Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism , meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medallion.
50-592: A war medal is a military decoration awarded in time of war, as opposed to a service medal . It may refer to, for example: War Medal (Norway) Campaign medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal British War Medal , British Empire medal for service in World War I War Medal 1939–1945 , British Commonwealth and Empire medal for service in World War II War Medal of 1915 , another name for
100-599: A pendant (commonly a medal ) attached. The oldest military decorations still in use is Sweden's För tapperhet i fält ('For Valour in the Field') and För tapperhet till sjöss ('For Valour at Sea') awarded to officers and soldiers of the Swedish Armed Forces who have—as the medal names suggest—shown valour in the field or at sea in wartime. The medal was instituted by Swedish king Gustav III on 28 May 1789, during his war against Russia. Whilst technically it
150-599: A Women's Auxiliary Service unit, and twelve artillery units. A new Chapter was chosen for times of peace on 24 November 1922. The following year, the last decoration of the Virtuti Militari was granted for World War I and the Polish-Bolshevik War , and further awards were halted. On 25 March 1933 the Sejm passed a new "Order of Virtuti Militari Act" ( Ustawa o Orderze Virtuti Militari ); this modified
200-422: A different class of soldiers and for various deeds: Each recipient of the Virtuti Militari, regardless of rank or post, received a yearly salary of 300 złoty . Other privileges included the right of pre-emption when buying a state-owned land property or applying for a state post. Children of recipients received additional points during examinations in state schools and universities. Additionally, recipients of
250-1282: A single battle in 1939, and from 1942 the commander of the First Polish Armoured Division . I Class (13 awarded): • Marshal of the USSR and Marshal of Poland Konstanty Rokossowski • Marshal Michał Rola-Żymierski • General Aleksei Antonov • Marshal Leonid Brezhnev (revoked 1990) • Marshal of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito • Major General Nikolai Bulganin • Marshal Andriey Grechko • Marshal Ivan Koniev • Marshal Alexander Vasilievski • Marshal Georgy Zhukov • Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery • General Ludvík Svoboda • General Karol Świerczewski (posthumous) II Class (18 awarded): • Lt General Stanisław Popławski • Lt General Juliusz Rómmel • Lt General Karol Świerczewski • Major Henryk Sucharski III Class (57 awarded) • Lt General Sarkis Martirosyan • Lt General Bolesław Kieniewicz • Lt General Władysław Korczyc • Lt General Marian Spychalski IV Class (227 awarded) • Captain Władysław Raginis (posthumous) The Soviet -backed Polish Armies fighting on
300-630: A statute for the decoration had been drafted, which was based on one that was created for the Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa . The regulation changed the shape of the decoration from a medal to a cross, which has not changed substantially since then. It also introduced five classes to the order. The first members of the decoration's chapter were also its first recipients. For the Polish-Russian War in Defence of
350-489: A tenth the area of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and a fifth of its population, was now tied to Russia in a personal union . In Congress Poland, the Virtuti Militari medal was renamed the "Polish Military Medal" ( Medal Wojskowy Polski ). Both the statutes of Virtuti Militari and privileges granted to recipients were preserved. A special commission was created to award the Virtuti Militari to veterans of
400-459: Is awarded: Initially each of the high commanders of the Army had a quota of Virtuti Militari to be awarded to his soldiers. However, the system was soon changed and, since then, the order has been usually awarded centrally for individual acts of bravery after being nominated by the chain of command . According to the decree of 10 October 1812, each of the recipients of a Golden or Silver Cross had
450-580: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Military decoration Civil decorations awarded to military personnel should not be considered military decorations, although some orders of chivalry have civil and military divisions. Decorations received by police and fire brigade personnel may sometimes be considered alongside military decorations, on which they may be modelled, although they are strictly not military awards. Decorations have been known since ancient times. The Egyptian Old Kingdom had
