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Podhale Rifles^{[citation needed]} or Podhale Riflemen^[1]^[2] (Polish: Strzelcy podhalańscy, nicknamed "Podhalańczycy") is the traditional name of the mountain infantry units of the Polish Army. Formed in 1918 out of volunteers of the region of Podhale, in 1919 the smaller detachments of Podhale Rifles were pressed into two mountain infantry divisions, the 21st Mountain Infantry and 22nd Mountain Infantry Divisions, as well as into three brigades of mountain infantry and were considered elite units of the Polish Army.

After the Polish defeat in the Polish September Campaign, the Podhale units were recreated in France as Polish Independent Highland Brigade, fought at the Battle of Narvik, and later fought in the Battle of France and retreated into Switzerland upon the French defeat. Some units were also created in the underground as part of the partisan forces of the Armia Krajowa. The traditions of the Podhale Rifles are continued by the modern 21st Podhale Rifle Brigade.

The traditional symbols of the Podhale Rifles include the edelweiss flower and the Mountain Cross, a swastika symbol (not related to NSDAP) popular in folk culture of the Polish mountainous regions. The units of Podhale Rifles, both historical and modern, are notable for their high morale and distinctive uniforms. Prior to World War II the mountain units were one of only two infantry units wearing non-standard uniforms based on Mountaineer folk garment rather than military uniforms. This tradition is continued in units such as the Representative Honor Guard Unit of the Polish Border Guard.^[3]

Units and their badges

The table below shows the allegiance of the regiments of Podhale Rifles as of September 1, 1939.

Division or Brigade	Regiment
21st Mountain Infantry Division Kustroń	3rd Podhale Rifle Regiment Czubryt	Bielsko-Biała
21st Mountain Infantry Division Kustroń	4th Podhale Rifle Regiment Warzybok	Cieszyn
22nd Mountain Infantry Division Engel-Ragis	2nd Podhale Rifle Regiment Szlaszewski	Sanok
	5th Podhale Rifle Regiment Żółkiewski	Przemyśl
	6th Podhale Rifle Regiment Dobrzański	Sambor
2nd Mountain Brigade Stawarz	1st Podhale Rifle Regiment Krajewski	Nowy Sącz

The swastikas which appear in unit's logos have no relation whatsoever to the swastikas used by German Nazi movement. Swastika was a common geometric ornament in the folk culture of Tatra mountains and for that reason it was adopted by highlander units of Polish army. The usage of swastikas by highlander regiments of the Wojsko Polskie is an ancient slavic symbol which predates the rise of the NSDAP in Germany.

References

^ "Heroes in uniforms honored - Ministry of National Defence - Gov.pl website". Ministry of National Defence.
^ "Polish Armed Forces partner with U.S. to train Ukrainian Soldiers". www.army.mil. 2016-09-12.
^ https://kompaniareprezentacyjna.strazgraniczna.pl/kom/o-nas/histori/9065,Historia-Pododdzialu.html

External links

Official website

This Polish military article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Heroes in uniforms honored - Ministry of National Defence - Gov.pl website". Ministry of National Defence.

[2] "Polish Armed Forces partner with U.S. to train Ukrainian Soldiers". www.army.mil. 2016-09-12.

[3] ttps://kompaniareprezentacyjna.strazgraniczna.pl/kom/o-nas/histori/9065,Historia-Pododdzialu.html

