In a report published last month by the Special Operations Command Europe, IWP professor Dr. Marek Jan Chodakiewicz’s work on popular resistance was heavily cited as a framework to understand resistance organizations and employed in a case study on popular resistance in Poland during World War II.
The report, “Resistance Operating Concept (ROC),” by Otto C. Fiala discusses resistance and resilience as a way for a state to defend itself against incursions on its national sovereignty. The Resistance Operating Concept encourages governments to build resistance capabilities as a part of its Total Defense posture. The report examines historical examples of resistance and resilience, particularly during World War II and the Cold War.
The ROC is a highly significant concept, as it will aid Northern and Eastern European countries to counter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. This report sets the context for the first-ever Special Operations contingency plan if Russia were to invade the Baltic States, demonstrating U.S. commitment to NATO.
Dr. Chodakiewicz’s books, Between Nazis and Soviets; Occupation Politics in Poland, 1930-1947 and Intermarium: The Land Between the Black and Baltic Seas, provide critical insights in the report on historical instances of national resistance to foreign influence.
The full report is available here.
At The Institute of World Politics, Dr. Chodakiewicz serves as a Professor of History and holds the Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies. Additionally, he heads IWP’s Center for Intermarium Studies.