500-593: Is still active, it is for practical purposes inactive, not having been awarded since 1915. The next oldest is the Austro-Hungarian Tapferkeits Medaille Honour Medal for Bravery 1789–1792. This medal was instituted on 19 July 1789, by the Emperor Joseph II. Another of the oldest military decorations still in use is Poland's War Order of Virtuti Militari ( Latin for 'For Military Valour'). It
550-621: Is the oldest military decoration in the world still in use. It is awarded in five classes either for personal heroism or, to commanders, for leadership. Some of the heroic actions recognized by an award of the Virtuti Militari are equivalent to those meriting the British Victoria Cross and the American Medal of Honor . Soon after its introduction, however, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
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#1732772998285600-465: The 2nd Polish Corps ; Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski , commander of the large Armia Krajowa resistance movement and leader of the Warsaw Uprising ; and Stanisław Maczek , one of the best armor commanders of the war, who devised the first anti- blitzkrieg strategy as early as 1940 and was the commander of the 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade , considered to be the only Polish unit not to have lost
650-579: The Allied forces , Dwight D. Eisenhower ; French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny ; Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov ; and Serbian guerrilla leader Draža Mihailović . Among the most famous recipients of the medal during this period were Tadeusz Kutrzeba , creator of the Bzura counterattack plan and participant in the defence of Warsaw during the Invasion of Poland ; Władysław Anders , commander of
700-808: The Armia Ludowa resistance organization. Although the decree of the Polish Committee of National Liberation was loosely based on the act of the Polish Sejm of 1933, the exclusive right to award the decoration to soldiers was granted to the Home National Council . In 1947 the right passed to the President of Poland , then to the Polish Council of State after that body replaced the presidency. Between 1943 and 1989,
750-661: The Eastern Front were also awarding the Virtuti Militari. On 11 November 1943 General Zygmunt Berling awarded Silver Crosses to sixteen veterans of the Battle of Lenino . On 22 December 1944 the Soviet-backed Polish Committee of National Liberation passed a "Virtuti Militari Award Act", which accepted the medal as the highest military decoration of both the 1st Polish Army of the Red Army and
800-699: The Grodno Sejm reintroduced the decoration, it was banned again on 7 January 1794, at the insistence of Russia's Catherine the Great . Only a year later, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth itself shared the fate of its decoration when what remained of the Commonwealth was annexed by its neighbors in the partitions of Poland . King Stanisław II August abdicated the same year. During his reign, 526 medals had been granted: 440 Silver Medals and Crosses, 85 Golden Medals and Crosses, and 1 Commander's Cross. Among
850-632: The Order of the Golden Collar while the New Kingdom awarded the Order of the Golden Fly . Celts and Romans wore a torc or received other military decorations such as the hasta pura , a spear without a tip. Dayaks wore and still wear tattoos , etc. Necklaces and bracelets were given during the early Middle Ages , evolving into large, richly jewelled necklaces, often with
900-551: The Polish Defensive War of 1939, the fast German and Soviet advance (Polish territory was overrun by its enemies in five weeks from the beginning of the invasion ) prevented the Chapter from awarding the medals. Instead, commanders of divisions and brigades usually rewarded the bravery of their soldiers with their own crosses received before the war. This was the case of the 18th Pomeranian Uhlan Regiment , awarded
950-784: The Polish Government in Exile introduced the Virtuti Militari as the highest military decoration of the Polish Army in exile. The legal basis for the election of a new Chapter was the Act of 1933. During the Second World War , the Virtuti Militari was also often bestowed to senior military officers of allied armies, including British General Bernard Montgomery ; the American Supreme Commander of
1000-570: The Polish parliament in 1830 deposed the Tsar as King of Poland. When the resultant November Uprising broke out, the Tsar reacted by sending in Russian troops. • Gen. Józef Piłsudski , Józef Haller de Hallenburg • Lt.Gen. Wacław Iwaszkiewicz • Brig. Franciszek Latinik , Jan Romer , Edward Rydz • Col. Mieczysław Kuliński , Stanisław Skrzyński • Maj. Mieczysław Mackiewicz After
1050-537: The Second Republic of Poland and the Polish Sejm reintroduced the Virtuti Militari on 1 August the following year under a new official name, the "Military Award Virtuti Militari" ( Order Wojskowy Virtuti Militari ). A new statute of the decoration was also passed, and the class system introduced under the Duchy of Warsaw was re-introduced. According to the new statute, crosses of each class could be awarded to
