WZORZEC OSOBOWY OFICERA POLSKI LUDOWEJ VERSUS WZORZEC OSOBOWY OFICERA II RZECZYPOSPOLITEJ. STUDIUM PORÓWNAWCZE
THE MODEL OF MILITARY OFFICER IN THE POLISH PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC VERSUS THE MODEL OF MILITARY OFFICER IN THE SECOND POLISH REPUBLIC: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Summary/Abstract: The comparison between the model of military officers of the Second Polish Republic and those of the Polish People’s Republic is rooted in the axiological system of both periods in question. The narrative is based entirely on the author’s own concept of role models, comprised of four com- ponents: genealogy, personality, professionalism, and social conditions. A juxtaposition of those components in the context of pre- and post-war Poland produced two opposed portraits of the ideal military officer. On the first model, the prevailing values were elitism based on birth and education, personal excellence stemming from religious and secular virtues, the imperative to fight for Po- land’s independence, even at the cost of one’s life, while maintaining apoliticality, extreme patrio- tism and a close bond with the Catholic Church. The other model was characterised by egalitarianism, a socialist morality, the imperative to fight for the preservation of socialism, radical politicisation, and atheism. Despite numerous systemic changes, both models remain present in some way in the modern day.

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