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Virtuti Militari

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Military History and War

   Virtuti Militari
   Enlarge
   Virtuti Militari

   The Virtuti Militari (Latin: "For Military Virtue") is Poland's highest
   military decoration for valor in the face of the enemy. Some of the
   heroic actions recognized by an award of the Virtuti Militari are
   equivalent to those meriting the Commonwealth's Victoria Cross and the
   U.S. Medal of Honour. It is awarded either for personal heroism or to
   commanders for leadership.

   Awarded in five classes, the order was created in 1792 by Poland's King
   Stanisław August Poniatowski. Soon after its introduction, however, the
   Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was destroyed (1795) in the partitions
   of Poland, and the partitioning powers abolished the decoration and
   prohibited its wearing. Since then, the award has been reintroduced,
   renamed and banned several times, with its fate closely reflecting the
   vicissitudes of the Polish people. Throughout the decoration's
   existence, thousands of soldiers and officers, Polish and foreign,
   several cities and one ship have been awarded the Virtuti Militari for
   valor or outstanding leadership in war. There have been no new awards
   since 1989.

Beginnings

   Throughout its history, the Virtuti Militari has shared its country's
   fate, and has been abolished and reintroduced several times.

   The order was originally created on June 22, 1792, by King Stanisław
   August Poniatowski to commemorate the victorious Battle of Zieleńce.
   Initially, it comprised two classes: a golden medal for generals and
   officers, and a silver one for non-commissioned officers and ordinary
   soldiers. By August 1792, a statute for the decoration had been
   drafted, which was based on one that was created for the Austrian medal
   of Empress Maria Theresa. The regulation changed the shape of the
   decoration from a star to a cross, which has not changed substantially
   since then. It also introduced five classes to the order.


                              Medal chapter (1792 - 1794)
         Lt.Gen. Józef Poniatowski, Tadeusz Kościuszko

         Maj.Gen. Michał Wielhorski, Stanisław Mokronowski, Józef Zajączek
         Brig. Eustachy Sanguszko
         Col. Józef Poniatowski, Michał Chomętowski
         Lt.Col. Ludwik Kamieniecki
         Maj. Mikołaj Bronikowski, Józef Szczutowski
         Lt. Michał Cichocki, Ludwik Metzel
         Sq.L. Bartłomiej Giżycki

   1. Grand Cross with Star Ribbon
   2. Commander's Cross     Ribbon
   3. Knight's Cross        Ribbon
   4. Golden Medal          Ribbon
   5. Silver Medal          Ribbon

   The first members of the decoration's chapter were also its first
   recipients. For the Polish-Russian War in Defence of the Constitution
   of 1792, a total of 63 officers and 290 NCOs and privates were awarded
   the Virtuti Militari. The statute was never fully implemented, however,
   since soon after its introduction the King acceded to the Targowica
   Confederation, which on August 29, 1792 abolished the decoration and
   prohibited its wearing. Anyone who wore the medal could be demoted and
   expelled from the army by Poland's new authorities.
   Józef Poniatowski
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   Józef Poniatowski

   Although on November 23, 1793 the Grodno Sejm reintroduced the
   decoration, it was banned again on January 7, 1794, at the insistence
   of Russia's Catherine the Great. Only a year later, the
   Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth itself shared the fate of its decoration
   when what remained of the Commonwealth was annexed by its neighbors in
   the partitions of Poland. King Stanisław August Poniatowski abdicated
   the same year. During his reign, 526 medals had been granted: 440
   Silver Medals and Crosses, 85 Golden Medals and Crosses, and 1
   Commander's Cross.

   Among the most famous recipients of the Virtuti Militari in this period
   were Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski (1763-1813) and Tadeusz Kościuszko
   (1746-1817), both able military commanders during the War in Defense of
   the Constitution and the Kościuszko Uprising.

