ABSTRACT
The Polish military plays a limited role in the area of policy formulation and, given the combination of the military relationship between Moscow and Warsaw; this is likely to remain true for the indefinite future. Conceptually, the role of the armed forces in the policy process may be divided into two general categories: policy formulation and policy implementation. While the military's role in policy formulation is limited, this is not true in the area of policy implementation. In fact, the role of the armed forces in this area is of critical importance. The Polish military also plays an important role in policy implementation as a result of its participation in international peace-keeping forces. The important role played by the Polish armed forces within the Warsaw Pact also has a significant effect on Polish policy implementation in the external sphere. The Party leadership gams several advantages from the military's role in the area of policy implementation.
