The Felix Dzerzhinsky Political-Military Academy ( Polish: Wojskowa Akademia Polityczna im. Feliksa Dzierżyńskiego) – was a Soviet style military academy, established by the communist government, in the People's Republic of Poland. It operated in Warsaw from 1951 until 1990, and was an institution with high school status, founded for indoctrination of higher command of military forces of Communist Poland. The alumni of the Political-Military Academy became political commissars in the Army.

History

The academy was opened on March 22, 1951, in the campus that had been used by the Academy of Political Officers at Rembertow. On July 18, 1951, it was named after Felix Dzerzhinsky. ^[1] Soon afterwards, it was moved to former Europejski Hotel in the center of Warsaw, and in 1954 it was moved again, to the campus of Academy of Polish Army Headquarters, located on Opaczewska Street.

The academy's structure was based on Moscow's V.I. Lenin Political-Military Academy, as its founder, Colonel Jan Hoffman was its graduate. Most of its staff were officers of the former Academy of Political Officers, as well as a group of Red Army political officers. Among lecturers were Jerzy Wiatr, Tadeusz Kotarbinski, Stefan Michnik, and Stanislaw Kania.

In the first years of existence, the academy had eight faculties:

• History of Poland and Polish Workers’ Movement,
• History of the World and International Workers’ Movement,
• History of Wars and Warfare,
• History of Tactics and Headquarters,
• History of War Geography,
• History of Political Economics,
• History of Marxism–Leninism,
• History of Party and Political Work.

In 1954, the Military-Legal Faculty was added. In December 1958, the faculties of History and Pedagogy were added, and in early 1961, the Military Legal Institute was opened within the academy. In 1966, the Center of Social Studies was opened.

The academy was dissolved on May 21, 1990, and most of its campus was transferred to Warsaw University. ^[2]

Structure

• Command
• Teaching units
  • Faculty of Education and Politics
  • Historical and Political Department
  • Economic and Military Department
  • Military Institute of Law
  • Foreign Language Center
• Center for Social Research
• Branch of Organization and Training Planning
• Science and Research Department
• HR Department
• Finance Department
• school Divisions
• Security Sub-units

Commanders

• Michał Stankiewicz (1951-1954)
• Jan Hoffman (1954-1956)
• Adam Uziembło (1956-1958)
• Józef Urbanowicz (1958-1960)
• Eugeniusz Kuszko (1960-1965)
• Edward Braniewski (1965-1969)
• Henryk Koczara (1969-1972)
• Władysław Polański (1972-1989)
• Mieczysław Michalik (1989-1990)

Notable Professors

• Czesław Madajczyk
• Julian Polan-Haraschin
• Stanisław Herbst
• Jerzy Wiatr
• Jan Szczepański

Notable alumni

• Janusz Bojarski

References