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#17327729982851100-417: The service ribbons are normally worn on everyday occasions (as opposed to the actual medals). Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari ( Latin : "For Military Virtue" , Polish : Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari ) is Poland 's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was created in 1792 by Polish King Stanislaus II Augustus and
1150-703: The Communist authorities of the People's Republic of Poland awarded the medal to 5,167 people and organisations. Some of the crosses were given to the officers and leaders of the Red Army and of other armies allied with the Soviet Union during and after World War II. Among the recipients of the Golden Cross (Class IV) was destroyer ORP Błyskawica , probably the only warship in the world to be awarded
1200-640: The Constitution of 1792, a total of 63 officers and 290 NCOs and privates were awarded the Virtuti Militari. The statute was never fully implemented, however, since soon after its introduction the King acceded to the Targowica Confederation , which on 29 August 1792 abolished the decoration and prohibited its wearing. Anyone who wore the medal could be demoted and expelled from the army by Poland's new authorities. Although on 23 November 1793
1250-713: The Grand Cross given to Leonid Brezhnev on 21 July 1974. On 16 October 1992, the Polish Sejm passed a new Virtuti Militari Act, which is based on the act of 1933. It restored the Chapter of Virtuti Militari abolished by the communist authorities, while also confirming all decorations bestowed by both the Polish government in exile and the Soviet-backed authorities in Poland. In 1995, President Lech Wałęsa revoked
1300-753: The Napoleonic campaigns of 1812, 1813, and 1814. By 1820, an additional 1,213 crosses of all classes had been awarded. Also, on 5 June 1817, a royal decree ennobled all officers who received the Golden Cross. At the time, the Kingdom of Poland was one of the few constitutional monarchies in Europe, with the Emperor of the Russian Empire as Polish king. The country was given one of the most liberal constitutions in nineteenth-century Europe, although it
1350-538: The Order given to Ivan Serov , who was accused of being responsible for the deaths of thousands of Poles. In 2006, President Lech Kaczyński revoked the Cross of the Order given to Wincenty Romanowski , who tortured anti-Communist fighters. Since 1989 there have been no new awards of the Virtuti Militari, and a new act of parliament introduced a rule setting the final deadline for awards at "no later than five years after
1400-549: The Ottoman Gallipoli Star Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title War Medal . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=War_Medal&oldid=702064017 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
1450-459: The Virtuti Militari for valor or outstanding leadership in war. There have been no new awards since 1989. • Lt.Gen. Józef Poniatowski , Tadeusz Kościuszko • Maj.Gen. Michał Wielhorski , Stanisław Mokronowski , Józef Zajączek • Brig. Eustachy Sanguszko • Col. Józef Poniatowski, Michał Chomętowski • Lt.Col. Ludwik Kamieniecki • Maj. Mikołaj Bronikowski, Józef Szczutowski Lt. Michał Cichocki, Ludwik Metzel Throughout its history,
1500-402: The Virtuti Militari had a right to be saluted by other soldiers of equal rank and NCOs, and ordinary soldiers could be promoted to the next higher rank upon receiving the award. The new Chapter of the decoration ( Kapituła Orderu Virtuti Militari ) was comprised twelve recipients of the crosses, four from each class from I to IV. The head of the chapter was Marshal of Poland Józef Piłsudski ,
1550-474: The Virtuti Militari of General Stanisław Grzmot-Skotnicki after the battle of Krojanty , where elements of the regiment successfully delayed the advance of the German infantry on 1 September, the first day of the Second World War . Following the fall of Poland in 1939, much of the Polish Army was evacuated to France, where it was reconstructed under the command of General Władysław Sikorski . In January 1941,
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1600-485: The War Order of Virtuti Militari has shared its country's fate, and has been abolished and reintroduced several times. The order was originally created on 22 June 1792 by King Stanisław II August to commemorate the victorious Battle of Zieleńce . Initially, it comprised two classes: a golden medal for generals and officers , and a silver one for non-commissioned officers and ordinary soldiers. By August 1792,
