Patriotic and Religious Attitudes among a Select Group of Poland’s Territorial Defense Force Soldiers

The establishment of the Territorial Defense Forces in Poland in 2017 intensified the process of supporting the Polish Army with volunteer soldiers. This formation is one of five types of troops in Poland and is intended to support operational troops, with particular emphasis on a certain territory, close to and well-known to the soldiers of specific battalions. The motivations of candidates for service are certainly of key importance in determining recruitment success in this formation as these motivations may vary significantly. The article addresses this issue from the perspective of patriotic attitudes and religiosity guided by assumptions that have deep roots in Poland’s military history. The motto God-Honour-Fatherland is constantly present in this space, especially as a reference to the tradition of the Home Army during World War II. The text is based on survey research conducted on a selected group of TDF (WOT) soldiers.