Academy of National Defence
Encyclopedia
The National Defence University ( - AON) is the civil-military highest defence
academic institution
in Poland
, located at Rembertów
(now part of Warsaw
). It was re-established in 1947 as the General Staff Academy and continues traditions of the Szkoła Rycerska ("The School of Knights") founded in 15 March 1765 and other subsequent military schools. Today the National Defence University, subordinate directly to the Polish Ministry of National Education. AON is the alma mater of Polish commanding and staff officers and civilian experts in national and international security matters. It also conducts extensive scientific research
on state defence issues, military doctrine
, theory of warfare, military art
, including military strategy
, operational art and tactics
, also in the field of national
and international security
. The National Defence University in Warsaw cooperates with the Polish Ministry of National Defence, General Staff, North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other Polish and foreign military, scientific and academic institutions.
The school's master's program is a five-years study program, but also AON provides two-years under- and over graduate study programs and four-years PhD
(Doctor of Science
) programs and higher doctorate (habilitation
) opportunity as well.
, was founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski. Its graduates included some of the most notable military men of the 18th and 19th centuries, including Tadeusz Kościuszko
, Jakub Jasiński
, Maurycy Hauke, Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz
, Karol Kniaziewicz
, Józef Sowiński
, Kazimierz Nestor Sapieha
and Rajmund Rembieliński.
, the school was closed. However, after 1815 the recreation of the Kingdom of Poland
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
was Mikołaj Chopin, 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.
) as well as in France. However, the occupants of Poland rarely promoted the Poles to higher ranks and the reborn Polish Army was seriously lacking officers trained in general staff duties and in command of entire armies. To eliminate the problem, in cooperation with the French Military Mission to Poland
and the Paris-based Ecole Superieure de Guerre, a Szkoła Wojenna Sztabu Generalnego (War School of the General Staff) was formed in mid-1919.
After the Polish-Bolshevik War, on August 16, 1922, the school was renamed to Wyższa Szkoła Wojenna (WSW, Higher War School). Until 1928, most professors were French, with Polish officers serving mostly as their assistants. Among them was Charles de Gaulle
, the future president of France, who was a professor of tactics. The training was not limited to military affairs and among the civilians working there were some of the most notable scientists of the era, including Tadeusz Kotarbiński
, Edward Lipiński
and Marian Kukiel
. Apart from the theoreticians, the professors included a large number of officers who gained combat experience in World War I, Polish-Bolshevik War, Polish-Ukrainian War
and Polish-Lithuanian War
, as well as the Greater Poland Uprising
and Silesian Uprisings
. Because of their experience, the school became prestigious and attracted many students from abroad, most notably from France, Georgia
, Estonia
, Latvia
and even Japan. Among them were also the officers of the former Ukrainian
army of Semen Petlura and White Russian
emigrees.
During the 20 years of its existence, the WSW 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 Germany and the Soviet Union, 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
.
(United Kingdom
) and later in Scotland
. 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.
.
Second degree studies (leading to a Master’s Degree) in the following areas:
Postgraduate studies and advanced courses:
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:
Postgraduate studies in the field of:
Defence
Defense or defence may refer to:-Tactics and strategy of defending against attack:* Defense * Defense ** Defender ** Defenceman * Biological defense...
academic institution
Academic institution
Academic institution is an educational institution dedicated to education and research, which grants academic degrees. See also academy and university.- Types of academic institutions include :...
in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, located at Rembertów
Rembertów
Rembertów is a 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 a separate commune of Warszawa-Rembertów...
(now part of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
). It was re-established in 1947 as the General Staff Academy and continues traditions of the Szkoła Rycerska ("The School of Knights") founded in 15 March 1765 and other subsequent military schools. Today the National Defence University, subordinate directly to the Polish Ministry of National Education. AON is the alma mater of Polish commanding and staff officers and civilian experts in national and international security matters. It also conducts extensive scientific research
Scientific method
Scientific method refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of...
on state defence issues, military doctrine
Military doctrine
Military doctrine is the concise expression of how military forces contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements.It is a guide to action, not hard and fast rules. Doctrine provides a common frame of reference across the military...
, theory of warfare, military art
Military art (Military science)
Military art , is a field of theoretical research and training methodology in military science used in the conduct of military operations on land, in the maritime or air environments. Military art includes the study and application of the principles of warfare and laws of war that apply equally...
, including military strategy
Military strategy
Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the "art of the general", 'the art of arrangement' of troops...
, operational art and tactics
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
, also in the field of national
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
and international security
International security
International security consists of the measures taken by nations and international organizations, such as the United Nations, to ensure mutual survival and safety. These measures include military action and diplomatic agreements such as treaties and conventions. International and national security...
