The War Game ‘March ‘83’, that is the Crisis in the Polish People’s Army in the 1980s Cover Image

Gra wojenna „Marzec 83”, czyli kryzys w Ludowym Wojsku Polskim w latach osiemdziesiątych
The War Game ‘March ‘83’, that is the Crisis in the Polish People’s Army in the 1980s

Author(s): Jarosław Pałka
Subject(s): Diplomatic history, Military history, International relations/trade, Security and defense, Military policy, Cold-War History, Peace and Conflict Studies
Published by: Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: Warsaw Pact; Cold War; Polish People’s Army; operational plans; nuclear weapons;

Summary/Abstract: The article describes a war game code-named ‘March 83’, conducted in the spring of 1983 by the People’s Army of Poland. The game concerned the so-called ‘external front’ (the Seaside Front), i.e. the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Polish People’s Republic in the context of the operational plan. It was conducted at the end of martial law in Poland, which greatly affected the army’s situation. In the face of the economic crisis and the simultaneous rapid expansion of NATO troops, the real possibilities of conducting an offensive of the Polish army against NATO troops and the occupation of Denmark, northern West Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium were analysed.

  • Issue Year: 53/2021
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 161-186
  • Page Count: 26
  • Language: Polish