J 2024

Modern Army for Modern Times or Private Paramilitary? Polish Territorial Defense Force as a Benchmark Case in Conflict Evolution

FORNŮSEK, Martin and Monika Gabriela BARTOSZEWICZ

Basic information

Original name

Modern Army for Modern Times or Private Paramilitary? Polish Territorial Defense Force as a Benchmark Case in Conflict Evolution

Authors

FORNŮSEK, Martin and Monika Gabriela BARTOSZEWICZ

Edition

Democracy and Security, Abingdon, Francis, 2024, 1741-9166

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Article in a journal

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

is not subject to a state or trade secret

References:

Organization

Fakulta sociálních studií – Repository – Repository

DOI

UT WoS

001000068700001

EID Scopus

2-s2.0-85161468286

Keywords in English

Central and Eastern Europe; territorial defense; hybrid warfare; Poland; paramilitary

Links

VJ01010122, research and development project.
Changed: 4/11/2025 00:50, RNDr. Daniel Jakubík

Abstract

In the original language

The new Polish military branch, the Territorial Defense Force (TDF), has been described both as a defensive tool against Russian hybrid warfare and as a private paramilitary force of the incumbent Law and Justice Party. This paper examines the strategic, political, and military purposes of the Territorial Defense Force using two theoretical models. One is designed for analyzing units intended to protect against external threats, the second for units targeting internal threats. Comparing these models with the officially declared objectives of the TDF, our results indicate a stronger correlation of the new branch with the second model and reveal distinct political motivations for its creation.