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Cleanup bare URLs|date=September 2022}}
-[[Image:Szlaszewski Stefan.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Stefan Szlaszewski]] in a distinctive uniform of the Podhale Rifles; 1930's, still in the rank of [[podpułkownik|Lt.Col.]]]]
+[[Image:Szlaszewski Stefan.jpg|thumb|[[Stefan Szlaszewski]] in a distinctive uniform of the Podhale Rifles; 1930's, still in the rank of [[podpułkownik|Lt.Col.]]]]
+[[File:Kompania reprezentacyjna Wojska Polskiego (9018777668).jpg|thumb|The Representative Honor Guard Unit of the [[Polish Border Guard]] in 2013]]
+'''Podhale Rifles'''{{cn|date=September 2023}} or '''Podhale Riflemen'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.pl/web/national-defence/heroes-in-uniforms-honored|title=Heroes in uniforms honored - Ministry of National Defence - Gov.pl website|website=Ministry of National Defence}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.army.mil/article/174975/polish_armed_forces_partner_with_u_s_to_train_ukrainian_soldiers|title=Polish Armed Forces partner with U.S. to train Ukrainian Soldiers|date=2016-09-12|website=www.army.mil}}</ref> ({{langx|pl|Strzelcy podhalańscy}}, nicknamed "Podhalańczycy") is the traditional name of the [[mountain infantry]] units of the [[Polish Army]]. Formed in 1918 out of volunteers of the region of [[Podhale]], in 1919 the smaller detachments of Podhale Rifles were pressed into two mountain infantry divisions, the [[Polish 21st Infantry Division|21st Mountain Infantry]] and [[Polish 22nd Infantry Division|22nd Mountain Infantry Division]]s, as well as into three brigades of mountain infantry and were considered [[elite]] units of the Polish Army.
-[[File:Kompania reprezentacyjna Wojska Polskiego (9018777668).jpg|thumb|The Representative Honor Guard Unit of the [[Polish Border Guard]].]]
-'''Podhale Rifles''' ({{lang-pl|Strzelcy podhalańscy}}, nicknamed "Podhalańczycy") is the traditional name of the [[mountain infantry]] units of the [[Polish Army]]. Formed in 1918 out of volunteers of the region of [[Podhale]], in 1919 the smaller detachments of Podhale Rifles were pressed into two mountain infantry divisions, the [[Polish 21st Infantry Division|21st Mountain Infantry]] and [[Polish 22nd Infantry Division|22nd Mountain Infantry Division]]s, as well as into three brigades of mountain infantry and were considered [[elite]] units of the Polish Army.
-After the Polish defeat in the [[Invasion of Poland (1939)|Polish September Campaign]], the Podhale units were recreated in France as [[Polish Independent Highland Brigade]], had seen some action at [[Narvik]], and later fought in the [[Battle of France]] and retreated into [[Switzerland]] upon the French defeat. Some units were also created in the underground as part of the partisan forces of the [[Armia Krajowa]]. The traditions of the Podhale Rifles are continued by the modern [[21st Podhale Rifle Brigade]].
+After the Polish defeat in the [[Invasion of Poland (1939)|Polish September Campaign]], the Podhale units were recreated in France as [[Polish Independent Highland Brigade]], fought at the [[Battle of Narvik]], and later fought in the [[Battle of France]] and retreated into [[Switzerland]] upon the French defeat. Some units were also created in the underground as part of the partisan forces of the [[Armia Krajowa]]. The traditions of the Podhale Rifles are continued by the modern [[21st Podhale Rifle Brigade]].
 The traditional symbols of the Podhale Rifles include the [[edelweiss]] flower and the Mountain Cross, a [[swastika]] symbol (not related to [[NSDAP]]) popular in folk culture of the Polish mountainous regions. The units of Podhale Rifles, both historical and modern, are notable for their high morale and distinctive uniforms. Prior to [[World War II]] the mountain units were one of only two infantry units wearing non-standard uniforms based on Mountaineer folk garment rather than military uniforms. This tradition is continued in units such as the Representative Honor Guard Unit of the [[Polish Border Guard]].<ref>https://kompaniareprezentacyjna.strazgraniczna.pl/kom/o-nas/histori/9065,Historia-Pododdzialu.html</ref>
@@ Line 48: / Line 48: @@
 |}
-The swastikas which appear in unit's logos have no relation whatsoever to the swastikas used by German Nazi movement. Swastika was a common symbol used by [[Gorals]] (often mistaken to be a folk symbol) for that reason it was adopted by Goral units of Polish army. It is no longer used as much due to its connotations with [[Nazi Germany]].
+The swastikas which appear in unit's logos have no relation whatsoever to the swastikas used by German Nazi movement. Swastika was a common geometric ornament in the folk culture of Tatra mountains and for that reason it was adopted by highlander units of Polish army. The usage of swastikas by highlander regiments of the Wojsko Polskie is an ancient slavic symbol which predates the rise of the NSDAP in Germany.
 == See also ==
@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 * [[Mieczysław Boruta-Spiechowicz]]
 * [[Tadeusz Klimecki]]
-* France: [[Chasseurs Alpins]]
-* Germany: [[Gebirgsjäger]]
-* Italy: [[Alpini]]
-* Romania: [[Vânători de Munte]]
 ==References==
@@ Line 64: / Line 60: @@
 == External links ==
 {{commons category|Podhale Rifles}}
+*{{Official|https://1bsp.wp.mil.pl/}}
-* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120717025114/http://www.wawel.net/images/14_listopad_2004/11_list/htm/6.htm Banner of the 21st Brigade]
-* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050127213039/http://www.pilsudski.krakow.pl/aktual/3maja/3maj4.htm Podhale Rifles in Kraków]
-* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927212339/http://www.przemysl.pl/serwis/IMGallery/galeria.php?kategoria=15 Podhale Rifles in Przemyśl, 2007]
-* [http://www.nowytarg.pl/picofday.php?cat=38 Podhale Rifles in Nowy Targ, 2007]
 {{Podhale Rifles}}
@@ Line 74: / Line 67: @@
 [[Category:Military units and formations established in 1918]]
 [[Category:Mountain infantry brigades]]
+{{Poland-mil-stub}}

v t e Podhale Rifles
Divisions	21st Mountain 22nd Mountain 3rd Carpathian
Brigades	2nd Mountain Independent Carpathian 21st Podhale Rifles Brigade