Territorial Defense Forces (Poland)

Not to be confused with Territorial Defence Force (Poland).

Territorial Defense Forces
Obrona Terytorium Kraju
Insignia of the OTK's Varsovian Brigade
Active	1965
Disbanded	2008
Country	Poland
Type	Armed force

The Territorial Defense Forces (Polish : Obrona Terytorium Kraju - OTK) was an armed force responsible for the internal security of Poland and separate from the Polish Army. The OTK existed from 1965 until 2008. As initially organized, OTK forces included both an "Internal Defense Army" and the "Border Defense Force". This style of internal security organization corresponded to that used by the Soviet Union during the same period. ^[1]

After the fall of communism in Poland, changing political priorities led to the reduction of OTK forces. By 1 July 2008, the last of its battalions were converted to mechanized units of the army.

History

The Territorial Defense Forces of the Country (OTK) were established in Poland by the resolution of the State Defense Committee (Polish : Komitet Obrony Kraju) of May 14, 1959, used to directly defend the country's territory against various threats (the external system consisted of operational troops intended to act as part of the United Armed Forces of the Warsaw Pact, assumed to be outside the country's territory) ^[2] . ^[3] to help defend Polish territory in situations where the Polish People's Army was engaged abroad under Warsaw Pact obligations. Although their primary mission was defending the homeland, the OTK also had the Warsaw Pact mission of transporting Soviet forces and supplies across Poland in wartime. Formed mainly from units shifted from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the OTK went under a new Inspectorate for National Territorial Defense in the Ministry of National Defense. The OTK included the Internal Defense Forces (Polish : Wojska Obrony Wewnętrznej - WOW, the largest unit) and several smaller territorial defense units. Immediately after World War II, the WOW's predecessor organization, the Internal Security Corps (Polish : Korpus Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego - KBW) had suppressed the Home Army, which had been loyal to the London government-in-exile; the KBW had also played a large part in suppressing the Poznan workers in 1956.

The WOW, which totaled 65,000 troops in 1982, were equipped as mechanized infantry units, including tanks. The component units, which were organized at district level, had the missions of engaging hostile troops on Polish territory and eliminating local underground elements. The units were to receive the same individual training as regular ground forces, although they did not participate in large-scale coordinated exercises.

By 1990 the WOW was not a credible military force. The organization included many nonmilitary patriotic and social groups, such as the boy scouts, and many military retirees found soft assignments in OTK units. Although the force had a military commander, it was not under the direct control of the Ministry of National Defense. By 1991 budget cuts were reducing personnel significantly, and plans called for transforming many OTK units into civil defense formations that would support production and service in the civilian economy. The OTK units remaining armed and attached to districts as regional defense forces would count as part of the ground forces' planned mid-1990s allotment of about 150,000 troops. They were to function as cadre units reinforcing operational ground forces within their territorial boundaries. Reduction of OTK units continued, and the last units of the OTK were converted to mechanized infantry units of the Polish Army by 1 July 2008.

The military Border Protection Troops (Polish : Wojska Ochrony Pogranicza) was disbanded in 1991, and replaced by the Straż Graniczna , whose commander reports to the Prime Minister. The change resulted in personnel reductions from 21,000 in 1991 to 13,500. ^[4]

On November 16, 2016, the Seym of the Republic of Poland passed the act establishing Territorial Defence Forces from January 1, 2017. ^[5]

Organization and tasks

Their tasks, in addition to fighting against air attack means, air and sea landings, and combating enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups, included the protection of important facilities and communication routes, securing the regrouping of operational troops by maintaining bridges and building crossings, supporting the forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in maintaining public order during war, and participation in work for the national economy and the elimination of natural disasters during peace ^[6] . These troops actually began to be formed in 1963 ^[7] . The OTK troops included:

• Internal Defense Forces (WOWewn)
• National Air Defense Forces (WOPK)
• Territorial Defense Forces of the Navy ^[8]
• Territorial Defense Units (OT)

The basis for the formation of the OTK land forces were the newly formed Territorial Defense units (OT) and the Internal Defense Forces (WOWew.), established in 1966 by transferring the existing units of the Internal Security Corps ^[7] .