. The National Defence University in Warsaw cooperates with the Polish Ministry of National Defence, General Staff, North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other Polish and foreign military, scientific and academic institutions.
The school's master's program is a five-years study program, but also AON provides two-years under- and over graduate study programs and four-years PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
) programs and higher doctorate (habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
) opportunity as well.
Corps of Cadets
The present National Defence University inherits the traditions of all previous Polish military academies. The first such school, the Szkoła RycerskaSzkola Rycerska
Szkoła Rycerska or Akademia Szlachecka Korpusu Kadetów Jego Królewskiej Mości i Rzeczypospolitej was the first state school in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.-18th century:The state Corps of Cadets was established in Warsaw on 15 March 1765 by King Stanisław August...
, was founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski. Its graduates included some of the most notable military men of the 18th and 19th centuries, including Tadeusz Kościuszko
Tadeusz Kosciuszko
Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko was a Polish–Lithuanian and American general and military leader during the Kościuszko Uprising. He is a national hero of Poland, Lithuania, the United States and Belarus...
, Jakub Jasiński
Jakub Jasinski
Jakub Jasiński was a Polish-Lithuanian general, and a Polish poet of Enlightenment. He participated in the War in Defence of the Constitution in 1792, was an enemy of the Targowica Confederation and organized an action against its supporters in Vilnius...
, Maurycy Hauke, Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz
Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz
Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz was a Polish poet, playwright and statesman. He was a leading advocate for the Constitution of May 3, 1791.-Life:...
, Karol Kniaziewicz
Karol Kniaziewicz
Baron Karol Otto Kniaziewicz was a Polish general and political activist....
, Józef Sowiński
Józef Sowinski
Józef Sowiński was a Polish artillery general and one of the heroes of Poland's November 1830 Uprising.-Biography:Józef Longin Sowiński was born March 15, 1777 Warsaw, after graduating from the famous Corps of Cadets in Warsaw, he joined the Polish Army as a lieutenant during the Kościuszko Uprising...
, Kazimierz Nestor Sapieha
Kazimierz Nestor Sapieha
Prince Kazimierz Nestor Sapieha was a Polish-Lithuanian noble .Kazimierz Sapieha was educated at the Knight School in Warsaw from 1767 until 1791, and served as Artillery General of Lithuania, from 1773 to 1793...
and Rajmund Rembieliński.
Artillery and Engineers School
In 1794, after the Partitions of PolandPartitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
, the school was closed. However, after 1815 the recreation of the Kingdom of Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
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
November Uprising
The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as 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 Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
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 language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
was Mikołaj Chopin, father of renowned composer Fryderyk Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
. 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.
The War College
After the rebirth of Poland in 1918, there was already a well-trained and experienced cadre of Polish field officers trained in the armies of the partitioners (Russia, Germany and Austria-HungaryAustria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
) as well as in France. However, the occupants of Poland rarely promoted the Poles to higher ranks and the reborn Polish Army was seriously lacking officers trained in general staff duties and in command of entire armies. To eliminate the problem, in cooperation with the French Military Mission to Poland
French Military Mission to Poland
The French Military Mission to Poland was an effort by France to aid the nascent Second Polish Republic after it achieved its independence in November, 1918, at the end of the First World War. The aim was to provide aid during the Polish-Soviet War , and to create a strong Polish military to serve...
and the Paris-based Ecole Superieure de Guerre, a Szkoła Wojenna Sztabu Generalnego (War School of the General Staff) was formed in mid-1919.
After the Polish-Bolshevik War, on August 16, 1922, the school was renamed to Wyższa Szkoła Wojenna (WSW, Higher War School). Until 1928, most professors were French, with Polish officers serving mostly as their assistants. Among them was Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
, the future president of France, who was a professor of tactics. The training was not limited to military affairs and among the civilians working there were some of the most notable scientists of the era, including Tadeusz Kotarbiński
Tadeusz Kotarbinski
Tadeusz Kotarbiński , a pupil of Kazimierz Twardowski, was a Polish philosopher, logician, one of the most representative figures of the Lwów-Warsaw School, and a member of the Polish Academy of Learning as well as the Polish Academy of Sciences...
, Edward Lipiński
Edward Lipinski
Edward Lipiński was a Polish economist, intellectual, social critic, and human rights advocate. Lipinski’s career spanned almost seven decades. Throughout his career, he held a series of advisory positions within the government, founded several organizations, and published books and essays on...
and Marian Kukiel
Marian Kukiel
Marian Włodzimierz Kukiel pseudonym: Marek Kąkol, Stach Zawierucha was a Polish general, historian, social and political activist....
