Legal Foundations of the Organisation and Operation of the Border Guard in Poland in the Interwar Period

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to outline the legal and organisational foundations of the activity of the Border Guard during the two decades that intervenen between the wars. This time can be divided into two periods: 1918-1928 and 1928-1939. the transition between them was marked by the President's order of 22 March 1928, whereby the Border Guard was called into existence to supersede the former Customs Guard. Its structure was modelled upon that of the military. the recovery of independence in 1918 was a milestone in the Polish history. After nearly 123 years, Poland found its place on the map of Europe within the limits determined by the treaty of Versailles. Soon the independent existence of the Polish State became threatened (the Polish-Ukrainian conflict in 1918-1919, the Polish-Bolshevik War of 1920-1921), so for the Polish state authorities a defence of the country's borders was top priority. Hence, within new legislation, it became necessary to build an efficient structure of border guard (preparation and training of personnel as well as provision of modern equipment were vital). the hardest test awaited soldiers and officers who defended the Polish borders in the September of 1939. the tragic aftermath of the Soviet invasion (17 September 1939) was the Katyń Massacre, conducted by NKWD in the spring of 1940. the mass graves at Katyń also accommodated the bodies of Border Protection Corps officers, including the body of Romulad Dziedziuk of Przemyśl (2nd Infantry Regiment).