Order of the Falcon

• Title — Order of the Falcon of Štefánik (Štefánikův řád Sokola) • Awarded By — Provisional Government of Czechoslovakia • Type — Order of merit • Established — November 1918 • Status — Abolished 1919 • Grades — Grand Cross Grand Officer Commander Officer Knight • Caption2 — Ribbon with star (left) and without star (right).

The establishment of the Order of the Falcon in 1919 resulted from a proposal in September 1918 by the Minister of War Milan Rastislav Štefánik (hence the unofficial name) and was intended to recognise achievements that contributed to the liberation of Czechoslovakia. Membership of the order was primarily conferred upon members of the Czechoslovak Legions who served in Siberia during the Russian Civil War. The order was short-lived as all Czechoslovak orders were abolished in 1919, soon after the Czechoslovak Republic declared independence; they were 'regarded as undemocratic'. One of the most famous officers to be appointed a Knight of the Order of the Falcon was Major General Jan Syrový. During the Russian Civil War, Syrový commanded all anti-Bolshevik forces in Siberia from October 1918 to January 1919 and, in September 1938 as the Czechoslovak Prime Minister, he was forced to accept the terms of the Munich Agreement.

Badge. The badge of the order is an inverted star (point down) comprising a convex central white enamel disc, edged white with a gilt border, the whole surrounded by five blue rays pattée moussé, edged white with gilt borders. The obverse of the center disc is charged with three hills in blue with gilt borders, surmounted by four gilt falcons in flight. The reverse of the convex center disc is charged with the monogram ČS in blue with gilt borders, surmounting the date 1918 in gilt and surrounded on either side by a branch of gilt laurel leaves. Suspension device. The badge for civilian awards is suspended from a circlet formed from gilt laurel leaves, whilst gilt crossed swords are added to the suspension device for military awards. Ribbon. The badge of the order is suspended from a red moire silk ribbon divided by a central narrow white stripe, with a thin white stripe set in from either edge. Star. Appointments could also be made with a star affixed to the ribbon signifying additional distinction. Štefánik had the first insignia produced in Tokyo; these were supplied in a lacquered balsa wood box.

