Kilka uwag na temat miejsca 12 Pułku Piechoty Ziemi Wadowickiej w systemie polityki nrodowościowej w armii II RP

The non-Polish population made up almost one third of citizens of the 2nd Republic of Poland. The distribution of groups of this population, its attitude to statehood and the fulfilment of civil duties were one of the main problems of Poland in the years 1918-1939. This situation was also reflected in the military service of non-Polish soldiers. Complications resulting from this fact led to the introduction of the extraterritorial draft system in the Polish army, which means that the stationing of formations was not tied to the recruitment base of the given territory. As a result of this solution, soldiers from other territories of Poland and other nations, including Byelorussians, Czechs, Lithuanians, Germans, Tartars, Ukrainians and Jews, served also in the 12th Regiment of the Infantry of the Wadowice Land stationing in Wadowice and Kraków. Apart from its own reserve forces and other supplementary forces, the Wadowice regiment trained also, among others, a contingent for the Border Protection Corps – a formation created to defend the eastern borders of Poland and for some guard and service units. This article describes elements of the system of conscription of non-Polish recruits into the 12th Regiment of the Infantry and the intended role of individual groups in formations concerned. It contains also chapters that describe the behaviour of non-Polish soldiers and training-related and organisational complications resulting from the large numbers of these soldiers in relation to Poles.