The 36th Infantry Regiment of the Academic Legion (
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
''36 pułk piechoty Legii Akademickiej'', 36pp) was a Polish military unit. Initially made up of students from the
University of Warsaw
The University of Warsaw ( pl, Uniwersytet Warszawski, la, Universitas Varsoviensis) is a public university in Warsaw, Poland. Established in 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country offering 37 different fields of ...
and the
Warsaw University of Technology
The Warsaw University of Technology ( pl, Politechnika Warszawska, lit=Varsovian Polytechnic) is one of the leading institutes of technology in Poland and one of the largest in Central Europe. It employs 2,453 teaching faculty, with 357 professor ...
, it fought with distinction in the
Polish-Bolshevik War, the
Polish Defensive War and in the
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising ( pl, powstanie warszawskie; german: Warschauer Aufstand) was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. It occ ...
.
The regiment was an all-volunteer force made up of students from Warsaw-based universities on November 11, 1918, that is the day Poland regained her independence. Initially the unit was simply named ''Infantry Regiment of the Academic Legion'' and took part in disarming the Austro-Hungarian and German soldiers remaining on Polish territory. Accepted formally into the
Polish Army
The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stre ...
on December 3, it was renamed the ''36th Infantry Regiment'' and on April 5, 1919, it was allowed to retain its former name as an honorary title.
The regiment
were sworn on December 13 and on January 4, 1919, it left
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
for
Lwów, which was then under siege by the forces of the
West Ukrainian People's Republic
The West Ukrainian People's Republic (WUPR) or West Ukrainian National Republic (WUNR), known for part of its existence as the Western Oblast of the Ukrainian People's Republic, was a short-lived polity that controlled most of Eastern Gali ...
. Attached to the relief force under Gen.
Jan Romer, it was initially made up of two battalions and a small NCO school. The regiment suffered heavy losses and both battalions were eventually merged. However, the unit managed to
break through to the besieged city through
Żółkiew
Zhovkva ( uk, Жовква ; pl, Żółkiew; yi, זאָלקוואַ, translit=Zolkva; russian: Жо́лква, 1951–1992: ''Nesterov'') is a city in Lviv Raion, Lviv Oblast (region) of western Ukraine. Zhovkva hosts the administration of Zho ...
,
Kulików and Homulec. After that on September 7 the unit was reinforced with additional battalions formed in Warsaw and
Modlin.
During the Polish-Bolshevik War the unit was dispatched to the front on May 14, 1920, and took part in heavy fighting during the Polish retreat westwards. On June 3 it took part in the victorious
battle of Duniłowicze. After the war this date became the Regiment's feast day. On August 13 and the following days, the regiment again took part in the
Battle of Ossów
The Battle of Ossów took place in the fields near Wołomin on 14 August 1920. It was a part of a much larger battle on the outskirts of Warsaw during the Polish-Bolshevist War (February 1919 - March 1921). During the day Soviet units managed ...
(heavy fighting for the town of Osowiec and the village of
Leśniakowizna
Leśniakowizna is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Wołomin, within Wołomin County, Masovian Voivodeship
The Masovian Voivodeship, also known as the Mazovia Province ( pl, województwo mazowieckie ) is a voivodeship (province ...
during the
battle of Warsaw). In a series of withdrawals and counter-attacks, and despite heavy losses, the regiment withstood the Bolshevik assault on Warsaw thus permitting
Józef Piłsudski
), Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire (now Lithuania)
, death_date =
, death_place = Warsaw, Poland
, constituency =
, party = None (formerly PPS)
, spouse =
, children = Wan ...
's main assault group to outflank and destroy the enemy. Among the fallen was the regiment's chaplain, Rev.
Ignacy Skorupka
Ignacy Skorupka (31 July 1893 – 14 August 1920) was a Polish priest, chaplain of the Polish Army. He died during the battle of Warsaw. He became one of the most famous casualties of the battle.
