Blade of the Sabre (1939) by G. BorowskiCity Museum of Wrocław
Sabre
The sabre is regarded as the national weapon of the Poles, which was used in battle for many centuries.
Even the first verses of the Polish national anthem mention the sabre:
Poland has not yet perished,
So long as we still live.
What the foreign force has taken from us,
We shall with sabre retrieve.
Although in the first half of the 20th century the sabre was still a combat weapon, today it is only a representative weapon.
The first 20th-century sabres of Polish soldiers were not of Polish production.
Until the end of World War I, Poles served in the armies of the partitioning powers, Russia, Austria-Hungary and Prussia, and in the Polish Army in France, commanded by General Józef Haller.
Austrian Officer's Sabre (20th century AD) by unknownCity Museum of Wrocław
So they fought mainly with French, German, Austrian/Hungarian and Russian weapons.
However, it was not uncommon for them to add Polish accents to emphasize their national identity.
Austrian Private's Sabre (1914) by unknownCity Museum of Wrocław
And sometimes even literary works.
Like here - poem in Polish, engraved in August 1914, on the blade of the Austrian Pattern 1904 Sabre.
Sabre of an infantry officer (20th century AD) by L. Morawski Co.City Museum of Wrocław
The first regulation sabre after the regaining of independence was the 1917 pattern sabre.
However, only the handles were standardized.
In contrast, almost any kind of blade could be used.
In 1921 new sabre patterns were introduced: for privates, non-commissioned officers and officers. The officer version was modified a year later and designated the pattern 1921/22. In this form, sabres were produced until World War II.
Eagle-shaped hilt (1935) by Łopieński BrosCity Museum of Wrocław
Sometimes officers personalized their weapons by, for example, engravings or by their own designs, referring only to the official sabre pattern.
Pay attention eagle-shaped hilt of the sabre according to the pattern 1921.
Blade of the Officer's Sabre (1935) by G. BorowskiCity Museum of Wrocław
Sabres also became military gifts and awards.
Like this one. Etched dedication from the President of the Republic of Poland to the top student of the Cavalry Cadet School.
In 1934, the “last combat sabre of Europe” was introduced, intended for privates and non-commissioned officers of cavalry. It was never introduced in an officer’s version, although the Ludwików Ironworks in Kielce, on its own initiative, produced “officer’s copies”.
After World War II, the pattern of the Soviet sabre was in force in the Polish Army. It was shashka, a weapon originating from the Caucasus. Despite this, sabres of the 1921/22 pattern were still frequently used.
In 1969, a new pattern was developed in line with Polish tradition.
At the beginning of the 1980s, the 1976 pattern sabre was introduced into the equipment of the Polish Army. In a modified version, it is still used today by the representative troops.
The collection of Polish sabers you can discover at the Military Museum, a branch of the City Museum of Wrocław.
Krzysztof Jacobson
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