For our freedom and yours
Encyclopedia
For our freedom and yours is one of the unofficial mottos of Poland
. It is commonly associated with the times when Polish soldier
s, exile
d from the partitioned Poland, fought in various independence movements all over the world. First seen during a patriotic demonstration to commemorate the Decembrists, held in Warsaw
on January 25, 18311, it was most probably authored by Joachim Lelewel
. The initial banner has the inscription in both Polish and Russian, and was meant to underline that the victory of Decembrists would also have meant liberty for Poland. The slogan got shorter with time; the original had the form 'In the name of God
, for our freedom and yours' ('W imię Boga za Naszą i Waszą Wolność'). The original banner has been preserved in the collection of Muzeum Wojska Polskiego in Warsaw.
(1830–1831). During the war against Russia, the slogan was to signify that the Polish victory would also mean liberty for the peoples of Russia and that the uprising was aimed not at the Russian nation but at the despotic tsar
ist regime. Following the failure of the uprising the slogan was used by a variety of Polish military units formed abroad out of refugees. Among them was the unit of Józef Bem
, which featured the text in both Polish and Hungarian during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
and wherever Poles fought during the Spring of Nations.
After unsuccessful Uprising of 1863-1864
in Poland its active participants were sent by Russian Tsar
to Eastern Siberia. Several Poles had developed a conspiracy
and then rebelled in June 1866. They had their own banner with the motto written on it.
, the motto was appropriated by the Soviet government, which considered itself to be fighting for the rights of Polish workers and peasants against what it saw as the Polish government of landowners and capitalists.
The motto was also used by the Bundists among the members of the Jewish Fighting Organization who led and fought in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
.
In 1956 the government of the People's Republic of Poland
established an award 'Za wolność waszą i naszą' for the members of the Polish Brigade in Spain ('Dąbrowszczacy'), part of the International Brigades
, supporting the Republican
military
units in the Spanish Civil War
. The Dabrowszczacy's brigade motto was 'Za wolność waszą i naszą'.
The slogan was very popular among the Soviet dissident
movement after the historic
demonstration on Red Square
in support of the Prague Spring
on August 25, 1968.
The same slogan was used at
the demonstration at the Red Square 24 August 2008
suppressed by the Russian police.
regarding Poland's help in the war against Saddam Hussein
's regime
.
s, for example For your freedom and ours: The Polish Armed Forces in the Second World War (2003), For Your Freedom and Ours: The Kosciuszko Squadron - Forgotten Heroes of World War II (2003) or For Your Freedom and Ours: Casimir Pulaski, 1745-1779 (2004).
To this day, Polish foreign policy and diplomacy are guided by a belief that it is Poland's mission to support rights for self-determination
, democratic government
and a respect for human rights
in other countries.
Unofficial mottos of Poland
Poland has no official motto of the State, namely the one which is recognized as such by the Polish national law.However, there are some common phrases which appear commonly on banners, flags and other symbols of the Polish State....
. It is commonly associated with the times when Polish soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s, exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
d from the partitioned Poland, fought in various independence movements all over the world. First seen during a patriotic demonstration to commemorate the Decembrists, held in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
on January 25, 18311, it was most probably authored by Joachim Lelewel
Joachim Lelewel
Joachim Lelewel was a Polish historian and politician, from a Polonized branch of a Prussian family.His grandparents were Heinrich Löllhöffel von Löwensprung and Constance Jauch , who later polonized her name to Lelewel.-Life:Born in Warsaw, Lelewel was educated at the Imperial University of...
. The initial banner has the inscription in both Polish and Russian, and was meant to underline that the victory of Decembrists would also have meant liberty for Poland. The slogan got shorter with time; the original had the form 'In the name of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, for our freedom and yours' ('W imię Boga za Naszą i Waszą Wolność'). The original banner has been preserved in the collection of Muzeum Wojska Polskiego in Warsaw.