Biography
Ignacy Jan Skorupka was born on 31 J ...
and the commander of 2nd Battalion,
Stanisław Matarewicz Stanislav and variants may refer to:
People
*Stanislav (given name), a Slavic given name with many spelling variations (Stanislaus, Stanislas, Stanisław, etc.)
Places
* Stanislav, a coastal village in Kherson, Ukraine
* Stanislaus County, Cali ...
. During the fighting heavy losses were replaced with a battalion of an improvised 236th Infantry Regiment formed mostly of students and
Scouts
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
of the Warsaw borough of
Praga
Praga is a district of Warsaw, Poland. It is on the east bank of the river Vistula. First mentioned in 1432, until 1791 it formed a separate town with its own city charter.
History
The historical Praga was a small settlement located at ...
. After the battle the regiment continued to pursue the retreating Russian forces in the Ukraine and on September 24, 1920, took part in the liberation of an important railway hub in the town of
Szepietówka.
During the interbellum, the regiment was attached to the
Polish 28th Infantry Division
The 28 Dywizja Piechoty was a Polish Army infantry division which saw action against the invading Germans during the Invasion of Poland of World War II. The division suffered heavy casualties in battles near Łódź and the remnants retreated to ...
and formed a part of the Warsaw garrison. It took part in the
May Coup d'État of 1926 fighting in the ranks of the supporters of Piłsudski. On August 23, 1939, it was mobilized and attached to the
Łódź Army
Łódź Army ( pl, Armia Łódź) was one of the Polish armies that took part in the Invasion of Poland of 1939. It was officially created on 23 March 1939 with the task of filling the gap between Poznań Army in the north and Kraków Army in the ...
.
In September 1939, Commanded by Col.
Karol Ziemski
Karol Ziemski (24 May 1895 – 17 January 1974) (nom de guerre ''Wachnowski'') was a general of the Polish Army, participant of the Polish September Campaign and the Warsaw Uprising, officer of the Home Army.
He was born on May 24, 1895 in the vi ...
, the Regiment was dispatched to
Greater Poland
Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; german: Großpolen, sv, Storpolen, la, Polonia Maior), is a Polish historical regions, historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed ...
, where the regiment took part in the Polish retreat through
Łask
Łask (; german: Lask) is a town in central Poland with 16,925 inhabitants (2020). It is the capital of Łask County, and is situated in Łódź Voivodeship (since 1999), previously in Sieradz Voivodeship (1975–1998). The Polish Air Force's 32n ...
,
Pabianice
Pabianice is a city in central Poland with 63,023 inhabitants (2021). Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship, it is the capital of Pabianice County. It lies about southwest of Łódź and belongs to the metropolitan area of that city. It is the ...
and
Brwinów, and managed to reach the
Modlin Fortress
Modlin Fortress ( pl, Twierdza Modlin) is one of the largest 19th-century fortresses in Poland. It is located in the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki in district Modlin on the Narew river, approximately 50 kilometers north of Warsaw. It was o ...
. The
March Battalion
A march battalion (french: Bataillon de Marche, , it, Battaglione di marcia or ) is a military unit comprising replacement and support personnel, usually for a regiment or brigade-sized formation.
The term rear echelon – especially in the armi ...
of the 36th Regiment was left in Warsaw and served as a core of the Polish 336th Infantry Regiment that took part in the
defence of Warsaw. Split onto two separate regiments, the 1st and 2nd ''Defenders of Praga'' Infantry Regiments under
Stanislaw Milian and
Stefan Kotowski, the unit held out until the final capitulation of Warsaw.
During the German occupation, veterans of the 36th Regiment were joined in the VI
Home Army
The Home Army ( pl, Armia Krajowa, abbreviated AK; ) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) esta ...
Area. During
Operation Tempest
file:Akcja_burza_1944.png, 210px, right
Operation Tempest ( pl, akcja „Burza”, sometimes referred to in English as "Operation Storm") was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II against occupying German forces by the Polish Home ...
the Regiment was recreated and took part in the Warsaw Uprising. The soldiers of the regiment fought in the failed uprising in Praga, but also in heavy fights for the boroughs of
Żoliborz
Żoliborz () is one of the northern districts of the city of Warsaw. It is located directly to the north of the City Centre, on the left bank of the Vistula river. It has approximately 50,000 inhabitants and is one of the smallest boroughs of W ...
