Cross of Valor

Infobox Military Award
name=Cross of Valor


caption=The People's Republic of Poland version of the medal and ribbon.
awarded_by=the Republic of Poland
type=Single-grade medal.
eligibility=
for=Deeds of valor and courage on the field of battle.
campaign=
status=
description=Obverse bears the words, "NA POLU CHWAŁY" ("ON THE FIELD OF GLORY"), while the reverse bears the word, "WALECZNYM" ("TO THE VALIANT"), and the date "1920" or "1944," depending on date of institution.
clasps=
established=August 11, 1920.
first_award=
last_award=
total=
posthumous=
recipients=
individual=
higher=Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
same=
lower=Cross of Merit with Swords.
related=


caption2=Polish-Soviet War period medalThe Cross of Valor ( _pl. Krzyż Walecznych) is a Polish military decoration. It was first introduced by the Council for the Defense of the State on August 11, 1920. It is awarded to an individual who "has demonstrated deeds of valor and courage on the battlefield." It may be awarded to the same person up to four timesThe only soldier to ever receive more than 4 Crosses of Valour was Stefan Grot-Rowecki, the commander of the Polish Home Army during the World War II, who already reached his quota of 4 crosses during World War I and the Polish-Soviet War, yet was awarded with 4 crosses more on May 1, 1943. See: pl icon cite web | author=Łukasz Leszczyński | title=gen. dyw. Stefan Grot-Rowecki | publisher= | year=2005 | work=Łukasz Leszczyński | url=http://www.grot.rowecki.prv.pl/biografia.html | accessdate=2007-06-11 ] . The medal is given only in wartime or shortly after.

History

The medal was introduced at the height of the Polish-Soviet War (1920), shortly before the climactic Battle of Warsaw. Initially it had no Order Council and was awarded personally by the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army. Later the option was added of delegating the privilege to front and division commanders.

Polish-Soviet War

Through May 29, 1923, when the last medal for the Polish-Soviet War was awarded, the Cross of Valor had been granted to some 60,000 soldiers. Apart from individuals who had participated in the Polish-Soviet War, it had also been retroactively awarded to some soldiers of the Polish Legions, of World War I military units, of the Silesian Uprisings, of the Great Poland Uprising, and to members of the Polish Military Organization. It had been awarded, as well, to veterans of the January 1863 Uprising and to the city of Płock.

World War II

In January 1940 the Polish Commander-in-Chief, Władysław Sikorski, issued an order reintroducing the Cross of Valor. On September 20, the President of Poland agreed to award the medal to eligible individuals who had already been awarded it four times during the Polish-Soviet War.

People's Republic of Poland

In 1943, after the Battle of Lenino, General Zygmunt Berling, commander of the Soviet-backed Polish 1^st Corps, awarded the Cross of Valor to several soldiers. The medal itself was approved as a military decoration by order of the Home National Council on December 22, 1944. Until 1947, some 40,000 of the medals had been awarded to Polish soldiers fighting alongside the Red Army.

Notes and references

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