The motto in Revolutionary and resistance history of 19 Century
The slogan soon became very popular and became among the most commonly seen on military standards during the November UprisingNovember Uprising
The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
(1830–1831). During the war against Russia, the slogan was to signify that the Polish victory would also mean liberty for the peoples of Russia and that the uprising was aimed not at the Russian nation but at the despotic tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
ist regime. Following the failure of the uprising the slogan was used by a variety of Polish military units formed abroad out of refugees. Among them was the unit of Józef Bem
Józef Bem
Józef Zachariasz Bem was a Polish general, an Ottoman Pasha and a national hero of Poland and Hungary, and a figure intertwined with other European nationalisms...
, which featured the text in both Polish and Hungarian during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
and wherever Poles fought during the Spring of Nations.
After unsuccessful Uprising of 1863-1864
January Uprising
The January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...
in Poland its active participants were sent by Russian Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
to Eastern Siberia. Several Poles had developed a conspiracy
Conspiracy (political)
In a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power through a revolutionary coup d'état or through assassination....
and then rebelled in June 1866. They had their own banner with the motto written on it.
World War Two era
During the Polish-Soviet WarPolish-Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War was an armed conflict between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine and the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic—four states in post–World War I Europe...
, the motto was appropriated by the Soviet government, which considered itself to be fighting for the rights of Polish workers and peasants against what it saw as the Polish government of landowners and capitalists.
The motto was also used by the Bundists among the members of the Jewish Fighting Organization who led and fought in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was the Jewish resistance that arose within the Warsaw Ghetto in German occupied Poland during World War II, and which opposed Nazi Germany's effort to transport the remaining ghetto population to Treblinka extermination camp....
.
Spain
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
established an award 'Za wolność waszą i naszą' for the members of the Polish Brigade in Spain ('Dąbrowszczacy'), part of the International Brigades
International Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....
, supporting the Republican
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
units in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. The Dabrowszczacy's brigade motto was 'Za wolność waszą i naszą'.
Motto in the USSR and Russia
Soviet dissidents
Soviet dissidents were citizens of the Soviet Union who disagreed with the policies and actions of their government and actively protested against these actions through either violent or non-violent means...
movement after the historic
demonstration on Red Square
1968 Red Square demonstration
The 1968 Red Square demonstration took place on August 25, 1968 at Red Square, Moscow, Soviet Union, to protest the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies, that occurred during the night of 20–21 August 1968, crushing the so-called Prague spring, a set of...
in support of the Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
on August 25, 1968.
The same slogan was used at
the demonstration at the Red Square 24 August 2008
2008 Red Square demonstration
The 2008 Red Square demonstration was a political demonstration that took place on August 24, 2008, at the Lobnoe Mesto in Moscow. Russia, in reference to the 1968 Red Square demonstration. The demonstration involved seven protesters unfurling a banner with the slogan For Your Freedom And Ours ,...
suppressed by the Russian police.
USA
It is still often invoked in official speeches, including those of US President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
regarding Poland's help in the war against Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
's regime
Regime
The word regime refers to a set of conditions, most often of a political nature.-Politics:...
.
Books
The slogan has also been used as a title of various books in the Polish and English languageEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
s, for example For your freedom and ours: The Polish Armed Forces in the Second World War (2003), For Your Freedom and Ours: The Kosciuszko Squadron - Forgotten Heroes of World War II (2003) or For Your Freedom and Ours: Casimir Pulaski, 1745-1779 (2004).
To this day, Polish foreign policy and diplomacy are guided by a belief that it is Poland's mission to support rights for self-determination
Self-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
, democratic government
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and a respect for human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
in other countries.
See also
- Polish Legions (disambiguation)
- Pro Fide, Lege et RegePro Fide, Lege et RegePro Fide, Lege et Rege was an 18th century motto of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and then of Poland. It superseded the earlier Si Deus Nobiscum quis contra nos...
- Bóg, Honor, OjczyznaBóg, Honor, OjczyznaGod, Honor, Fatherland is one of the unofficial mottos of Poland.The phrase originated around 16th or 17th century in Poland, and is commonly associated with Polish patriotism...