National Defence University In Warsaw
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The National Defence University of Warsaw ( – AON) was the civil-military highest defence
academic institution An academic institution is an educational institution dedicated to education and research, which grants academic degrees. See also academy and university. Types * Primary schools – (from French ''école primaire'') institutions where childre ...
in Poland, located in
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
Rembertów Rembertów () is a dzielnica, district of the city of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Between 1939 and 1957 Rembertów was a separate town, after which it was incorporated as part of the borough of Praga-Południe. Between 1994 and 2002 it formed ...
. In 2016 it was succeeded by the War Studies University. The National Defence University in Warsaw was established on 1 October 1990 after reform of the General Staff Academy (est. 1947) and continued traditions of the Szkoła Rycerska ("The School of Knights") founded on 15 March 1765 and other subsequent military schools. The National Defence University was subordinate directly to the Polish Ministry of National Education. AON was the alma mater of Polish commanding and staff officers and civilian experts in national and international security matters. It also conducted extensive
scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has been referred to while doing science since at least the 17th century. Historically, it was developed through the centuries from the ancient and medieval world. The ...
on state defence issues,
military doctrine Military doctrine is the expression of how military forces contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements. A military doctrine outlines what military means should be used, how forces should be structured, where forces shou ...
, theory of warfare, military art, including
military strategy Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired Strategic goal (military), strategic goals. Derived from the Greek language, Greek word ''strategos'', the term strategy, when first used during the 18th ...
, operational art and
tactics Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to: * Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks ** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield ** Chess tactics In chess, a tac ...
, also in the field of national and
international security ''International Security'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal in the field of international and national security. It was founded in 1976 and is edited by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University and publis ...
. The National Defence University in Warsaw cooperated with the Polish Ministry of National Defence,
General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...
,
North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental transnational military alliance of 32 member states—30 European and 2 North American. Established in the aftermat ...
and other Polish and foreign military, scientific and academic institutions. The school's master's program was a five-years study program, but also AON provided two-years under- and over graduate study programs and four-years PhD (
Doctor of Science A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. Africa Algeria and Morocco In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...
) programs and higher doctorate (
habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and some other European and non-English-speaking countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excelle ...
) opportunity as well.


History


Corps of Cadets

The present National Defence University inherits the traditions of all previous Polish military academies. The first such school, the Szkoła Rycerska, was founded in 1765 by King
Stanisław August Poniatowski Stanisław II August (born Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski; 17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798), known also by his regnal Latin name Stanislaus II Augustus, and as Stanisław August Poniatowski (), was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuani ...
. Its graduates included some of the most notable military men of the 18th and 19th centuries, including
Tadeusz Kościuszko Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko (; 4 or 12 February 174615 October 1817) was a Polish Military engineering, military engineer, statesman, and military leader who then became a national hero in Poland, the United States, Lithuania, and ...
, Jakub Jasiński,
Maurycy Hauke Jan Maurycy Hauke (26 October 1775 – 29 November 1830) was a Polish general and professional soldier of the Hauke-Bosak family, Hauke family, which had Flemish and Saxon origins. Life Maurycy Hauke was the son of Fryderyk Karol Emanuel Hauke ( ...
, Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, Karol Kniaziewicz, Józef Sowiński, Kazimierz Nestor Sapieha and Rajmund Rembieliński.


Artillery and Engineers School

In 1794, after the
Partitions of Poland The Partitions of Poland were three partition (politics), partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place between 1772 and 1795, toward the end of the 18th century. They ended the existence of the state, resulting in the eli ...
, the school was closed. However, after 1815 the recreation of the
Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland (; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a monarchy in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval period from 1025 until 1385. Background The West Slavs, West Slavic tribe of Polans (western), Polans who lived in what i ...
allowed for opening several military colleges in Poland. The most notable, '' Szkoła Aplikacyjna Artylerii i Inżynierii'' (Artillery and Engineers School), was located in Warsaw and trained cadres of the Polish Army that fought in the November 1830 Uprising against Russia. Only some 24 officers were admitted each year, making its graduates an elite of the Polish armed forces. The instructor in
French language French ( or ) is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. French evolved from Northern Old Gallo-R ...
was
Mikołaj Chopin Nicolas Chopin (; 15 April 17713 May 1844) was a teacher of the French language in History of Poland (1795–1918), Partitioned Poland, and father of Polish composer Frédéric Chopin#Childhood, Frédéric Chopin.Łopaciński, "Chopin, Mikołaj" ...
, father of renowned composer Fryderyk Chopin. After the November Uprising, the school was closed by Russian authorities. However, military training of Polish officers continued in foreign schools, most notably in France and Italy.


