Military issues in the administrative policy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Poland in the years 1918–1926

Abstract

The Ministry of Internal Affairs was one of the largest and most complex administrative structures of the Second Polish Republic. However, its most important department was the general administration. Therefore, the performance of tasks of the administration of internal affairs in the field of military issues was presented through the activity of its most important department, i.e. the general administration, represented by voivodes and governors. These tasks were carried out in the context of administrative policy in force at the given historical period. The most important areas of the Ministry’s work in military issues were, in the first place, the problems of conscripts recruitment to the army (military draft) and, in the years 1918–1920, the fight against anti-draft propaganda conducted by the subversive groups (KPRP /KPP – the Communist Party of Poland). After the end of the Polish-Bolshevik war in 1920, its organs worked to secure the living basis for thousands of demobilized soldiers. They devoted much attention to the problems of mobilization and its shield, military preparation as well as, after 1926, the physical education and military preparation. They were also active in the field of so-called passive airborne and antigas defence, involving in it the organizations and social associations. They paid benefits for the families of conscripts as well as orphans and widows of the soldiers killed during the First World War and Polish-Bolshevik war. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, in the performance of its tasks in military issues, closely cooperated with the military affairs structures, in particular with the Ministry of Military Affairs, Polish General Staff, general district commands/corps district commands, military units commanders (divisions, regiments), poviat replenishment councils.