Åšwierczewski General Staff Academy

Åšwierczewski General Staff Academy () was a military academy of the Polish People's Army. It was named after Karol Åšwierczewski.

History

On April 17, 1947, the Minister of National Defense, Marshal of Poland, Michał Rola-Żymierski, issued an order to establish the Preparatory Group of the General Staff Academy. Major General Zygmunt Berling became the Commander of the Preparatory Group, Colonel Mieczysław Szleyen was the Deputy Commander for Political Affairs, and Captain Włodzimierz Sęk was the Quartermaster. The group was given three rooms in a building at Aleje Niepodległości 247 in Warsaw. The group's task was to assemble a staff, primarily scientific, and to prepare a training base, including supervising the renovation of the former Free Polish University building at Opaczewska Street 2 (currently Stefana Banacha Street).

On July 7, 1947, the Minister of National Defense issued Order No. 0184/Org. on disbanding the Preparatory Group and organizing the General Staff Academy. In September 1947, the first candidates for studies were accepted.

On October 22, 1947, the Council of Ministers sanctioned the establishment of the General Staff Academy as a state academic school by decree. The school was directly subordinate to the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army.

The statutory task of the academy was to develop the theory of warfare in accordance with the needs of the staffs and armies and the principles of effective defense of the state. It prepared officers with higher education for command and staff positions.

On December 12, 1947, the ceremonial opening of the academy took place, combined with the inauguration of the first academic year. It was attended by, among others, the President of Poland Bolesław Bierut and the Minister of National Defense, Marshal of Poland Michał Rola-Żymierski. December 12 was celebrated as the school's holiday from then on.

On April 3, 1948, the Council of Ministers gave the academy the name of Lieutenant General Karol Åšwierczewski.

In 1948, a department structure was introduced in the academy teaching units. The following departments were established at that time: general tactics and staff service, armoured weapons, artillery, engineering and sappers, communications, rear tactics, military history and socio-political sciences. In 1950, further departments were established: air forces and history of warfare.

In 1953, following the Soviet model, six faculties were established, which served as departments: operations, general military, armoured and mechanised forces, artillery, reconnaissance and air forces.

In the summer of 1954, the academy was moved from the building at Opaczewska Street 2 to the facilities of the pre-war Infantry Training Centre in Rembertów.

In 1956, the operations and reconnaissance faculty was disbanded, and a year later, the armoured and mechanised forces faculty. In 1960, the general military faculty was disbanded. At the same time, the following units were established: missile and artillery troops, and the country's anti-aircraft defense and aviation troops. The following were also established: the Institute of Command Organization and Technology, the Department of Military Didactics, the Department of Defense Tactics against Mass Destruction and the Scientific Studies Team. In 1966, the Missile and Artillery Troops Unit was disbanded.

The fundamental influence on the creation of the academy scientific community was the decision of the Minister of National Defense of December 11 and 15, 1959, to award the title of associate professor to 11 officers with the greatest scientific and teaching achievements. They were awarded to: Brig. Gen. , Col. Jakub Broch, Col. Józef Dac, Col. Jan Dyda, Col. Jan Kurniewicz, Col. Andrzej Madejski, Col. Edward Perkowicz, Col. Eugeniusz Petrykowski, Col. Józef Stachowski, Col. Felicjan Wiśniewski and Col. Remigiusz Wojtowicz. In the years 1961–1967, 38 academy employees obtained the degree of doctor of military science. In 1967, the first 3 habilitations were obtained – Col. Władysław Filar, Col. Kazimierz Gocyła, Col. Julian Kaczmarek.

In January 1964, Maj. Gen. , the previous commander of the Warsaw Military District and a graduate of the pre-war in Warsaw, was appointed to the position of academy commander. In the teaching process, General Kuropieska drew on the models in force at the Higher War School, whose long-time commander was Maj. Gen. Tadeusz Kutrzeba.

In the 1970s, the first books by academy employees in the field of military art were published, including those by Prof. and Kazimierz Nożka. Nationwide research programs in the field of military science were undertaken. The authority of the university increased outside Poland, which was reflected in the fact that at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s officers from the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Hungarian People's Republic and East Germany started to study.

In 1977, radical changes were made to the structure of the university. The Faculty of Land Forces and the Faculty of Air Force and National Air Defense were established. Many independent departments operated alongside the faculties.

In 1983, a medal "for services to the Academy of the General Staff of the Polish Army named after General K. Świerczewski" was minted, issued by the Mint of Poland and designed by Józef Misztela.

The General Staff Academy was the longest-functioning command and staff academy in the history of Polish military education. 6,200 certified officers graduated from its walls, and over 4,800 officers completed postgraduate studies and military courses. Graduates of the academy received the certified officer title.

In accordance with resolution of the Council of Ministers of 21 May 1990, the General Staff Academy was transformed into the National Defence University of Warsaw on 1 October 1990.Rozporządzenie Rady Ministrów z 21 maja 1990 w sprawie utworzenia Akademii Obrony Narodowej i Wyższej Szkoły Oficerskiej Inżynierii Wojskowej oraz zniesienia Wojskowej Akademii Politycznej, DzU 1990, nr 37, poz. 208, pp. 497–498.

References

Citations

Bibliography

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*{{cite book, first=Tomasz, last=Leszkowicz, title=Spadkobiercy Mieszka, Kościuszki i Świerczewskiego. Ludowe Wojsko Polskie jako instytucja polityki pamięci historycznej, place=Warszawa, publisher=Wydawnictwo Instytut Pamięci Narodowej, year=2022, isbn=978-83-8229-588-7

Military academies of Poland
Staff colleges
Universities and colleges established in 1947
1947 establishments in Poland
1990 disestablishments in Poland
Defunct military academies