File:US Soldiers join allies for Polish Armed Forces Day 160815-A-DP178-025.jpg, President

Andrzej Duda Andrzej Sebastian Duda (born 16 May 1972) is a Polish lawyer and politician who has served as the sixth president of Poland since 2015. Before becoming president, he served as a Member of the Sejm from 2011 to 2014 and before becoming Member of ...

and Chief of Staff Gen. Mieczyslaw Gocul arrive at the Armed Forces Day parade in Warsaw in 2016 File:Obchody Święta Wojska Polskiego 2018 w Warszawie (1).jpg, President Andrzej Duda and the

Marshal of the Sejm The Marshal of the Sejm (, ) is the speaker (chair) of the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish Parliament. The office traces its origins to the 15th century. In modern Poland, the full title is Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (). ...

together with officers of the Polish Armed Forces during the Armed Forces Day in 2019 File:Ułani polscy na koniach Rekonstrukcja Święto Wojska Polskiego 15.08.2018.jpg, Soldiers dressed in traditional uniforms of the Polish

uhlan Uhlan (; ; ; ; ) is a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. The uhlans started as Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, Lithuanian irregular cavalry, that were later also adopted by other countries during the 18th century, including Polis ...

s light cavalry in 2018 File:Tag der polnischen Streikräfte (48616463206).jpg, Soldiers of the

Polish Land Forces The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history str ...

in 2019 File:Polands SOF (48560316046).jpg, Polish Special Operations soldiers on Armed Forces Day in Katowice in 2019 File:Tag der polnischen Streikräfte (48616466996).jpg, Representatives of the main service branches of the Polish Armed Forces in 2019 File:August 15, 2022, Święto Wojska Polskiego, Plac Pilsudskiego, Warsaw. 8.jpg, Celebrations on the

in 2022 File:I pułk artylerii w Belfort.JPG, Honor guard of the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

's First Artillery Regiment, Warsaw, 2007 File:Tag der polnischen Streikräfte (48616137668).jpg, Polish

Leopard 2 The Leopard 2 is a third generation German main battle tank (MBT). Developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s, the tank entered service in 1979 and replaced the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the West German army. Various iterat ...

tanks in 2019

References

{{reflist Victory days Military of Poland Military parades in Poland Public holidays in Poland 1923 establishments in Poland August observances Annual events in Poland Armed Forces days Summer in Poland Polish military traditions

History

Commemorations

Armed Forces Day Parade

Image gallery

See also

References