. Apart from the theoreticians, the professors included a large number of officers who gained combat experience in World War I, Polish-Bolshevik War, Polish-Ukrainian War
Polish-Ukrainian War
The Polish–Ukrainian War of 1918 and 1919 was a conflict between the forces of the Second Polish Republic and West Ukrainian People's Republic for the control over Eastern Galicia after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary.-Background:...
and Polish-Lithuanian War
Polish-Lithuanian War
The Polish–Lithuanian War was an armed conflict between newly independent Lithuania and Poland in the aftermath of World War I. The conflict primarily concerned territorial control of the Vilnius Region, including Vilnius , and the Suwałki Region, including the towns of Suwałki, Augustów, and Sejny...
, as well as the Greater Poland Uprising
Greater Poland Uprising (1918–1919)
The Greater Poland Uprising of 1918–1919, or Wielkopolska Uprising of 1918–1919 or Posnanian War was a military insurrection of Poles in the Greater Poland region against Germany...
and Silesian Uprisings
Silesian Uprisings
The Silesian Uprisings were a series of three armed uprisings of the Poles and Polish Silesians of Upper Silesia, from 1919–1921, against German rule; the resistance hoped to break away from Germany in order to join the Second Polish Republic, which had been established in the wake of World War I...
. Because of their experience, the school became prestigious and attracted many students from abroad, most notably from France, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
and even Japan. Among them were also the officers of the former Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
army of Semen Petlura and White Russian
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
emigrees.
During the 20 years of its existence, the WSW trained more than 1300 officers of the Polish Army. Most of them repaid the debt for Poland during the Polish Defensive War
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
of 1939, while the majority of professors formed the staff of Poznań Army
Poznan Army
Army Poznań led by mj. gen. Tadeusz Kutrzeba was one of the Polish Armies during the Polish Defensive War in 1939.-Tasks:Flanked by Armia Pomorze to the north and Armia Łódź to the south, the Army was to provide flanking operations in Grand Poland region, defend it and withdraw towards lines of...
, the most successful of Polish Armies in the 1939 campaign.
After Poland was overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union, 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
Polish government in Exile
The Polish government-in-exile, formally known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in Exile , was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Poland of September 1939, and the subsequent occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which...
.
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 LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) and later in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. 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
Polish Armed Forces in the West
Polish Armed Forces in the West refers to the Polish military formations formed to fight alongside the Western Allies against Nazi Germany and its allies...
. 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
In 1947 a General Staff Academy was created. Its graduates have included Zygmunt Zieliński, Bolesław Chocha, Antoni Jasiński and Wojciech JaruzelskiWojciech Jaruzelski
Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski is a retired Polish military officer and Communist politician. He was the last Communist leader of Poland from 1981 to 1989, Prime Minister from 1981 to 1985 and the country's head of state from 1985 to 1990. He was also the last commander-in-chief of the Polish People's...
.
Organizational units
- National Security Faculty
- Management and Command Faculty
- Strategic Research Institute
- War Games and Simulation Center
- CBRN Defence Training Centre
- Officers Training Centre
- Foreign Languages Teaching Centre
- Physical Education and Shooting Training Branch
- 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 SapierzynskiTadeusz SapierzynskiColonel Tadeusz Sapierzyński is a Polish Army officer, former commander of the special forces unit "GROM", from 2004 until 2006....
- Roman PolkoRoman PolkoMajor General dr Roman Polko is a Polish Army officer, acting chief of Biuro Bezpieczeństwa Narodowego , former commander of "GROM", doctor of military science studies, speciality: management....
- Andrzej BłasikAndrzej BłasikAndrzej Eugeniusz Błasik was a Lieutenant General in the Polish Armed Forces and a Commander of the Polish Air Force.Błasik was born in Poddębice, People's Republic of Poland...
- Stanisław Targosz
- Zdzisław Żurawski
- Tadeusz BukTadeusz BukTadeusz Buk , was a Polish military figure. He received numerous military and civil awards, including the Order of Polonia Restituta....
- Kazimierz GilarskiKazimierz GilarskiBrigadier General Kazimierz Gilarski was a Polish military figure, Commander of the Warsaw Garrison...
- Andrzej KarwetaAndrzej KarwetaAndrzej Karweta was Vice Admiral of the Polish Navy and its commander-in-chief from November 2007 until his death in April 2010 in the Smolensk air crash..-Biography:...
- Włodzimierz PotasińskiWłodzimierz PotasińskiWłodzimierz Potasiński was a Polish military figure, commander-in-chief of the Polish Special Forces.Potasiński was born at Czeladź...