General Inspector of the Armed Forces

General Inspector of the Armed Forces (Polish: Generalny Inspektor Sił Zbrojnych) was an office created in Poland in 1926. The General Inspector reported directly to the President, and was not responsible to the Sejm or the government. In the event of war, the General Inspector was to become the Commander-in-Chief.

List of General Inspectors of the Armed Forces
Name From To Notes
Józef Piłsudski 27 August 1926 12 May 1935
Edward Rydz-Śmigły 12 May 1935 7 November 1939
Władysław Sikorski 7 November 1939 4 July 1943 (see note 1)
Kazimierz Sosnkowski 8 July 1943 30 September 1944
Tadeusz Komorowski 30 September 1944 2 October 1944
Władysław Anders 2 October 1944 5 May 1945 acting
Tadeusz Komorowski 5 May 1945 8 November 1946
Władysław Anders 8 November 1946 1954
Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski 1954 22 May 1964
Stefan Dembiński 1964 1972
Stanisław Kopański 1972 1976
Zygmunt Bohusz-Szyszko 1976 1980
Bronisław Duch 1980 (see note 2)
  • notes:
  1. starting with Sikorski all were in exile (and increasingly connected with educational activities such as cooperation with the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum)
  2. After 1980, in place of the GISZ, a Military Council was created, led by Maj. Gen. Klemens Rudnicki.

See also