1650-550: The assault on Zamość . I Class (none awarded) II Class (1 awarded): • General Jan Skrzynecki (for the battles of Wawer and Dębe Wielkie ) III Class (105 awarded) IV Class (1794 awarded) e.g. Antoni Patek In 1815 at the Congress of Vienna , when European powers reorganised Europe following the Napoleonic wars, the Kingdom of Poland —known unofficially as the "Congress Poland"—was created. This state, with
1700-866: The end of hostilities. Classes I to III were awarded after nomination by the Chapter; Classes IV and V were nominated through the chain of command (usually by the commander of a division or brigade). Apart from the twelve members of the Chapter, all recipients of Class I had a right to take part in the voting. II Class (3 awarded): • Lt General Władysław Anders • Lt General Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski • Brigadier General Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski III Class (6 awarded) • Lt General Władysław Anders • Lt General Stanisław Maczek • Brigadier General Bronisław Duch • Lt General Tadeusz Kutrzeba • Brigadier General Franciszek Kleeberg • Brigadier General Antoni Chruściel IV Class (201 awarded) V Class (5363 awarded) • Brigadier General Wilhelm Orlik-Rueckemann • Commander Bolesław Trzaskowski During
1750-521: The famous recipients of the medal in this period were General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (1755–1818), the organiser of Polish Legions in Italy during the Napoleonic Wars, after whom the Polish national anthem Mazurek Dąbrowskiego is named, and General Józef Chłopicki (1771–1854). Also, on 20 May 1809, Sergeant Joanna Żubr became the first woman to receive the decoration (V class) for her part in
1800-556: The first crosses to eleven members of a Provisional Chapter. On 22 January 1920, to commemorate the anniversary of the outbreak of the January Uprising , the first soldiers and officers were officially decorated with the Virtuti Militari for their deeds during World War I and the Polish-Ukrainian War . By 1923, when the award of new medals was halted, the Chapter had awarded crosses to 6,589 recipients. Most of
1850-594: The highest military award for all Polish soldiers fighting alongside France in the Napoleonic Wars . The official name of the decoration was changed to the Military Medal of the Duchy of Warsaw ; however, soldiers remained faithful to the former name. The royal decree also introduced a new class system that has been in use ever since, with the class of the cross depending on the rank of the soldier to whom it
1900-487: The highest-ranking national medal. Błyskawica Recipients of Class V of the Virtuti Militari included military units, including two infantry divisions, six infantry regiments, three artillery regiments, four tank regiments, three air force regiments, as well as smaller units. After Poland overthrew the Communist rule in 1989, a number of Virtuti Militari awards made by the communist authorities were brought into question. On 10 July 1990, President Wojciech Jaruzelski revoked
1950-1067: The most famous recipients of the Virtuti Militari in this period were Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski (1763–1813) and Tadeusz Kościuszko (1746–1817), both able military commanders during the War in Defense of the Constitution and the Kościuszko Uprising . I Class (2 awarded): • Prince Józef Poniatowski (25 February 1809) • Louis Nicolas Davout (22 March 1809) II Class (10 awarded): • Józef Zajączek (1 February 1808) • Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (6 March 1808) • Karol Kniaziewicz (17 November 1812) • Stanisław Fiszer (22 August 1809) • Michał Sokolnicki (22 August 1809) • Aleksander Rożniecki (22 August 1809) • Józef Chłopicki (26 November 1810) • Amilkar Kosiński (17 November 1812) • Ludwik Pac (1 October 1813) • Mikołaj Bronikowski III Class (504 awarded) IV Class (23 awarded) In 1806, Lt. Gen. Prince Józef Poniatowski
2000-471: The only living Pole awarded the Grand Cross with Star. As commander-in-chief of the Polish Army , he could award medals of Classes I to III with the consent of the Chapter, and Classes IV and V upon receiving an application from the commander of a division or brigade. The Polish national feast day of 3 May was chosen as the feast day of the Virtuti Militari. On 1 January 1920 Józef Piłsudski awarded
2050-481: The outbreak of this uprising against Russia the Polish Sejm decreed, on 19 February 1831, that the decoration be restored to its original name, the "Order Virtuti Militari." Between 3 March and October that year 3,863 crosses were awarded. Recipients of the Silver Cross included three women: After the defeat of the uprising, Tsar Nicholas I abolished the decoration and banned its use. On 31 December 1831 it