Duchy of Warsaw


                                        Recipients (1806 - 1815)
                             I Class (2 awarded):
                             Prince Józef Poniatowski ( February 25, 1809)
                             Louis Nicolas Davout ( March 22, 1809)

                             II Class (10 awarded):
                             Józef Zajączek ( February 1, 1808)
                             Jan Henryk Dąbrowski ( March 6, 1808)
                             Karol Kniaziewicz ( November 17, 1812)
                             Stanisław Fiszer ( August 22, 1809)
                             Michał Sokolnicki ( August 22, 1809)
                             Aleksander Rożniecki ( August 22, 1809)
                             Józef Chłopicki ( November 26, 1810)
                             Amilkar Kosiński ( November 17, 1812)
                             Ludwik Pac ( October 1
                             1813), Mikołaj Bronikowski
                             III Class (504 awarded)
                             IV Class (23 awarded)
                             V Class (1130 awarded)

   In 1806, Lt. Gen. Prince Józef Poniatowski was promoted to
   commander-in-chief of all forces of the Duchy of Warsaw, the
   short-lived Polish state allied with Napoleon I of France. As one of
   the first recipients of the Virtuti Militari, Poniatowski insisted on
   the reintroduction of the decoration. Finally on December 26, 1806, the
   King of Saxony and Duke of Warsaw Fryderyk August Wettin accepted the
   proposal and reintroduced the Virtuti Militari as the highest military
   award for all Polish soldiers fighting alongside France in the
   Napoleonic Wars. The official name of the decoration was changed to the
   Military Medal of the Duchy of Warsaw; however, soldiers remained
   faithful to the former name. The royal decree also introduced a new
   class system that has been in use ever since, with the class of the
   cross depending on the rank of the soldier to whom it is awarded:
    1. I Class - Grand Cross (with Star) (Krzyż Wielki z Gwiazdą, for
       commanders in chief)
    2. II Class - Commander's Cross (Krzyż Komandorski, for division
       commanders)
    3. III Class - Knight's Cross (Krzyż Kawalerski, for brigadiers,
       colonels and majors)
    4. IV Class - Golden Cross (Krzyż Złoty)
    5. V Class - Silver Cross (Krzyż Srebrny)

   Józef Chłopicki
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   Józef Chłopicki

   Initially each of the high commanders of the Army had a quota of
   Virtuti Militari to be awarded to his soldiers. However, the system was
   soon changed and, since then, the order has been usually awarded
   centrally for individual acts of bravery after being nominated by the
   chain of command. According to the decree of October 10, 1812, each of
   the recipients of a Golden or Silver Cross had the right to a yearly
   salary until promoted to officer or (if demobilised) for life. In
   addition, during the Napoleonic Wars, the present tradition of awarding
   the soldiers with the Virtuti Militari in front of the unit was
   established. Between 1806 and 1815, there were 2569 crosses awarded to
   Polish soldiers fighting on all fronts, from Santo Domingo to Russia
   and from Italy to Spain.

   Among the famous recipients of the medal in this period were General
   Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (1755 - 1818), the organiser of Polish Legions
   during the Napoleonic Wars, for whom the Polish national anthem Mazurek
   Dabrowskiego is named, and General Józef Chlopicki (1771-1854). Also,
   on May 20, 1809, Sergeant Joanna Żubr became the first woman to receive
   the decoration (V class) for her part in the assault on Zamość.

Congress Poland


                             Recipients (1830 - 1831)
        I Class (1 awarded):
        General Jan Skrzynecki (for the battles of Wawer and Dębe Wielkie)

        II Class (1 awarded):
        III Class (105 awarded)
        IV Class (1794 awarded)
        V Class (1963 awarded)

   In 1815 at the Congress of Vienna, when European powers reorganised
   Europe following the Napoleonic wars, the Kingdom of Poland - known
   unofficially as the Congress Poland - was created. This state, with
   one-tenth the area of the Polish-Lithuania Commonwealth, and a fifth of
   its population, was now tied to Russia with a personal union. In the
   Congress Poland, the Virtuti Militari medal was renamed as the Polish
   Military Medal (Medal Wojskowy Polski). Both the statute of Virtuti
   Militari and the privileges granted to the recipients were preserved. A
   special commission was created to award the Virtuti Militari to
   veterans of the Napoleonic campaigns of 1812, 1813 and 1814. By 1820,
   an additional 1213 crosses of all classes were awarded. Also, on June
   5, 1817, the royal decree nobilitated all officers that received the
   Golden Cross.