,
Mokotów
Mokotów , is a ''dzielnica'' (borough, district) of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Mokotów is densely populated, and is a seat to many foreign embassies and companies. Only a small part of the district is lightly industrialised ('' Służewiec ...
and
Czerniaków
Czerniaków is a neighbourhood of the city of Warsaw, located within the borough of Mokotów, between the escarpment of the Vistula river and the river itself.
Called ''Czerniakowo'' since the Middle Ages, it was then merely a small village loca ...
. It was officially recreated by order of
Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski
Generał Tadeusz Komorowski (1 June 1895 – 24 August 1966), better known by the name Bór-Komorowski (after one of his wartime code-names: ''Bór'' – "The Forest") was a Polish military leader. He was appointed commander in chief a day bef ...
out of three previously-existing partisan battalions. Led by Maj.
Stanisław Błaszczak (
nom de guerre
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
''Róg''), it was composed of the
Krybar (
Cyprian Odorkiewicz), Dowgierd (
Stanisław Taczanowski) and ''Żmudzin'' (
Bolesław Kontrym
Lieutenant Bolesław Kontrym (Zatruka, Russian Empire, 27 August 1898 – 20 January 1953, Warsaw, Poland), also known by codenames ''Żmudzin'', ''Biały'', ''Bielski'' and ''Cichocki'', was a Polish Army officer, a Home Army soldier, participant ...
) battalions, each named after their commanders' noms de guerre. After the capitulation of the Uprising, the soldiers shared the fate of the rest of the
Armia Krajowa
The Home Army ( pl, Armia Krajowa, abbreviated AK; ) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) esta ...
. The Regiment was not recreated after the war and its banner, founded in 1921 by the universities of Warsaw, is currently in the
Museum of the Polish Army
Museum of the Polish Army ( pl, Muzeum Wojska Polskiego) is a museum in Warsaw documenting the military history of Poland. Established in 1920 under the Second Polish Republic, it occupies a wing of the building of the Polish National Museum as w ...
in Warsaw.
In 1966 the regiment was awarded the
Virtuti Militari
The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', pl, Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was created in 1792 by Polish King Stan ...
, the highest Polish military decoration, by
Władysław Anders
)
, birth_name = Władysław Albert Anders
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Krośniewice-Błonie, Warsaw Governorate, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
, death_date =
, death_place = London, England, United Kingdom
, serviceyear ...
and the
Polish Government in exile. On December 12, 1992, the historical heritage of the 36th Regiment was accepted by modern
Trzebiatów
Trzebiatów (pronounced ; ; formerly german: Treptow an der Rega) is a town in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, with 10,119 inhabitants (2016). Trzebiatów is located on the Rega River in the north-western part of Poland, roughly 9 kilo ...
-based
Polish 36th Mechanized Regiment, in 1994 reformed into the
Polish 36th Mechanized Brigade. In 1991 the last president of Poland in exile,
Ryszard Kaczorowski, returned the pre-war insignia to the newly elected Polish president
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa (; ; born 29 September 1943) is a Polish statesman, dissident, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who served as the President of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 election, Wałęsa became the first democratica ...
. Among them was the original Virtuti Militari awarded to the unit in 1966. Initially attached to the regimental banner in the Museum of the Polish Army, on June 3, 2000, it was given to the 36th Mechanized Brigade and attached to its modern banner. In 2008 brigade was disbanded and the traditions transferred to the 3rd Battalion,
7th Coastal Defense Brigade.
Academic Legion
Academic Legion (Poland) (
Polish language
Polish (Polish: ''język polski'', , ''polszczyzna'' or simply ''polski'', ) is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group written in the Latin script. It is spoken primarily in Poland and serves as the native language of the Poles. In a ...
