Rola i zadania kobiet oraz możliwości ich awansu w SZP-ZWZ-AK w świetle dokumentów (1939-1945)

Changes that occurred in Polish society during 1918-1939 also affected the role of women, who were involved in many different areas of public life. They were also active in the defence system of the Second Republic of Poland, taking part in women’s military training. Their activity and the growing risk of military conflict were the reason in January 1938 the Ministry of Military Affairs published a directive: “Women’s tasks in the area of the country’s defence”. Then, the “Act on General Defence Obligation” was passed in April 1939, with the rules regulating the role of women participating in auxiliary military service at the time of war. The second document “Medical Examination and Assessment of Physical and Mental Fitness of Women for Auxiliary Military Service” was released in May 1939. The first women’s unit (cryptonym „Spółdzielnia”) in the structure of SZP (Service for the Victory of Poland) was set up by Maria Wittek, who was the commander of PWK (Women’s Military Training) before World War II. The official order concerning tasks for women serving in the army was issued by the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces in October 1941, but the real development of WSK (Women’s Military Service) began in 1942, after the transformation of ZWZ (Service for Poland’s Victory) into AK (the Home Army). The Commander-in-Chief of AK issued Order 59 officially establishing WSK (Women’s Military Service), with particular instructions for its activities. At the beginning, women serving in AK were prepared for auxiliary service only, but in time, because of urgent needs and a lack of men, they served as soldiers in the underground army, some of them allocated to operational tasks. Yet, those were only exceptional situations. The chance of women’s promotion in AK was limited to particular structures and positions.