Political commissar

In the military, a political commissar or political officer (or politruk, a portmanteau word from politicheskiy rukovoditel; or political instructor) is a supervisory officer responsible for the political education (ideology) and organization of the unit to which they are assigned, with the intention of ensuring political control of the military. The function first appeared as commissaire politique (political commissioner) or représentant en mission (representative on mission) in the French Revolutionary Army during the French Revolution (1789–1799). Political commissars were heavily used within the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). They also existed, with interruptions, in the Soviet Red Army from 1918 to 1942, as well as in the armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1943 to 1945 as Nationalsozialistische Führungsoffiziere (national socialist leadership officers). The function remains in use in China's People's Liberation Army and Taiwan's Republic of China Army and also Vietnam's People's Army. The position of political commissar (,) also exists in the People's Liberation Army of China. Usually, the political commissar is a uniformed military officer and Chinese Communist Party cadre, although this position has been used to give civilian party officials some experience with the military. The political commissar was head of a party cell within the military; however, military membership in the party has been restricted to the lower ranks since the 1980s. Today the political commissar is largely responsible for administrative tasks such as public relations and counseling, and mainly serves as second-in-command. Chinese troops reportedly spend "20 to 30 percent of their time studying communist ideology". The position of political commissar (, literal translation "Political Warfare Officer") also existed in the Republic of China Army of the Republic of China (Taiwan).