Their task was to control a given territory and the more important facilities located there.
The Obligation of Defense
The obligation to defend the borders of Poland at that time rested on the shoulders of the citizens inhabiting our country. This state of affairs lasted until the beginning of the twelfth century. In the sixteenth century, in the history of our statehood, “county troops” appeared, also formed from the local community. They were characterized by a short-term service period of approximately one quarter.
The Task of the Commander
Tadeusz Kościuszko successively postulated the creation of a “general levy” army that would mobilize all men up to the age of forty-six. In Greater Poland, territorial troops played a crucial role during the independence struggles of 1918–1921. The success of the Greater Poland Uprising culminated in the establishment of specific borders for our Homeland, which, as we know, happened largely thanks to the territorial troops.
The 1930s
In the 1930s, the so-called “National Defense” was established. The command cadre of this formation consisted of seconded officers of the Polish Army. During the Nazi occupation, the Home Army created a unique “territorial defense” system consisting of patrolling certain territories of cities and counties. About eighty thousand people passed through their ranks. The soldiers of the “independence underground” were highly motivated by the ideological need to save the Homeland and the Polish nation.
In the Polish People’s Republic
Even the Polish People’s Republic, in 1959, established the Territorial Defense Forces of the Country. The purpose of this formation was, for example, to combat airborne landings and combat sabotage and reconnaissance groups of a potential adversary.
21st Century
In 2008, the previously existing Territorial Defense units were reorganized into special mechanized battalions, thus ending the existence of this type of armed forces. On November 16, 2026, the Territorial Defense Forces were re-established, and they will potentially participate in irregular national defense operations.
The editorial team of “Dziennik Polonijny”, on the occasion of the holiday of the “Polish Territorial Defense Forces”, had the opportunity to participate in fitness and combat demonstrations of this branch of the Polish Armed Forces.