   Formally, the Kingdom of Poland was one of the few contemporary
   constitutional monarchies in Europe, with the Tsar of the Russian
   Empire as Polish King. The country was given one of the most liberal
   constitutions in 19th-century Europe, although it was very different
   from the Polish Constitution of May 3rd of the late Commonwealth. The
   Polish desire for freedom and respect for their privileges was a source
   of constant friction between them and the Russians. The main problem
   was that the tsars, who had absolute power in Russia, similarly wanted
   no restrictions on their rule in Poland. When in 1825 Nicholas I
   declined to crown himself King of Poland and instead continued to limit
   Polish liberties, the Polish parliament in 1830 deposed the Tsar as
   King of Poland in response to his repeated curtailment of its
   constitutional rights. When the November Uprising broke out, the Tsar
   reacted by sending in Russian troops.


                                      Provisional chapter (1920)
                          Gen. Józef Piłsudski, Józef Haller de Hallenburg

                          Lt.Gen. Wacław Iwaszkiewicz
                          Brig. Franciszek Latinik, Jan Romer, Edward Rydz
                          Col. Mieczysław Kuliński, Stanisław Skrzyński
                          Maj. Mieczysław Mackiewicz
                          Capt. Andrzej Kopa, Adam Koc

   After the outbreak of this uprising against Russia, the Polish Sejm
   decreed on February 19, 1831 that the decoration be restored to its
   original name, the "Order Virtuti Militari." Between March 3 and
   October the same year, 3,863 crosses were awarded. Recipients of the
   Silver Cross included three women:
     * head surgeon of the 10th Line Infantry Regiment, Józefa Kluczycka;
     * surgeon's assistant in the 10th Line Infantry Regiment, Józefa
       Daniel Rostowska née Mazurkiewicz; and
     * cadet in the 1st " Augustów" Cavalry Regiment, Bronisława
       Czarnowska.

   After the fall of the uprising, Tsar Nicholas I abolished the
   decoration and banned its use. On December 31, 1831, it was replaced
   with the "Polish Sign of Honour" (Polski Znak Honorowy), an exact copy
   of the original cross but awarded only to Russians for services to the
   Tsarist authorities.

Republic of Poland


                               Recipients (1920 - 1939)
          I Class (6 awarded):
          Marshal of Poland Józef Piłsudski
          Ferdinand Foch
          King of Romania Ferdinand I
          King of the Belgians Albert I
          King of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Alexander I
          King of Italy Vittorio Emmanuele III

          II Class (19 awarded):
          Field Marshals: Yakusata Oku (Japan)
          Kagheaki Kawamura (Japan)
          Armando Diaz (Italy)
          Gen. Zygmunt Zieliński
          Stanisław Szeptycki
          Maxime Weygand (France)
          Lucjan Żeligowski
          John Pershing (United States)
          Duke of Aosta Emmanuele Filiberto (Italy)
          Gen.dyw. Edward Rydz
          Stanisław Haller de Hallenburg
          Jan Romer
          Kazimierz Sosnkowski
          Leonard Skierski
          Władysław Sikorski
          Wacław Iwaszkiewicz
          Duke of Torino Emmanuele Filiberto (Italy)
          Gen.bryg. Tadeusz Jordan-Rozwadowski
          III Class (14 awarded)
          płk Stefan Dąb-Biernacki, ppłk Gustaw Paszkiewicz, Maj. Zygmunt
          Piasecki
          and 11 foreigners IV Class (50 awarded)
          ppłk Gustaw Paszkiewicz, Kazimierz Rybicki, Stefan Dąb-Biernacki
          Maj. Zygmunt Piasecki
          rotm Stanisław Radziwiłł (posthumously)
          Sgt. Kazimierz Sipika, Stanisław Jakubowicz
          and 43 foreigners V Class (8300 awarded)
          Including:
          - 1800 posthumously
          - 187 foreigners

   Józef Haller.
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   Józef Haller.

