Internal Security Corps

Korpus Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego

KBW soldiers in 1947

Active| 24 May 1945 - 1965
Country| Poland
Type| Armed force

Military unit

The Internal Security Corps (Polish: Korpus Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego, KBW) was a special-purpose military formation in Poland under communist government, established by the  Council of Ministers on 24 May 1945.

## History

[edit]

Commemorative Medal for the 20th Anniversary of the KBW Emblem of the KBW Officer School

The KBW consisted of 10 new cavalry regiments, an infantry division, and two buffer brigades. The corps itself was subordinate to the Ministry of Public Security. By the end of August 1945, its force was made up of 29,053 soldiers and 2,356 officers. The KBW was called forth to protect key public infrastructure such as railways, but mainly to combat and suppress the anti-Communist resistance in Poland, including activities of the "Cursed soldiers" as well as all organizations which continued their armed struggle against the Communist takeover, such as the Freedom and Independence (WiN), the National Armed Forces (NSZ), and the remnants of the Polish Home Army (AK) among others.[1]

Original postwar Garrison of the Internal Security Corps in Szczecin, Poland

Between 1945 and 1954, the KBW fell under the responsibility of Minister Jakub Berman of the Politburo, who was in charge of the Ministry of Public Security. Later, it was part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Between March 1945 and April 1947 alone, units of the KBW killed over 1,500 "Cursed soldiers", wounded 301, and apprehended 12,200 others.

In 1965, the KBW was renamed the Internal Defense Forces. It was included in the framework of National Defense. Also, in 1962, the Silesian Unit of the Engineering Army (KBW-4) built roads in the Bieszczady region in the extreme south-east of Poland, strategically important but an uninhabited area.

## Commanding officers

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1. March 1945 – May 1945: Col. Henryk Toruńczyk
2. Jun 1945 – September 1946: Gen. Bolesław Kieniewicz
3. 1946–1948: Brigadier General Konrad Świetlik
4. 1948–1951: Brigadier General Juliusz Hibner (born Dawid Szwarc)
5. 1 March 1951 – 12 March 1965: Brigadier General Włodzimierz Muś
6. August 1956 - July 1959: Brigadier General Wacław Komar (Acting commanding officer)
7. 12 March 1965 – 1 July 1965: Brigadier General Bronisław Kuriata

## See also

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* Internal Troops – Soviet model for the Internal Security Corps.
* Ministry of Public Security of Poland
* Operation Vistula (1947)
* Zygmunt Bauman

## References

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1. ^ Władysław Tkaczew. Korpus Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego. Bellona. pp. 111–112\. ISBN 8311109400. Retrieved 4 June 2012.111-112&rft.pub=Bellona&rft.isbn=8311109400&rft.au=Władysław+Tkaczew&rft_id=https://books.google.com/books?id=S5ES2aOguWQC&pg;=PA111&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Internal+Security+Corps" class="Z3988"> `{{cite book}}`: `|work=` ignored (help)

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Internal Security Corps.

* Narodowe Siły Zbrojne
* (in English) The Doomed soldiers – Polish Underground Soldiers 1944–1963 – The Untold Story
* (in Polish) Antykomunistyczne Podziemie Zbrojne po 1944 roku Archived 24 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine
* National Armed Forces Historical Brief

* v
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Home Army (Armia Krajowa)

Main articles
Polish resistance movement in World War II
Polish Underground State

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Operations

Uprisings and battles|

* Warsaw Uprising
* Zamość uprising
* Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
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Underground, field,
and espionage|

* Arsenal
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Propaganda|

* Biuletyn Informacyjny
* Operation N
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Directorates|

* Civil Resistance
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Political|

* Republic of Pińczów

* v
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Personnel, emblems and decorations

Commanders|

* Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski
* Stefan Rowecki
* Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski
* Leopold Okulicki

Senior officers and
prominent members|

* J. Aleksandrowicz
* J.Arkusz
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Membership lists|

* Armia Krajowa members
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Emblems and
decorations|

* Armia Krajowa Cross
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* v
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Units, affiliates, and predecessors

Headquarters and Directorates|

* Information and Propaganda
* Kedyw
* Civil Resistance
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Combat units|

* 2nd Legions Infantry Division
* 27th Volhynian Division
* 104th Company of Syndicalists
* Battalion Parasol
* Battalion Zośka
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Warsaw commands|

* I Śródmieście
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Other|

* Błyskawica radiostation
* Little Andrews (Jędrusie)
* Underground Police (PKB)
* Secret Military Printing Works (TWZW)
* Silent Unseen (Cichociemni)
* Wachlarz

Predecessors|

* Service for Poland's Victory (SZP)
* Union of Armed Struggle (ZWZ)

Affiliates|

* Peasants' Battalions (BCh)
* Confederation of the Nation (KN)
* Leśni (Forest Soldiers)
* National Military Association (NOW) (split)
* National Armed Forces (NSZ-AK) (faction)
* Camp of Fighting Poland (OPW)
* Grey Ranks (Szare Szeregi - Boy Scouts)
* Secret Polish Army (TAP)
* Socialist Party People's Guard (GL-WRN)
* Union of Retaliation (ZO)

Successors|

* Independence (NIE)
* Freedom and Independence (WiN)

* v
* t
* e

Opponents and rivals

Opponents|

* Nazi Germany
* Ukrainian Insurgent Army
* Ukrainian Auxiliary Police
* Lithuanian Security Police
* Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force

Rivals|

* AL Armia Ludowa (People's Army)
* Soviet partisans

Related articles
The Holocaust in Poland
Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

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