“GOD, HONOUR, FATHERLAND”

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"God, Honour, Fatherland" is the motto of the military of Poland. It traces its history to the era of partitions of Poland and Polish service in Napoleonic army (from 1797 to 1803). The motto is a symbol connecting Polish patriotism to religiosity.

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In 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte instituted a "Legion of Honor" to reward all merit for France, whether military or civilian. Borrowing its name from Roman antiquity, the French Legion of Honor took as its motto the words "Honneur et Patrie" ("Honour and Fatherland"). Napoleon (who borrowed the idea of a "legion" from Roman Republican history) established five ranks (or grades) of honor: Chevalier (Knight) (lowest), Officier (Officer), Commandant (Commander), Grand Officier (Grand Officer) and Grand Aigle (Grand Eagle) - later Grand Croix (Grand Cross) (highest). At the time of its creation, France was divided into sixteen territorial divisions, known as cohorts, made up of legionnaires from the different regions.

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It is likely that the phrase was brought to Poland by the soldiers of the Napoleonic-era Polish legions. It was introduced as phrase to be used on the banners of the newly reconstituted Polish military of the Second Polish Republic in 1919. The word God was officially added to the standards, preceding words Honour and Fatherland, by the decree of the Polish government-in-exile in 1943. This decree remained in force till it was changed by the communist government of the People's Republic of Poland in 1955 to "For Our Fatherland the People's Republic of Poland". Following the fall of communism, the "God, Honour, Fatherland" phrase was restored by the government of the Third Polish Republic in 1993.

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