History

The Order of Virtuti Militari was established by King Stanisław August Poniatowski in 1792. It was abolished following the Third Partitioning of Poland in 1795 and was not awarded again until 1807 when it was revived by the Duchy of Warsaw. It was awarded from 1815-1831 by Tsar Alexander I ruling as King of Poland, but after Poland had been fully incorporated into the Russian Empire, the Tsar did not continue to confer the Order. Instead, a badge was created in its likeness for Russian military personnel in an effort to humiliate the defeated Polish forces. The Order was not awarded again until the restoration of Polish independence in 1921. It has since been awarded by the Polish People’s Republic from 1944-1989, by the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile from 1939-1989, and by the Republic of Poland since 1992.

The Order is currently conferred upon Polish military personnel in recognition of bravery and gallantry in combat. It may also be awarded posthumously.

The Order is classified into two types based on changes in form. Type I decorations are medals and Type II decorations are crosses.

There are four different models of the Type II cross. The first model, awarded from 1792-1795, features a crowned eagle and the arms of Lithuania on the obverse and initials that stand for “Stanislaus Augustus Rex Poloniae” (Stanisław August, King of Poland) on the reverse. The second model, awarded from 1807-1831, resembles the first model except that the arms of Lithuania have been replaced by an inscription that translates to “King and the Fatherland.” The third model was introduced in 1921 and features a crowned eagle on the obverse and the Order's motto, “Honour and Fatherland,” on the reverse. The fourth model was awarded during the Polish People’s Republic and features an uncrowned eagle in the obverse medallion.

A number of production changes were made to the Gold Cross from the first time it was reinstated in 1919 until 1992 when it was officially reinstated by the new Republic. The pre-WWII Gold Cross has a serial number stamped on the reverse and was manufactured by a variety of firms in Poland. During and after the Second World War, the Gold Cross issued by the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile was outsourced to foreign manufacturers, including those in Italy, Britain, and Palestine. These crosses are noted for their differences in design and production.

There may be additional versions of the Gold Cross that differ in size, composition, or manufacturer.

See also the Order of Virtuti Militari in the Orders of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569-1795) and Partitioned Poland (1795-1918), the Polish People's Republic (1944-1989), and the Third Polish Republic (1989-).