Internal Military Service

Wojskowa Służba Wewnętrzna - or "WSW", Internal Military Service, it was a military counterintelligence and secret police Service during the years of 1957-1990 in the Polish People's Republic or PRL.

WSW History

After 1956 and under the new political conditions in Poland, the existing military counterintelligence which in 1956 was The Main Directorate of Information of the Polish Army (Główny Zarząd Informacji Wojska Polskiego), which was responsible for cleansing the army of officers and soldiers from the pre-war Polish army who were admitted into the new, Polish People's Army, and was responsible for repressions and executions on Home Army soldiers, during post war years, was dismantled in January 1957.

New Service

The Internal Military Service was established in order number 01/1957 by the Minister of National Defense, a position occupied by Marian Spychalski, a soldier and communist politician. He was born in 1906 and was a communist during the World War II, a high ranking officer active in the communist resistance in Poland. He was later appointed the chief of General Staff of the People's Guard, which after a reorganization during the second half of 1944 became one of the main departments in the People's Army.

Responsibilities and Supervision

WSW was responsible for typical military counterintelligence and military police duties. Which was the protection of Army Forces organs like general staff and all others units against enemy intelligence forces. Supervision of important military infrastructure and installations, and military secrets. Also WSW was responsible law enforcement (including criminal investigation) on military property and concerning military personnel, installation security, close personal protection of senior military officers.

First head of WSW was born in 1903 Colonel and later general Aleksander Kokoszyn, a Belarusian. Pre-war communist and graduate of NKVD school in Smolensk. During the war years was working in secret PPR paper and copy shop ("Gwardzisty"), were in 1942 was arrested by Gestapo and send to one of the concentration camps. After the war he come back to Poland and began working together with his wife in the notorious GZI WP the military counterintelligence, were in December 1956 he become the head of GZI and then WSW. Doing his time as an Internal Military Service head, the WSW had lost the look as effective and notorious counterintelligence service as the GZI was. Kokoszyn left his position in November 1964 and was replaced by his former deputy general Teodor Kufel, who start as an acting WSW head. Teodor Kufel born in 1920, later in 1954 the graduate of KGB school in Moscow. From beginning he was involved in secret service activities. Doing the war he was involved in Warsaw Uprising. Then after the war he was working in Police (Milicja or MO), and from 1953 for the civilian Special Services the Ministry of Public Security (MBP). Between 1954 and 1955 Kufel attend KGB school in Moscow and after his come back start working in Militsiya General Headquarters in Warsaw. Three years later Kufel was moved to military counterintelligence, Internal Military Service, as a deputy head of first Directorate responsible for counterintelligence, and in 1964 he become WSW Chief and held this post for 14 years till 1979 when general Czesław Kiszczak become his successor.

Born in 1925 Czesław Kiszczak was long time military counterintelligence officer, first working in Main Directorate of Information of the Polish Army (GZI), to become head of counterintelligence for one of the infintry divisions and then one of the Military District and later head of counterintelligence for the Polish Navy. In 1967 Kiszczak become Kufel's deputy. But three years later he become the head of military intelligence which was then Zarząd II Sztabu Generalnego Wojska Polskiego (2nd Directorate of General Staff of the Polish Army). After seven years as an it head, in 1979 Kiszczak come back to WSW to take over after Kufel. Again he was moved in 1981, this time to the civilian branches of secret service, he become minister and took over the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ministerstwo Spraw Wewnętrznych) or MSW, witch this position Kiszczak had the notorious Służba Bezpieczeństwa (SB) under his control.

After general Kiszczak left WSW he was replace witch general Edward Poradko.

Born in 1924 Poradko had almost the same military past as Kiszczak. After the war he joint the military counterintelligence and was working for long time in the GZI. Then was moved military intelligence and took over the strategic intelligence. In 1981 after Kiszczak left the WSW he come back to take over as a head. The next and last head of WSW was general Edmund Buła.

From 1957 to 1990 in top of WSW were:

*gen. Aleksander Kokoszyn - 1/10/1957 - 11/14/1964
*gen. Teodor Kufel - (act) 11/14/1964 - 6/24/1965
*gen. Teodor Kufel - 6/24/1965 - 1979
*gen. Czesław Kiszczak - 1979 - 1981
*gen. Edward Poradko - 1981 - 1986
*gen. Edmund Buła - 8/15/1986 - 8 1990

WSW Organization

During the beginning Internal Military Service was based on two main wings, first was operational, and second for investigate and safety task's. The each wing were supervised by WSW Chef Deputies.
Deatel WSW organization was:

*First Directorate ("Zarząd I") - military counterintelligence:Responsible for counter-espionage protection of Army's structure and its unit’s and important military infrastructure and installations.First Directorate was consisted of four Sections (Oddziały):

*1st: protecting military secrets
*2nd: aggressive counterintelligence