General (Poland)

Generał (pronounced [ɡɛˈnɛraw]) is the generic Polish language term for the rank of general.

The symbols of the rank are the wężyk generalski (pronounced [ˈvɛ̃ʐɨk ɡɛnɛˈralskʲi]), or "general's wavy line", and four stars, present on the rogatywka cap, sleeves of the uniform, and above the breast pocket of a field uniform.

In 1981 Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski (being at this time the 1st Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party, the Prime Minister and the Minister of the National Defense) introduced again the rank of general of the army.

As the only person to hold the newly introduced rank, he was thought of as an ersatz-Marshal, as he could not promote himself to the rank of Marshal of Poland after the death of Marian Spychalski.

In 1995 the rank was yet again abolished; the last pre-NATO generałs were Jaruzelski and Gen. Florian Siwicki, who both died in the early 2010s.

However, with Poland's entry into the structures of NATO in 1999 a need arose to unify the Polish rank system with that of English-speaking countries (and more precisely, the US).

The rank of Marshal of Poland remains as the "wartime" rank, given to the chief of general staff in case of war or a successful military commander after a victorious campaign.