   After Poland regained her independence in 1918 as the Second Republic
   of Poland, the Polish Sejm reintroduced the Virtuti Militari on August
   1, 1919 under a new official name, the Military Award Virtuti Militari
   (Order Wojskowy Virtuti Militari). A new statute of the decoration was
   also passed, and the class system introduced during the times of the
   Duchy of Warsaw was reintroduced. According to the new statute, crosses
   of each class could be awarded to a different class of soldiers and for
   various deeds:
     * Grand Cross with Star, I Class: "for a commander who has achieved
       victory in a battle of strategic importance, resulting in total
       defeat of the enemy, or a successful defense that has decided the
       fate of a campaign."
     * Commander's Cross, II Class: "for a commander who has achieved a
       notable tactical victory or a valorous and successful defense of a
       difficult position."
     * Knight's Cross - III Class - For officers, NCOs or ordinary
       soldiers, awarded previously with the Golden Cross, for acts of
       outstanding bravery, risk of life or outstanding command over his
       troops
     * Golden Cross - IV Class - For officers who commanded their troops
       with outstanding bravery and valor or for NCOs and ordinary
       soldiers previously awarded with the Silver Cross, for acts of
       outstanding bravery and risk of life on the field of battle
     * Silver Cross - V Class - For officers, NCOs or ordinary soldiers,
       for acts of outstanding bravery and risk of life on the field of
       battle

   Each recipient of the Virtuti Militari, regardless of rank or post,
   received a yearly salary of 300 złotys.

   Other privileges included the right of pre-emption when buying a
   state-owned land property or applying for a state post. Their children
   had additional points during exams in state schools and universities.
   In addition, the recipients of the Virtuti Militari had a right to be
   saluted by other soldiers of equal rank and NCOs and ordinary soldiers
   could be promoted one rank up upon receiving the award.

   The new chapter of the decoration (Kapituła Orderu Virtuti Militari)
   was composed of 12 of the recipients of the crosses, four from each of
   the classes from I to IV. The headperson of the chapter was Marshal of
   Poland Józef Piłsudski, the only living Pole awarded with the Grand
   Cross with Star. As the commander-in-chief of the Polish Army, he could
   award medals of classes I to III with the consent of the Chapter and
   the IV and V class upon receiving an application from the commander of
   a division or brigade. The Polish national feast of May 3 was chosen as
   the feast of the Virtuti Militari.

   On January 1, 1920, Piłsudski awarded the first crosses to 11 members
   of a Provisional Chapter. On January 22, 1920, to commemorate the
   anniversary of the outbreak of the January Uprising, the first soldiers
   and officers were officially decorated with the Virtuti Militari for
   their deeds during the World War I and the Polish-Ukrainian War. By
   1923, when the award of new medals was halted, the Chapter had awarded
   the crosses to 6589 recipients. Most of the recipients were veterans of
   the Polish-Bolshevik War, but among them were also the veterans of all
   wars in which Polish soldiers fought in the 20th century, as well as
   some January Uprising veterans. Among the recipients of the Silver
   Cross were two cities - Lwów and Verdun, as well as the banners of 14
   infantry regiments, 6 cavalry regiments, an engineer battalion, a
   Women's Auxiliary Service unit and 12 units of artillery.

   On November 24, 1922, a new Chapter was chosen for times of peace. The
   following year, the last medal for World War I and the Polish-Bolshevik
   War was granted and further decorations were halted. On March 25, 1933,
   the Sejm passed a new Virtuti Militari Act (Ustawa o Orderze Virtuti
   Militari) which modified the shape of all the crosses and extended the
   privileges granted to VM recipients by the previous act of 1919. All
   the recipients of the decoration had a right to buy railway tickets at
   20% of their normal price. In addition, the state paid for their
   healing and was obliged to provide them with a job that would enable
   the recipient of Virtuti Militari to live a decent life. In case of war
   invalids, the Polish government was ordered to provide them with money,
   food and clothing for the rest of their lives. Finally, the annual
   salary of 300 złotys was tax-free and could not be impounded by the
   courts.
   Józef Piłsudski
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   Józef Piłsudski

