18. Dywizja Zmechanizowana Wojska Polskiego – przyczyny powstania, dowództwo, struktura organizacyjna oraz jej rola w Siłach Zbrojnych RP

Abstract

This article describes the reasons for, and the process of, establishing the 18th Mechanised Division of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland. Its organisational structure, command and role in the Polish Army are also outlined. The author not only focused on the chronological presentation of establishing a new tactical unit but also presented the geostrategic context of Central and Eastern Europe. Reference was made to the Russian military potential of the Kaliningrad Region and the Western Operational Command. The contexts of the Suwałki Corridor, the Smolensk Gate and the Anti-Access Area Denial capacities in the modern art of war were described as well. The research methods employed included analysis, synthesis, comparison and generalisation. Special attention was paid to analysing a range of documents and reports describing Poland’s defence strategies and the significance of eastern areas of the Republic of Poland to the military safety of Central and Eastern Europe, including Securing the Suwałki Corridor; Strategy, Statecraft, Deterrence and Defense, The Suwalki Gap – NATO’S Fragile Hot Spot, The Russia – NATO A2AD Environment, The Defence Concept of the Republic of Poland, and The Strategic Defence Review. In the course of the research, publications and lectures by Jacek Bartosiak – The Republic between the land and the sea. About war and peace also proved useful, and so did articles published on Defence24. In the author’s opinion, the creation of the 18th Mechanised Division has been one of the most important undertakings recently implemented within the Polish Armed Forces, aimed at strengthening the military potential in the country’s eastern flank. Conducting research in this field also appears justified when taking into consideration the crucial role of the Suwałki Corridor, the Smolensk Gate and Poland’s capacities for conducting multi-area battles.