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. 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.
Artillery and Engineers School In 1794, after the
Partitions of Poland, 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.
Higher War School in front of the main Higher War School campus in Warsaw; after the war the monument was moved to the Museum of the Polish Army
Wyższa Szkoła Wojenna (
English: Higher War School) was the most important Polish
military academy in the
period between the World Wars. Located at
Warsaw, it was established to train high-ranking officers of the
Polish Army 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 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. 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. 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 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 of 21 May 1990, the General Staff Academy was transformed into the National Defence University of Warsaw on 1 October 1990. ==Organizational units==