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2100-400: The recipients were veterans of the Polish-Bolshevik War , but among them were also the veterans of all wars in which Polish soldiers fought in the twentieth century, as well as some veterans of the January Uprising . Among the recipients of the Silver Cross were two cities, Lwów and Verdun , as well as the banners of fourteen infantry regiments, six cavalry regiments, an engineer battalion,
2150-409: The rest of their lives. Finally, the annual salary of 300 złotys was freed from taxes and could not be impounded by the courts. Also, the criteria for granting the crosses became more strict: The Silver Cross could also be awarded to military units, cities and civilians. All classes of the Virtuti Militari medal were awarded by the commander-in-chief during the war or former commander-in-chief after
2200-402: The right to a yearly salary until promoted to officer or (if demobilised ) for life. In addition, during the Napoleonic Wars , the present tradition of awarding the soldiers with the Virtuti Militari in front of the unit was established. Between 1806 and 1815, there were 2569 crosses awarded to Polish soldiers fighting on all fronts, from Santo Domingo to Russia and from Italy to Spain. Among
2250-426: The shape of all the crosses and extended the privileges granted to recipients by the act of 1919. All recipients of the decoration had the right to buy railway tickets at 20% of their normal prices. The state paid for the medical care of recipients and was obliged to provide each with a job that would enable him to "live a decent life". The government was ordered to provide money, food, and clothing to war invalids for
2300-426: Was destroyed in the partitions of Poland (1795), and the partitioning powers abolished the decoration and prohibited its wearing. Since then, the award has been reintroduced, renamed and banned several times, with its fate closely reflecting the vicissitudes of the Polish people . Throughout the decoration's existence, thousands of soldiers and officers, Polish and foreign, several cities and one ship have been awarded
2350-424: Was first awarded in 1792. Medals have been forged by many people to make the medal appear more valuable or to make one look like a more decorated soldier. Medal forgeries can include: adding bars , engraving a famous soldier's name on it or creating a whole new medal. Medal forgery is illegal in most countries and can be punishable by imprisonment. Today military decorations include: In most NATO militaries, only
2400-467: Was promoted to commander-in-chief of all forces of the Duchy of Warsaw , the short-lived Polish state allied with Napoleon I of France . As one of the first recipients of the Virtuti Militari, Poniatowski insisted on the reintroduction of the decoration. Finally on 26 December 1806, the King of Saxony and Duke of Warsaw Fryderyk August Wettin accepted the proposal and reintroduced the Virtuti Militari as
2450-1699: Was replaced with the "Polish Sign of Honor" ( Polski Znak Honorowy ), an exact copy of the original cross but awarded only to Russians for services to the Tsarist authorities. I Class (6 awarded): • Marshal of Poland Józef Piłsudski • Ferdinand Foch (France) • King of Romania Ferdinand I • King of the Belgians Albert I • King of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Alexander I • King of Italy Vittorio Emmanuele III II Class (19 awarded): • Field Marshals: Yasukata Oku (Japan) • Kageaki Kawamura (Japan) • Armando Diaz (Italy) • Gen. Zygmunt Zieliński • Stanisław Szeptycki • Maxime Weygand (France) • Lucjan Żeligowski • John Pershing (United States) • Duke of Aosta Emmanuele Filiberto (Italy) • Gen.dyw. Edward Rydz • Stanisław Haller de Hallenburg • Jan Romer • Kazimierz Sosnkowski • Leonard Skierski • Władysław Sikorski • Wacław Iwaszkiewicz • Duke of Torino Emmanuele Filiberto (Italy) • Gen.bryg. Tadeusz Jordan-Rozwadowski III Class (14 awarded) • płk Stefan Dąb-Biernacki , ppłk Gustaw Paszkiewicz , Maj. Zygmunt Piasecki • and 11 foreigners IV Class (50 awarded) • ppłk Gustaw Paszkiewicz , Kazimierz Rybicki , Stefan Dąb-Biernacki • Maj. Zygmunt Piasecki • rotm Stanisław Radziwiłł (posthumously) • Sgt. Kazimierz Sipika, Stanisław Jakubowicz • and 43 foreigners Class V (8,300 awarded) • Mieczyslaw Garsztka • Stanislaw Jackowski • Walery Sławek Poland regained its independence in 1918 as
2500-775: Was very different from the Polish Constitution of 3rd May of the late Commonwealth. The Polish desire for freedom and respect for traditional privileges was a source of constant friction between the Poles and the Russians. The main problem was that the tsars, who had absolute power in Russia, similarly wanted no restrictions on their rule in Poland. Nicholas I of Russia decided in 1825 not to be crowned king of Poland , and he continued to limit Polish liberties. In response to repeated curtailment of Polish constitutional rights,
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