the role of the police in a war.
Printed From: History Community ~ All Empires
Category: General History
Forum Name: Military History
Forum Discription: Discussions related to military history: generals, battles, campaigns, etc.
URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29459
Printed Date: 25-Apr-2024 at 06:27
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Topic: the role of the police in a war.
Posted By: Hadifclz
Subject: the role of the police in a war.
Date Posted: 22-Apr-2011 at 05:45
in case of an invasion or attack what is the role of the police?
are they just to sit back and watch who wins?
Or are they to be armed and fight along in a crisis situation?
When civilians are being threatened should the police do everything in its power to protect them?
I have heard about some police officers who were being threatened or resisted to the invading army... could this be justified?
And when police officers do resist, should they be considered POW's? or civilian prisoners?
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Replies:
Posted By: Cryptic
Date Posted: 22-Apr-2011 at 10:46
Originally posted by Hadifclz
in case of an invasion or attack what is the role of the police?
are they just to sit back and watch who wins?
Or are they to be armed and fight along in a crisis situation?
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It depends on the police and the society. In some countries, many police are already para military units used to prevent crime and to maintain internal security. These police are easily converted into miliary units. Examples include the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
In other societies, the police are kept busy being police officers since there is always say 2-3% of a society that are going to use the chao of an invasion as an invitation to loot, rob, commit a variety of assaults, back market items etc.
In some other cases, the police are partisan supporters of a particular side and militarize themselves. In the Spanish civil war, the rural gendarme was very right wing and often served as enforcers for landlords. Meanwhile, the leftist assault guards were purportedly formed as an urban police force, but spent alot of time terrorizing social opponents and business owners. When the war started the gendarme and police were among the first to fight.
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Posted By: Athena
Date Posted: 22-Apr-2011 at 11:13
May be the invader should begin by dropping pamphlets explaining the rulers of war? I thought an invasion automatically meant a defense, and I didn't know some were to participate in the defense and others were not.
It is not a good idea to threaten my family or friends, because surely I will defend them, and ask questions later.
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Posted By: toyomotor
Date Posted: 24-Jan-2014 at 00:58
Originally posted by Cryptic
Originally posted by Hadifclz
in case of an invasion or attack what is the role of the police?are they just to sit back and watch who wins? Or are they to be armed and fight along in a crisis situation? |
It depends on the police and the society. In some countries, many police are already para military units used to prevent crime and to maintain internal security. These police are easily converted into miliary units. Examples include the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
In other societies, the police are kept busy being police officers since there is always say 2-3% of a society that are going to use the chao of an invasion as an invitation to loot, rob, commit a variety of assaults, back market items etc.
In some other cases, the police are partisan supporters of a particular side and militarize themselves. In the Spanish civil war, the rural gendarme was very right wing and often served as enforcers for landlords. Meanwhile, the leftist assault guards were purportedly formed as an urban police force, but spent alot of time terrorizing social opponents and business owners. When the war started the gendarme and police were among the first to fight. |
In most western countries, the primary role of police is always "protection of life and property". In the case of war, police take on the additional responsibility of "Civil Defence:, that is, assisting the civilian population in evacuation, relocation, prevention of looting and black marketing. Only under the most extreme conditions would the police become involved in battle, if at all.
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Posted By: Mountain Man
Date Posted: 24-Jan-2014 at 11:18
Military police typically perform security functions in time of war, guarding road junctions, supply depots, headquarters and similar actions. They are also trained to fight as infantry. In addition, crime goes on within the ranks during wartime just as in peacetime, and the arrests, detentions , etc. are handled by the Military Police.
One of their major duties, however, is guarding enemy POW's and prisoners from their own armies.
After June 6th, my father was placed in command of a POW camp in England for wounded enemy soldiers. Besides medical personnel and doctors, he was give a company of Military Police to guard the compound, escort prisoners and so forth.
Military police have also served more ominous functions. During WWI the British MP's were stationed behind the trench lines with orders to shoot anyone who refused to go "over the top". The Soviets used theirs to drive their own forces forward, especially the penal battalions, and the German MP's served some similar functions. However, they did not serve as POW camp guards.
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Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
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Posted By: opuslola
Date Posted: 24-Jan-2014 at 23:50
A good post Mountain, but where is the supporting information? I do not doubt your words but would like to see the sites from which you gathered the information. Smile
I also have had some sources that gave me formerly unknown information concerning the last days of the German Army and Air Force!
Regards, Ron
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http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/history/
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Posted By: toyomotor
Date Posted: 25-Jan-2014 at 01:59
Originally posted by opuslola
A good post Mountain, but where is the supporting information? I do not doubt your words but would like to see the sites from which you gathered the information. Smile
I also have had some sources that gave me formerly unknown information concerning the last days of the German Army and Air Force!