   Also, the criteria for granting the crosses became more strict:
     * Grand Cross - I Class - for the commander-in-chief who won a war
       or, alternatively, for commanders of armies or fronts who achieved
       outstanding victories during various campaigns of the war
     * Commander's Cross - II Class - for commander of army or front
       (under special circumstances also commander of a group, division or
       brigade) for brave and daring command during an operation, which
       had important influence on the outcome of the war, or for other
       officers who contributed to the victory
     * Knight's Cross - III Class - For commanders of units up to the size
       of an army, for their outstanding leadership, initiative or
       bravery. Alternatively for staff officers for their cooperation
       with their commanders, that led to the final victory in a battle or
       war
     * Golden Cross - IV Class - For a soldier or officer, who was
       previously awarded with the Silver Cross and achieved an
       outstanding success on the battlefield thanks to his personal
       bravery or outstanding command of a division or a smaller unit
     * Silver Cross - V Class - for commanders who committed a daring and
       valorous command over their troops or for ordinary soldiers who
       influenced their comrades in arms by their bravery thus adding to
       the final victory in a battle

   The Silver Cross could also be awarded to military units, cities and
   civilians. All classes of the Virtuti Militari medal were awarded by
   the commander-in-chief during the war or former commander-in-chief
   after the end of hostilities. The classes from I to III were awarded
   after a nomination by the Chapter, while the IV and V classes were
   nominated by the chain of command (usually by the commander of a
   division or brigade). Apart from the 12 members of the Chapter, all
   recipients of the I class had a right to take part in the voting.

World War II

   During the Polish Defensive War of 1939, the fast German and Soviet
   advance prevented the Chapter from awarding the medals, especially as
   Poland's territory was overrun by enemies five weeks after the Invasion
   of Poland began. Instead, commanders of divisions and brigades usually
   awarded the bravery of their soldiers with their own crosses received
   before the war. This was the case of the 18th Pomeranian Uhlans
   Regiment, awarded with the Virtuti Militari of General Stanisław
   Grzmot-Skotnicki after the battle of Krojanty, where elements of 18th
   Uhlans Regiment successfully delayed the advance of the German infantry
   on September 1, the first day of the Second World War.

                                        CAPTION: Recipients - World War II
                                                              5573 awarded

                    Rank                                             Name
                                                     II Class - 3 awarded
              Lt General                                 Władysław Anders
              Lt General                           Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski
       Brigadier General                   Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski
                                                    III Class - 6 awarded
             Lt. General                                 Władysław Anders
              Lt General                                 Stanisław Maczek
       Brigadier General                                   Bronisław Duch
              Lt General                                 Tadeusz Kutrzeba
       Brigadier General                              Franciszek Kleeberg
       Brigadier General                                 Antoni Chruściel
                                                   IV Class - 201 awarded
                                                   V Class - 5363 awarded
       City of Warsaw, on November 9, 1940, for the heroic defence in 1939

   Following the fall of Poland in 1939, a large part of the Polish Army
   was evacuated to France, where it was reconstructed under the command
   of General Władysław Sikorski. In January 1941, the Polish Government
   in Exile introduced the Virtuti Militari as the highest military
   decoration of the Polish Army in exile. The legal basis for the
   election of a new Chapter was the Act of 1933. During the Second World
   War, the Virtuti Militari was also often bestowed to senior military
   officers of allied armies, including British General Bernard
   Montgomery, United States Supreme Commander of the Allied forces Dwight
   D. Eisenhower and Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov.
   General Sikorski decorates pilots of the Polish 303rd Squadron, the
   most combat-effective Allied squadron in the Battle of Britain. Here he
   decorates ace Jan Zumbach.
   Enlarge
   General Sikorski decorates pilots of the Polish 303rd Squadron, the
   most combat-effective Allied squadron in the Battle of Britain. Here he
   decorates ace Jan Zumbach.

   Among the most famous recipients of the medal during this period were
   Tadeusz Kutrzeba, creator of the Bzura counterattack plan and
   participant in the defence of Warsaw during the Invasion of Poland;
   Władysław Anders, commander of the 2nd Polish Corps; Tadeusz
   Bór-Komorowski, commander of giant Armia Krajowa resistance movement
   and leader of the Warsaw Uprising; and Stanisław Maczek, one of the
   best armor commanders of the war, who devised the first anti-blitzkrieg
   strategy as early as 1940 and was the commander of the 10th Motorized
   Cavalry Brigade, considered to be the only Polish unit not to lose a
   single battle in 1939, and from 1942 the commander of the First Polish
   Armoured Division.