Internal Defense Forces

In 1965, on the basis of the units of the Internal Security Corps transferred from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Ministry of National Defence, a new type of army was created - the Internal Defense Forces. After reorganization, they became part of the Territorial Defense Forces of the country. Internal Defense Forces soldiers wore a khaki army uniform with a navy blue cap rim. The 5th Podhale Brigade of the Internal Defense Forces received hats with feathers and capes related to the regional clothing of the Podhale people.

In 1965, the disbanding Internal Security Corps handed over to the Ministry of National Defense three brigades, eight motorized regiments, a tank regiment, a pontoon-bridge regiment, two engineer battalions, a communications regiment and a communications battalion. On the basis of these units, four groups of units of the Internal Defense Forces were created: protection of the National Defense Committee (Polish : Komitet Obrony Kraju) and Voivodeship Defense Committees (Polish : Wojewódzki komitet obrony) (security and communication units), land defense of the country's territory (to combat landings and sabotage groups of the enemy), protection of the regrouping of troops (pontoon-bridge units and traffic regulation). Internal Defense Forces was also supposed to provide assistance to the authorities of the Ministry of the Interior in the field of maintaining public order and security in the event of a threat. In December 1976, the Internl Defense Forces Command was dissolved, and its subordinate units were subordinated to the commanders of the Military Districts (Polish : Wojewódzki sztab wojskowy).

The Internal Defense Forces existed until 1989, when they were dissolved as part of the reduction of the Polish Armed Forces. Some of the units were transformed into security regiments, a few were subordinated to the commander of the Vistula Military Units.

Units

Security units of the National Defense Committee and voivodeship defense committees

• 1st Mazowiecka WOW Brigade in Góra Kalwaria (subordinated to the NJW MSW from January 1, 1992)
• 2nd Podlaska WOW Brigade in Białystok
• 5th Podhale Brigade of the Krakow Land WOW in Krakow
• 8th WOW Regiment (JW 1503) in Łódź, 22 Lipca Street (6 Sierpnia street) 86
• 14th Masurian WOW Regiment – later 14th WOW Brigade (JW 2839) in Olsztyn, ul. Wincenty Pstrowski (subordinated to the NJW MSW from January 1, 1992 as the 14th Security Regiment)
• 20th Communications Brigade of the Kielce Region (JW 3417) - Kielce (subordinated to the NJW MSW from January 1, 1992)
• 2nd Podlasie Communications Regiment WOW in Białystok
• WOW Management Positions Security Branch (subordinated to the NJW of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from January 1, 1992)
• 112th Security Battalion (JW 1076) Linin (subordinated to the NJW of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from January 1, 1992)

• Land defense units:

• 3rd Lublin Regiment WOW in Lublin
• 10th Greater Poland Regiment WOW (JW 3443) in Poznań, Grunwaldzka 9 str.
• 13 Kashubian Regiment WOW (JW 3455) in Gdańsk, 1 Łąkowa str.
• 15th WOW Regiment in Prudnik.

References

Citations

1. Zaloga & Loop 1985, pp. 47–48.
2. Kajetanowicz 2013, pp. 4, 13.
3. The rest of this article is taken almost verbatim from Curtis' work, a publication of the U.S. government. Other sources are noted as appropriate.
4. Curtis, p. 286
5. "Druk nr 966". www.sejm.gov.pl. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
6. Kajetanowicz 2013, p. 5.
7. Kajetanowicz 2013, pp. 6–7.
8. Kajetanowicz 2013, p. 14.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Government .: Glenn E. Curtis (ed.), Poland : a country study, p. 267, Washington: GPO, 1994. ISSN   1057-5294.

• Zaloga, Steven J.; Loop, James (1985). Soviet Bloc Elite Forces. London: Osprey. ISBN   0-85045-631-2.

• Kajetanowicz, Jerzy (2013). "Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej Kraju w systemie bezpieczeństwa Polski w latach 1959-1989". Poligon (in Polish). 37 (2). Magnum-X. ISSN   1895-3344.