The subject of the dissertation research was the activities of the Polish Special Military Unit in Egypt and on the Golan Heights as an element of creating a positive image of Poland in the international arena, both in terms of defined threats and Poland's aspirations to play a significant role in world diplomacy. Such an assumption of the subject of the research implied the need to analyze and evaluate the tasks carried out by the PWJS and to confront official publications of the communist period with the memories of selected veterans of the UNEF II mission. It should be noted that while the subject matter related to the functioning of the Polish Military Contingents is quite extensive, the literature on the subject related to the creation of the image of the state by personnel forming part of the Polish Army in the period 1973–1979 is much poorer and has not lived to see a unified study. For this reason, the purpose of the doctoral dissertation prepared was to fill this gap. The assumed contribution of the dissertation to the state of research is not only the description of the processes and mechanisms of creating the image of institutions and the state from the perspective of a participant in international operations, but also the cognitive and implementation aspect. It implies not only the enrichment of the literature in this highly specialized field, but also the possibility of discounting the conclusions and observations formed as a result of the conduct of this dissertation for implementation in future operations beyond national borders. Aiming to supplement the state of knowledge on the subject matter, it was assumed that the primary objective of the dissertation would be to determine the impact of the participation of the Polish Special Military Unit in the UNEF II mission in Egypt and Syria in 1973–1979 on the formation of Poland's image in the international environment. Such an assumed research objective became the basis for the main research problem formulated in the form of the following question: what impact on the formation of the image of Poland in the international environment, had the participation of the Polish Special Military Unit in the UNEF II mission in Egypt and Syria in 1973–1979? It was supplemented by specific research problems, which took the form of five questions: 1. What internal and external factors influenced Poland's foreign policy before 1973? 2. What was Poland's position on the Israeli-Arab conflicts before 1973? 3. what structures and elements of the PWJS influenced the creation and perception of Poland's image? 4. What role did party-political cells play in shaping Poland's positive image in the international arena? 5. To what extent were the activities and experiences of the PWJS used in the preparation of subsequent Polish contingents for the next peacekeeping operations in terms of creating effective tools in shaping a positive image of Poland in the international arena?
Taking into account the content placed in the problem layer and the assumed purpose of the work, the research hypothesis was specified, according to which the assumption was made that the participation of the Polish Military Special Unit and Polish Military Contingents in activities outside the country's borders was an effective tool for shaping a positive image of Poland in the international arena. In order to achieve the stated objectives and answer in detail the questions posed in the problem layer, the dissertation was divided into 5 chapters, in which the following research tasks were carried out: − in Chapter 1 – selected internal and external factors affecting Poland's foreign policy before 1973; − in Chapter 2 – characterized Polish involvement in the formation of the situation in the Middle East and Arab-Israeli conflicts; − in Chapter 3 – presented the mandate, assumptions, goals and objectives of the Polish Military Special Unit in the Middle East, as well as the structures and elements of the PWJS that were to influence the creation and perception of a positive image of Poland; − in Chapter 4 – analyzed the activities of party-political elements implementing ideological struggle and the role of the PWJS as a tool in shaping a positive image of Poland in the international arena; − in Chapter 5 – analyzed the use of PWJS experience in successive Polish Military Contingents in the area of creating a positive image of Poland, and made a contemporary reflection on Polish military activity as an element creating a positive image of the state in the international environment. The main research problem, which was to determine the impact of the participation of the Polish Special Military Unit in the UNEF II mission in Egypt and Syria in 1973–1979 on the formation of the image of Poland in the international environment, was embedded both in the area of security sciences and history, and given the study of the issue of influence on the formation of a positive image of the state, also in the area characteristic of media studies and international relations. Maintaining the interdisciplinary nature of the dissertation, however, the leading role in it was played by the science of politics and administration, as indicated both by the research process adopted in it and the research methods used, as well as the thematic scope undertaken. Indeed, the issues analyzed in the dissertation include issues relating to the state and politics, political systems and institutions, as well as civilizational changes taking into account the specifics of the area under study, so phenomenon that are of natural interest to political science.
The high complexity and interdisciplinary spectrum of the issues under consideration during the research necessitated the use of a number of research methods and techniques. In order to solve the research problems and verify the adopted hypothesis, a research process was applied, consisting of a conceptualization stage and a fundamental stage, which included conducting the research proper and analyzing the collected materials and verifying the adopted hypothesis. It should also be noted that the research methods used were to some extent interrelated and interdependent, as their combination and alternate use seemed more effective and useful in terms of achieving the assumed research objective. The comprehensive approach to the implemented topic was the reason for the use of interrelated and complementary research methods: historical, institutional-legal, decisionmaking, content analysis and opinion survey (interviews), which were used both in secondary form and personally conducted by the author. After descripting and analyzing the image activities of the PWJS in the UNEF II mission, it can be concluded that the research hypothesis positively verified and the stated purpose of the work was achieved. The recapitulation of specific problems and related conclusions presented in the dissertation, the arguments presented, the analysis of the available research material carried out confirm the statement boiling down to the assertion that the participation of the PWJS in the peacekeeping mission in the Middle East fulfilled an important role as a tool for creating a positive image of Poland in the international arena and was indirectly part of the Polish raison d'état at the time. The work has contributed to deepening the state of knowledge about the participation of Polish soldiers in missions outside the country in 1973– 1979 and the formation of a positive image of the Polish People's Republic and the Polish Army in the international arena during this period. It also contributes some cognitive value and shows implementation elements for application in future activities of the WP outside the country during foreign missions.
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oai:bibliotekacyfrowa.ujk.edu.pl:11999
Uniwersytet Jana Kochanowskiego w Kielcach
Adamczyk, Arkadiusz (1969- ) ; Kubicki, Radosław (1978- ). Promotor pomocniczy
Smyrgała, Dominik ; Boćkowski, Daniel
Nauki o polityce i administracji
Wydział Prawa i Nauk Społecznych
tylko w Oddziale Informacji Naukowej
29 lip 2024
29 lip 2024
0
https://bibliotekacyfrowa.ujk.edu.pl/publication/12630