Internal Security Corps
The Internal Security Corps (Polish: Korpus Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego, KBW) was a special-purpose military formation established by the Council of Ministers of the Communist government in Poland on May 24, 1945. It consisted on ten new cavalry regiments, infantry division and two buffer brigades. KBW was subordinate to the Ministry of Public Security. By end of August 1945, its force was made up of 29,053 soldiers including 2,356 officers. The KBW was called forth to protect key infrastructure such as railways, but mainly, to combat and suppress activities of the democratic underground (the remnants of the Polish Home Army), Narodowe Sily Zbrojne, Wolność i Niezawisłość, and others.[1]
Between 1945 and 1954, the KBW was subordinated to the Minister Jakub Berman of the Politburo in charge of the Ministry of Public Security. Later, it belonged to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Between March 1945 and April 1947 alone, units of the KBW killed over 1,500 members of the Democratic Underground known as the Cursed soldiers, wounded 301, and apprehended 12,200 others.
In 1965, the KBW was renamed as the Wojska Obrony Wewnętrznej (Internal Defense Force). It was included in the framework of National Defense. Also, in 1962, the Silesian Unit of the Engineering Army nr KBW-4 built roads in Bieszczady region in the extreme south-east of Poland, strategically important but uninhabited area.
Commanding officers
- March 1945 – May 1945: Col. Henryk Toruńczyk
- Jun 1945 – September 1946: Gen. Bolesław Kieniewicz
- 1946–1948: Brigadier General Konrad Świetlik
- 1948–1951: Brigadier General Juliusz Hibner (born Dawid Szwarc)
- 1 March 1951 – 12 March 1965: Brigadier General Włodzimierz Muś
- 12 March 1965 – 1 Jul 1965: Brigadier General Bronisław Kuriata
See also
- Internal Troops - Soviet model for the Internal Security Corps.
- Ministry of Public Security of Poland
- Operation Vistula (1947)
References
- ^ Władysław Tkaczew. "Korpus Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego". Organa informacji Wojska Polskiego w latach 1943-1956. Kontrwywiad wojskowy. Bellona. pp. 111–112. ISBN 8311109400. Retrieved June 04, 2012.
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External links
- Narodowe Siły Zbrojne
- Template:En icon The Doomed soldiers - Polish Underground Soldiers 1944-1963 - The Untold Story
- Template:Pl icon Antykomunistyczne Podziemie Zbrojne po 1944 roku
- National Armed Forces Historical Brief