People's Republic of Poland

   The Soviet-backed Polish Armies fighting on the Eastern Front were also
   awarding the Virtuti Militari. On November 11, 1943, General Zygmunt
   Berling awarded 16 veterans of the Battle of Lenino with Silver
   Crosses. On December 22, 1944, the Soviet-backed PKWN passed a Virtuti
   Militari Award Act, in which it accepted the medal as the highest
   military decoration of both the 1st Polish Army of Red Army and the
   Armia Ludowa resistance organization.
   Bridge of the ORP Błyskawica decorated with Virtuti Militari
   Enlarge
   Bridge of the ORP Błyskawica decorated with Virtuti Militari

   Although the decree of the PKWN was loosely based on the act of the
   Polish Sejm of 1933, the exclusive right to award soldiers with the
   medal was granted to the Home National Council. Since 1947 the right
   was passed to the President of Poland and, after the replacement of the
   post with the Council of State, it was passed to that body. Between
   1943 and 1989 the communist authorities of the People's Republic of
   Poland awarded the medal to 5167 people and organisations. Some of the
   crosses were given to the officers and leaders of the Red Army and
   other armies allied to the Soviets during and after World War II.

   Among the recipients of the Golden Cross was the ORP Błyskawica,
   probably the only warship in the world to be awarded with the
   highest-ranking national medal. Among the recipients of the V Class VM
   were also a number of military units, including two infantry divisions,
   six infantry regiments, three artillery regiments, four tank regiments,
   three air force regiments and a number of smaller units.

Republic of Poland (after 1989)

                                           CAPTION: Recipients - 1943-1989

                             Rank                             Name (remarks)
                                                       I Class - 13 awarded
   Marshal of the USSR and Poland                      Konstanty Rokossowski
                Marshal of Poland                      Michał Rola-Żymierski
                          General                     Aleksei Antonov (USSR)
              Marshal of the USSR Leonid Brezhnev (revoked on July 10, 1990)
            Marshal of Yugoslavia                            Josip Broz-Tito
                       Mj General                           Nikolai Bulganin
              Marshal of the USSR                            Andriey Grechko
              Marshal of the USSR                                Ivan Koniev
              Marshal of the USSR                      Alexander Vasilievski
              Marshal of the USSR                              Georgy Zhukov
            British Field Marshal                         Bernard Montgomery
                          General           Ludvík Svoboda ( Czechoslovakia)
                          General          Karol Świerczewski (posthumously)
                                                      II Class - 18 awarded
                       Lt General                        Stanisław Popławski
                       Lt General                             Juliusz Rómmel
                       Lt General                         Karol Świerczewski
                            Major                           Henryk Sucharski
                                                     III Class - 57 awarded
                       Lt General                        Bolesław Kieniewicz
                       Lt General                          Władysław Korczyc
                       Lt General                          Marian Spychalski
                                                     IV Class - 227 awarded
                                                     V Class - 4852 awarded

   After Poland overthrew the Communist rule in 1989, a number of Virtuti
   Militari awards made by the communist authorities were brought into
   question. On July 10, 1990, President Wojciech Jaruzelski revoked the
   Grand Cross given to Leonid Brezhnev on July 21, 1974. On October 16,
   1992, the Polish Sejm passed a new Virtuti Militari Act, which is based
   on the act of 1933. It restored the Chapter of Virtuti Militari
   abolished by the communist authorities, while also confirming all
   decorations bestowed by both the Polish government in exile and the
   Soviet-backed authorities in Poland.

   In 1995, President Aleksander Kwaśniewski revoked the Cross given to
   Ivan Serov, who was accused of being responsible for the deaths of
   thousands of Poles. In 2006, President Lech Kaczyński revoked the Cross
   given to Wincenty Romanowski, who tortured anti-Communist fighters.

   Since 1989 there have been no new awards of the Virtuti Militari, and a
   new act of parliament introduced a rule setting the final deadline for
   awards at "no later than five years after the cessation of
   hostilities."

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtuti_Militari"
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