Polish military intelligence and counterintelligence activities against the Soviet Union 1918–1939: a description of operations from the files of the main directorate of information of the Polish army

Abstract

Polish military intelligence and counterintelligence was formed after the First World War. Its task was to protect the Polish army and defense industry. Polish state authorities made efforts to create an intelligence and counterintelligence service on the basis of idealistic people. Its development and operation in the years 1918–1939 were associated with Polish foreign policy. One of the main interests of these services was the activity of Soviet intelligence and counterintelligence agencies. These services conducted aggressive operations on Polish territory. This resulted in the eastern region was a priority in the activities of the intelligence and counter-intelligence services. However, it involved a lot of manpower and resources. It adversely affected the protection of the Polish against the activities of the security services of Germany. Polish security services in the years 1918–1939 uncovered illegal communist underground movements within the country. The communist movement in Poland was inspired by the Soviet secret service and constituted one of the main threats to national security.
After World War II the activities of Polish military intelligence and counterintelligence became the subject of scrutiny by the communist military counterintelligence, which operated in Poland in 1945–1956. This formation was created on the model of the Soviet security services operating before World War II and adopting similar working methods. The soldiers involved in Polish military intelligence and counterintelligence in the years 1918–1939 were exposed and subjected to brutal repression by the communist counterintel-ligence. They were seen as one of the main enemies of the Polish communist state.