Polish Territorial Defence Forces and Innovation during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Assessment of the Potential of a Mixed-type Force in Non-military Crisis Response

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.19.2022.79.11

Keywords:

Territorial Defence Forces, Polish Armed Forces, innovation, crisis response

Abstract

Innovation can be understood in multiple ways. It can be seen as big breakthroughs and the introduction of entirely new inventions or as small, incremental changes introduced to existing products, processes, or solutions. Innovation can also be considered as a capability or a characteristic of individuals and organisations. It is viewed as one of the desired (if not crucial) aspects of functioning in a complex environment. This also refers to the armed forces and their activities during war and in response to crises. One of the biggest changes in the Polish Armed Forces in the second decade of the 21st century was the establishment of the Territorial Defence Forces (TDF), a mixed service comprising volunteer and full-time soldiers. This article aims to assess the innovative potential as well as the potential for innovation of such a mixed type of force in non-military crisis response by reviewing the key characteristics and actions carried out by the TDF.

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Author Biography

Agata Mazurkiewicz, Jagiellonian University in Kraków

Holds a PhD in Political Science ( Jagiellonian University) and is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Political Science and International Relations of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Her research interests include civil- -military cooperation, peacekeeping missions, and NATO affairs. She was a principal investigator and researcher in several national and international research projects devoted to NATO, peacekeeping, as well as reconciliation in Poland. She teaches courses on international military relations, armed forces, and NATO. Her latest publications include a research monograph entitled Civil-Military Cooperation in International Interventions. The Role of Soldiers at Routledge, CASS Series.

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Published

2022-12-21

How to Cite

Mazurkiewicz, Agata. 2022. “Polish Territorial Defence Forces and Innovation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Assessment of the Potential of a Mixed-Type Force in Non-Military Crisis Response”. Politeja 19 (4 (79):187-202. https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.19.2022.79.11.

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Section

Understanding Contemporary Security