Polish Army oaths
The following is a list of the Polish military oaths, both historical and contemporary.
Contemporary
This oath is in current use in the Polish Armed Forces.| Polish | English |
| Ja żołnierz Wojska Polskiego, Przysięgam, Służyć wiernie Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, Bronić jej niepodległości i granic, Stać na straży Konstytucji, Strzec honoru żołnierza polskiego, Sztandaru wojskowego bronić, Za sprawę mojej Ojczyzny, W potrzebie krwi własnej ani życia nie szczędzić, Tak mi dopomóż Bóg! | I, as a soldier/sailor/airman of the Polish Armed Forces, Do Swear, To Serve loyally the Republic of Poland, To defend her independence and borders, To keep guard over the Constitution, To defend the honor of a Polish soldier, To defend the military banners and standards of the Armed Forces, For the sake of my Fatherland, Even at the cost of losing both my life and blood. So help me God! |
Historical
1788 Oath
In 1788, the State Defence Commission of the Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania issued this following military oath to all military personnel of the Commonwealth armed services. This is the oath spoken in Polish.Kościuszko's Uprising (1794)
The Oath of Tadeusz Kościuszko, sworn in the old town market of Kraków on 24 March 1794, at the outbreak of the Kościuszko Uprising.Polish Legions in World War I
The oath was prepared by the German authorities and on July 3, 1917 presented to Gen. Hans Beseler, then the German governor of Warsaw and the highest authority of the planned Polnische Wehrmacht military formation. He invoked in swearing to the loyalty of the Polish Legions in [World War I|Polish Legions] with it, thus putting them under direct German command.However, the Polish Legions were already enraged with the German and Austro-Hungarian plans to place limits on Polish independence. In addition, they were angered by and also the Austro-Hungarian's dismissal of Józef Piłsudski, who was the Legions' leader. Therefore, most of the soldiers of the Legions declined to swear allegiance to a non-existent king of Poland or to a foreign government, which led to the so-called Oath Crisis.
The Polish Army in France (1918)
Oath written by General Józef Haller and the Polish National Committee in 1918. It was used by the units of the Blue Army, that is the Polish Army formed in France at the end of the First World War.Greater Poland Uprising (1919)
To avoid an open conflict with Germany, the forces fighting in the Greater Poland Uprising formally declared the existence of a separate state, and those forces were then considered separate from the Polish Army. Hence the oath of the armed forces of Greater Poland was different from that used by other Polish units elsewhere.Second Polish Republic (1924)
During the interwar period, the unified Polish Army introduced three distinct oaths to accommodate the diverse religious beliefs of its soldiers. These oaths were established by the Basic Duties of a Soldier Act on July 18, 1924, and later reaffirmed by an order from the Ministry of Military Affairs on July 15, 1927.Polish text
; Christians : Przysięgam Panu Bogu Wszechmogącemu, w Trójcy Świętej Jedynemu być wiernym Ojczyźnie mej, Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, Chorągwi wojskowych nigdy nie odstąpić. Stać na straży konstytucji i honoru żołnierza polskiego. Prawu i Prezydentowi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej być uległym. Rozkazy dowódców i przełożonych wiernie wykonywać. Tajemnic wojskowych strzec. Za sprawę Ojczyzny mej walczyć do ostatniego tchu w piersiach. I w ogóle tak postępować, aby mógł żyć i umierać jak prawy żołnierz polski. Tak mi dopomóż Bóg i święta Syna jego męka. Amen.; Muslims : Przysięgam Panu Bogu Jedynemu być wiernym Ojczyźnie mej, Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, chorągwi wojskowych nigdy nie odstąpić, stać na straży Konstytucji i honoru żołnierza polskiego, prawu i Prezydentowi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej być uległym, rozkazy dowódców i przełożonych wiernie wykonywać, tajemnic wojskowych strzec, za sprawę Ojczyzny mej walczyć do ostatniego tchu w piersiach i w ogóle tak postępować, abym mógł żyć i umierać jak prawy żołnierz polski. Bereetjum Mine Allachivy Veresulini illeclezine a hetdeteum minel masiurkine BilWałłagi, Tałłagi, Amin.
; Other denominations : Przysięgam Bogu Wszechmogącemu być wiernym Ojczyźnie mej, Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, chorągwi wojskowych nigdy nie odstąpić, stać na Straży Konstytucji i honoru żołnierza polskiego, prawu i Prezydentowi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej być uległym, rozkazy dowódców i przełożonych wiernie wykonywać, tajemnic wojskowych strzec, za sprawę Ojczyzny mej walczyć do ostatniego tchu w piersiach i w ogóle tak postępować abym mógł żyć i umierać jak prawy żołnierz polski. Tak mi dopomóż Bóg. Amen.
English translation
; Christians : I swear to God Almighty, One in Holy Trinity, my faithful allegiance to my Fatherland, the Republic of Poland. I swear always to stand by the military banners, to uphold the constitution and guard the honour of the Polish soldier, to be obedient to the law and to the President of Poland, to faithfully carry out the orders of my commanders and superiors, to keep the military secrets, to fight for my Fatherland to the last breath in my breast, and to always behave so as to live and die as a true Polish soldier. So help me God and the sacred Passion of His Son! Amen.; Muslims : I swear to the Only God my faithful allegiance to my Fatherland, Republic of Poland. I swear always to stand by the military banners, to uphold the constitution and guard the honour of the Polish soldier, to be obedient to the law and to the President of Poland, to faithfully carry out the orders of my commanders and superiors, to keep the military secrets, to fight for my Fatherland to the last breath in my breast, to always behave so as to live and die as a true Polish soldier. Bereetjum Mine Allachivy Veresulini illeclezine a hetdeteum minel masiurkine BilWałłagi, Tałłagi, Amin.
; Other denominations : ''I swear to God Almighty my faithful allegiance to my Fatherland, the Republic of Poland. I swear always to stand by the military banners, to uphold the constitution and guard the honour of the Polish soldier, to be obedient to the law and to the President of Poland, to faithfully carry orders of my commanders and superiors, to keep the military secrets, to fight for my Fatherland to the last breath in my breast, to always behave so as to live and die as a true Polish soldier. So help me God! Amen.''