Szabla wz. 34
Szabla wz. 34 (literally "1934 Pattern Szabla") was the last service sword issued to the Polish cavalry and other mounted units of the Polish Army. One of the finest weapons in a long list of Polish sabres reaching back to the early 16th century, although its introduction occurred as swords finally became obsolete as military weapons, it was successfully used in combat during the 1939 Invasion of Poland and remains in service (as szabla wz. 1934/2002) as a ceremonial weapon. History The Polish cavalry units have been using sabres rather than broadswords at least since the 16th century. In the 18th century Poland ceased to exist as a sovereign nation in the effect of the partitions of Poland, but the Polish sabre, or szabla, remained in use. First as a weapon of various Polish units serving in the armies of other powers, and then its use spread to practically all light cavalry units in Europe and elsewhere. The British Pattern 1796 light cavalry sabre was perhaps the best-known clone of the sabre used by Polish hussars. When Poland regained its independence in 1918, the renascent Polish Army inherited a wide variety of swords from the armies of German Empire, Russian Empire, and Austria-Hungary, as well as France, Italy, and many other states from where weapons were being imported during the Polish-Bolshevik War of 1920. Experiences in the war shaped Polish Army organizational and operational doctrine. Unlike the trench warfare of World War I, the Polish-Soviet War was a conflict in which the cavalry's mobility played a decisive role. Poland acknowledged the benefits of mechanization but was unable to invest heavily in many of the expensive, unproven inventions since then. In spite of this, Polish cavalry brigades were used as a mobile mounted infantry, but also continued to be trained in fencing for a possible sabre charge. Because of that a need arose to create a new, standard weapon to be issued to all cavalry units of the Polish Army. In April 1921 the Ministry of Military Matters introduced the szabla wz. 1921, a new design combining the features of various swords used by the Polish Army until that date. Resembling the original 17th-century sabres, the new 1921 pattern was based primarily on the sabres produced during World War I in small numbers for the Polnische Wehrmacht (retroactively designated "szabla wz. 1917"). The new sabre served as both a combat and ceremonial weapon of the Polish Army. This made the 1921 design not ideal for either cutting or thrusting, as compromises had to be made and the curvature was not the best suited for cavalry combat. In 1934 the Warsaw-based Technical Institute of Armaments designed a new standard combat sabre for all mounted units of the Polish Army. While similar to the 1921 Pattern Sabre, the new sword was designed strictly as a combat weapon, with ergonomic grip, well-carved hilt and the curved blade designed for both powerful cuts and easy swings. Unlike many contemporary designs, the sheathed sword was almost