: Legia Akademicka) was a volunteer military formation, created on November 11, 1918, by students of different colleges in
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
, most of whom were members of secret
Polish Military Organisation
The Polish Military Organisation, PMO ( pl, Polska Organizacja Wojskowa, POW) was a secret military organization which formed during World War I (1914-1918). Józef Piłsudski founded the group in August 1914; it adopted the name ''POW'' in Novem ...
. On November 26, 1918, an infantry regiment, based on the volunteers was created. On December 3, it was named 36th Infantry Regiment, and fought with distinction in several conflicts in 1918 - 1921. The Academic Legion ceased to exist after the
Polish-Soviet War. It was recreated in 1929, closed in 1932, and created again in 1937. Among its notable members were
Karol Wojtyla
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
and
Jan Hermanowski.
The decision to form the Legion was accepted on November 6, 1918, during a meeting of students at the
Warsaw University of Technology
The Warsaw University of Technology ( pl, Politechnika Warszawska, lit=Varsovian Polytechnic) is one of the leading institutes of technology in Poland and one of the largest in Central Europe. It employs 2,453 teaching faculty, with 357 professor ...
. With permission granted by authorities of Warsaw colleges, students began to join the organization. Soon afterwards, local branches of the Legion were formed in other main cities of the country:
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of t ...
,
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
,
Poznań
Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John ...
,
Wilno
Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...
and
Lwów.
On November 11, 1918, the Academic Executive Committee (Akademicki Komitet Wykonawczy) was formed, together with the main office of the Legion, located in Warsaw, at 26 Ujazdowskie Alley. Starting on November 15, students-members of the Legion were placed at military barracks at Nowowiejska Street. Later, they were moved to the barracks at 11 Listopada Street, in the district of
Praga
Praga is a district of Warsaw, Poland. It is on the east bank of the river Vistula. First mentioned in 1432, until 1791 it formed a separate town with its own city charter.
History
The historical Praga was a small settlement located at ...
. Members of the Legion guarded government offices as well as military buildings, together with arsenals of weaponry, abandoned by the Germans. On November 17, 1918, the Legion was regrouped and upon the initiative of Colonel
Kazimierz Sawicki, two student battalions were attached to the 5th Legions Infantry Regiment. On November 26, Major
Zygmunt Bobrowski was appointed commandant of a separate infantry regiment, which on December 3 was named 36th Infantry Regiment.
After the
Polish-Soviet War, the Academic Legion ceased to exist. It returned in 1929, but in August 1932 it was again closed. Finally, on November 29, 1937, the anniversary of the outbreak of the
November Uprising
The November Uprising (1830–31), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution,
was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in W ...
, the Academic Legion was officially recreated. At the same time, the
Council of Ministers
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...
obliged all students to prepare for the military service.
In 1937 - 1939, the Academic Legion was under direct supervision of the Minister of Military Affairs. Its commandant was Colonel
Tadeusz Roman Tomaszewski, and the activities of the organization concentrated on military exercises, carried out on army facilities. Also, lectures and physical exercises were introduced. Main purpose of the League was to spread military knowledge and raise the young generation of Poles in the spirit of Polish militarism.
The Academic Legion was dissolved by the government of the
Polish People's Republic
The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million nea ...
. It was officially recreated in Warsaw on May 22, 2000, by veterans of the 36th Infantry Regiment and activists of the
Independent Students' Union
Independent Students' Association ( pl, Niezależne Zrzeszenie Studentów, NZS) is a Polish student society, created in October 1980, in the aftermath of the Gdańsk Agreement and the anti-government strike actions (see: History of Solidarity). It ...
. Other branches of the organization were then opened in Polish cities, such as
Krakow and
Szczecin
Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major s ...
.
References
Bibliography
* {{cite book , author=Eugieniusz Walczak , year=1994 , title=36 Pułk Piechoty Legii Akademickiej , publisher=Warsaw, Ajaks , isbn=83-85621-32-6
36
Military units and formations established in 1918
*36th Infantry Regiment
1918 establishments in Poland