Higher War School

''Wyższa Szkoła Wojenna'' ( English: Higher War School) was the most important Polish military academy in the period between the World Wars. Located at
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
, it was established to train high-ranking officers of the
Polish Army The Land Forces () are the Army, land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military histor ...
and of the armed forces of several allied states. It was a predecessor of Poland's present National Defense Academy (Polish: ''Akademia Obrony Narodowej''). During the 20 years of its existence, the school trained more than 1300 officers of the Polish Army. Most of them repaid the debt for Poland during the Polish Defensive War of 1939, while the majority of professors formed the staff of Poznań Army, the most successful of Polish Armies in the 1939 campaign. After Poland was overrun by
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
and the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, the school was closed. However, on November 11, 1940, it was recreated in London. It trained the officers of the Polish Army in Exile, fighting alongside the Allies on all fronts of World War II. The professors were recruited from among the active officers of the Polish HQ and the students included many of the notable generals of the Polish forces in Exile. In addition, the school was the alma mater of all highest-ranking Czechoslovak officers of the exiled army. It was closed in 1946, after the Allies withdrew their support for the Polish government. Meanwhile, in Poland, a communist regime took power and a new military academy was established in 1947, the Świerczewski General Staff Academy.


The War College in Exile

The outbreak of World War II interrupted the activities of War College only for several months. Order of the Supreme Commander of 11 November 1940, resumed its activities initially in London (United Kingdom) and later in
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. To the War College in Exile were appointed officers – in ranks of lieutenants and captains. Students were also the Czechoslovak army officers. The purpose of education was to prepare personnel to serve in the brigade and division staffs of the Polish Armed Forces in the West. The program and methods of education were similar to those from the period War College in Warsaw. School received establishment to the exercises, instructions and other normative documents from the British armed forces, allowing joint operations. School staff were officers of the Polish Commander of Staff. The activities of the War College in Exile was halted in July 1946. After the World War II, traditions of higher military education were continued in the Poland.


General Staff Academy

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 Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...
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. Its graduates have included Zygmunt Zieliński, Bolesław Chocha, Antoni Jasiński and Wojciech Jaruzelski. In accordance with resolution of the
Council of Ministers Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...
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.


Organizational units

* National Security Faculty * Management and Command Faculty * War Games and Simulation Center * CBRN Defence Training Centre * Officers Training Centre * Foreign Languages Teaching Centre * Physical Education and Shooting Training Branch * Centre of International Cooperation * Library * Studies Organization Department * Financial Office * Human Resources Department * Logistic Department * Science and Research Branch * Promotion of Education and Culture Branch * Protection of Classified Information Branch * Work Safety Section * National Defence University Publishing House


Studies

Studies for officers: Second degree studies (leading to a master's degree) in the following areas: * National Security * Economics * Logistics * Management with two specialisations: command and command of aviation National Security Postgraduate studies and advanced courses: * Post-graduate Defence Policy Studies * Advanced Operational-Strategic Course * Post-graduate Operational-Tactical Studies * Post-graduate Air Force Command Studies Studies for civilians: Full-time and part-time first degree studies (leading to a bachelor's degree) and second degree studies (leading to a master's degree) in the following areas: * National Security * European Studies * Logistics * Management with two specialisations: Management and Command or Aviation Management * History Postgraduate studies in the field of: * National Security * Aviation Management * Information Security Management * Economic Systems Logistics * Crisis Management * International Military Relations * Management in Military Staffs * State's Economic Security * Public Organizations Management * Civil-Military Cooperation * Management and Command in Multinational Organizations * Education for Security * Polemology – study of war and peace * The Use of Force in Armed Conflicts * Counter-Terrorism


Alumni

*
Tadeusz Sapierzyński Colonel Tadeusz Sapierzyński (born 1 April 1958 in Miastko, Poland) is a Polish Army officer, former commander of the special forces unit "GROM", from 2004 until 2006.Pawel Wronski, Gazeta Wyborcza, "Zmiana dowódcy GROM-u", 2004-01-2/ref>''Gazet ...
* Roman Polko * Andrzej Błasik * Stanisław Targosz * Zdzisław Żurawski * Tadeusz Buk * Kazimierz Gilarski * Andrzej Karweta * Włodzimierz Potasiński * Jarosław Mika * Tomasz Piotrowski


See also

* List of Polish universities * Indonesian Army Command and General Staff College * National Defense Academy (Poland)


References


Citations


Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:National Defence University In Warsaw 1765 establishments in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Military academies of Poland Staff colleges Universities and colleges established in 1947 Universities and colleges established in 1990 Universities and colleges in Warsaw 1947 establishments in Poland 1990 establishments in Poland Defunct military academies Military education and training in Poland