Revolutionary indoctrination in Polish Army in the first months after regaining independence (November 1918 – March 1919)

After 11 November 1918 the scope of political and military activities of the Polish radical Left was enlarged by activities, on the one hand, aiming at disintegration of the created then Polish Army, and on the other hand, at the creation of the Polish revolutionary formations in the Soviet Union. The test of mobility of the created on 16 December 1918 Communist Workers Party of Poland (Komunistyczna Partia Robotnicza Polski, KPRP) was to be the simultaneous realization of the two aims. At the end of 1918 and into 1918 duplication of activities conducted by the emigration and home centers, or sometimes even rivalry among activists of both fractions, hurdled achieving these goals This situation slowed down the realization of the disintegration of armed forces of the reborn Poland. The KPRP leaders, aiming at elimination of these obstacles, decided to create a unit whose role would be quick coordination of all the activities related to the soldier formations of both party centers. The Agitation Department in the Army, colloquially called “Wojskówka”, was established at the Central Committee Secretariat to fulfill this role. In party structures it was to be autonomous, as was its external agency – the Communist Soldier Organization. Both units were directly supervised by Central Committee, and personally – by Edward Próchniak, Stanisław Budzyński and Stefan Żbikowski.Wydział Historyczno-Socjologiczny, Uniwersytet w Białymstok