Regards, Ron |
Opuslola: What he's saying is correct, I can tell you from first hand experience. There's no need for me to repeat his comments. Google Military Police and it will confirm Mountains post.
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Posted By: TheAlaniDragonRising
Date Posted: 25-Jan-2014 at 09:14
Originally posted by toyomotor
Opuslola: What he's saying is correct, I can tell you from first hand experience. There's no need for me to repeat his comments. Google Military Police and it will confirm Mountains post. |
You have first hand experience of British military police shooting their own soldiers for not going over the top in World War One?
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What a handsome figure of a dragon. No wonder I fall madly in love with the Alani Dragon now, the avatar, it's a gorgeous dragon picture.
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Posted By: Mountain Man
Date Posted: 25-Jan-2014 at 10:30
Originally posted by opuslola
A good post Mountain, but where is the supporting information? I do not doubt your words but would like to see the sites from which you gathered the information. Smile
I also have had some sources that gave me formerly unknown information concerning the last days of the German Army and Air Force!
Regards, Ron |
Twenty years of military service including wartime, for starters, including being a medical officer for military confinement facilities, followed by a lifetime of reading military history and my father's wartime experiences.
Google Military Police in wartime and go from there.
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Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
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Posted By: opuslola
Date Posted: 25-Jan-2014 at 11:28
I guess I fouled up! I meant to find out more about this part of his post--
"Military police have also served more ominous functions. During WWI the British MP's were stationed behind the trench lines with orders to shoot anyone who refused to go "over the top". The Soviets used theirs to drive their own forces forward, especially the penal battalions, and the German MP's served some similar functions. However, they did not serve as POW camp guards."
I have just never considered MP's in the British Army actually shooting their own comrades.\\Ron
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http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/history/
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Posted By: toyomotor
Date Posted: 25-Jan-2014 at 18:00
Originally posted by TheAlaniDragonRising
Originally posted by toyomotor
Opuslola: What he's saying is correct, I can tell you from first hand experience. There's no need for me to repeat his comments. Google Military Police and it will confirm Mountains post. |
You have first hand experience of British military police shooting their own soldiers for not going over the top in World War One? |
No, you misinterpret what I wrote. I was a Military Policeman in the Army Reserve for many years. My comment was in relation to the security and POW duties that are performed by Military Police in war time.
I find your question of my having first hand experience of WW1 Military Police actions simply stupid. I'd now be about 120 years old. Or are you just collecting a few more points?
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Posted By: TheAlaniDragonRising
Date Posted: 25-Jan-2014 at 19:14
Originally posted by toyomotor
No, you misinterpret what I wrote. I was a Military Policeman in the Army Reserve for many years. My comment was in relation to the security and POW duties that are performed by Military Police in war time.
I find your question of my having first hand experience of WW1 Military Police actions simply stupid. I'd now be about 120 years old. Or are you just collecting a few more points? |
My apologies, toyomotor, I thought you were making out that you actually took part in POW guard duties. My mistake, I didn't realize that you had nothing whatsoever to do with said duties in any war time scenario.
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What a handsome figure of a dragon. No wonder I fall madly in love with the Alani Dragon now, the avatar, it's a gorgeous dragon picture.
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Posted By: opuslola
Date Posted: 26-Jan-2014 at 00:31
It seems we all need someone to interpret our posts! LOL
Regards to all of you, Ron
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http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/history/
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Posted By: toyomotor
Date Posted: 12-Feb-2014 at 00:13
Originally posted by TheAlaniDragonRising
Originally posted by toyomotor
No, you misinterpret what I wrote. I was a Military Policeman in the Army Reserve for many years. My comment was in relation to the security and POW duties that are performed by Military Police in war time.
I find your question of my having first hand experience of WW1 Military Police actions simply stupid. I'd now be about 120 years old. Or are you just collecting a few more points? |
My apologies, toyomotor, I thought you were making out that you actually took part in POW guard duties. My mistake, I didn't realize that you had nothing whatsoever to do with said duties in any war time scenario.
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You really are a rectum!
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Posted By: opuslola
Date Posted: 12-Feb-2014 at 00:44
And with that large removal of waste material from the bowels of "toyomotor" removed? Perhaps this thread should be closed?
LOL
ron
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http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/history/
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Posted By: AnchoritSybarit
Date Posted: 13-Mar-2017 at 15:57
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It seems to me that all of you keep conflating two different entities--civilian police and military police. In time of war MP's are in fact members of the armed forces civilian police are not. According to the generally accepted rules of war ONLY uniformed members of the armed forces are permitted to take up arms against enemy forces. All others are subject to summary judgement and execution upon apprehension.
I would assume that any country being invaded would automatically issue a proclamation that all civilian police are immediately subsumed into the military, thereby avoiding the above mentioned sanctions.
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What I have I hold.
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