The following is an incomplete list of people appointed as knights of the Order of the Falcon: List of knights with sword • Name — Birth — Death — Rank Rank — Service branch — Notable appointments — Ref • Jindřich — 1890 — 1973 — Maj later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Alois — 1890 — 1957 — Maj later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Jan — 1886 — 1949 — Maj later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Jindřich — 1895 — 1972 — LtCol later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • František — 1886 — 1945 — Maj later DivGen Mem — Inf Offr CS Army • Stanislav — 1886 — 1930 — DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Head of the Czechoslovak Ministry of Aviation • Jan — 1893 — 1961 — Capt later BdeGen — Inf and Engr Offr CS Army — Commander III Corps Engineers • Jaroslav — 1889 — 1985 — Col later BdeGen — Inf and Cav Offr CS Army • Jaroslav — 1891 — 1944 — Capt later DivGen Mem — Inf Offr CS Army — Chairman of the Czechoslovak Red Cross in exile Member of the Czechoslovak National Council in exile • Antonín — 1883 — 1983 — LtCol later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Jaroslav — 1891 — 1972 — Capt later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Secretary General of the Czechoslovak Inter-ministerial Council for Matters of National Defence • Mikhail — 1875 — 1937 — LtGen — Cav Offr Ru Army — Commander of the Czechoslovak Legions Military Affairs Minister • Josef — 1891 — 1945 — Capt later DivGen Mem — Inf and Cav Offr CS Army • Josef — 1887 — 1955 — Maj later (Bde)Gen — Inf Offr CS Army • Jaroslav — 1883 — 1974 — Maj later MajGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Julius — 1894 —? — Maj later BdeGen — Cav Offr CS Army • Radola — 1892 — 1948 — DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Deputy Chief of Staff for the Czechoslovak Army National Fascist Community politician • Vladimír — 1882 — 1942 — LtCol later ChiefGenMS Mem — Med Offr CS Army — Chief of Czechoslovak Army Corps Medical Services • Antonín — 1893 — 1960 — LtCol later ArmyGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Czechoslovak Minister for Transport and Technology • František — 1883 — 1958 — Maj later BdeGen — Engr Offr CS Army • Bedřich — 1887 — 1943 — Maj later ArmyGen Mem — Inf Offr CS Army — Commander VII Corps • Rudolf — 1887 —? — Maj later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army • František — 1894 — 1967 — Maj later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Secretary of the Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence • Karel — 1893 — 1972 — LtCol later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Czechoslovak Minister for Railways • Josef — 1885 — 1954 — Capt later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Commander IV Corps • Pierre Thiebaut Charles Maurice — 1862 — 1946 — LtGen later LtGen — Inf Offr Fr Army — Commander VII Corps (French Army) Commander-in-Chief Czechoslovak Legion Headquarters • Rudolf — 1879 — 1934 — LtCol later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Eduard — 1880 — 1961 — Col later ArmyGen — Arty Offr CS Army — Commander IV Corps • Bonifác — 1893 — 1941 — Capt later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Jan — 1887 — 1977 — Capt later BdeGen — Inf and Arty Offr CS Army — Commander VI Corps Artillery • Jaroslav — 1892 —? — Col later GenTOSA — Inf and Ord Offr CS Army — Aviation Materiel Department Head, Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence • Vojtěch — 1888 — 1947 — LtCol later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army — division commander and military attaché • Karel — 1886 — 1939 — Capt later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • František — 1881 — 1950 — Maj later DivGen — Engr Offr CS Army • Václav — 1882 — 1935 — Maj later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Josef — 1890 — 1961 — Capt later DivGen Mem — Cav Offr CS Army — Commander Czechoslovak Tank Corps • Ludvík — 1890 — 1972 — Col later ArmyGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Commander-in-Chief Czechoslovak Armed Forces • Josef — 1879 — 1936 — LtCol later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Rudolf — 1884 — 1964 — Maj later MajGen — Arty Offr CS Army — Head Artillery Department, Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence • Miloš — 1884 — 1951 — Maj later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Karel — 1895 — 1961 — LtCol later ArmyGen Mem — Inf Offr CS Army — Commander III Corps Commander V Corps • Otakar — 1889 — 1963 — Maj later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Emil — 1889 — 1959 — Capt later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Commander I Corps • Vojtěch — 1891 — 1944 — Maj later ArmyGen Mem — Inf Offr CS Army — Commander IV Corps Commander V Corps • Rudolf — 1890 — 1940 — LtCol later (Bde)Gen — Inf Offr CS Army • Karel — 1886 — 1945 — Maj later DivGen Mem — Inf Offr CS Army • Ondřej — 1887 — 1968 — Maj later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Commander VI Corps Chief of Czechoslovak Missions to Middle East, 21st Army Group and Allied Headquarters • Ondřej — 1887 —? — Maj later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Secretary General of the Czechoslovak Inter-ministerial Council for Matters of National Defence • Josef — 1885 — 1967 — Maj later BdeGen — Arty Offr CS Army — Artillery Department Head, Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence • Matěj — 1886 — 1975 — LtCol later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Jan — 1885 — 1945 — Maj later DivGen — Arty Offr CS Army — Artillery Department Head, Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence • Bedřich — 1891 — 1964 — Maj later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Chief of Staff, Czechoslovak Armed Forces Headquarters • Václav — 1887 — 1953 — Maj later BdeGen — Engr Offr CS Army — Commander I Corps Engineers Commander Army Engineers • František — 1889 — 1963 — LtCol later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Czechoslovak Minister of Public Works • Josef — 1885 — 1940 — Maj later BdeGen — Arty Offr CS Army • Zdeněk — 1891 — 1988 — Maj later BdeGen — Arty Offr CS Army — Commander IV Corps Artillery Commander Land Artillery Command • Josef — 1888 — 1938 — Maj later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Václav — 1885 — 1957 — Col later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Josef — 1886 — 1968 — Col later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Josef — 1874 —? — Maj later GenMS — Med Offr CS Army • Lev — 1892 — 1963 — Col later ArmyGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Minister of Finance, Interior and Transport, Autonomous Carpathia and Ruthenia Commander Czech and Slovak Legion • Vladimír — 1888 — 1955 — Maj later DivGen — Arty Offr CS Army — Commander 1st Army Artillery Commander Land Artillery Command • Robert — 1887 — 1965 — Maj later GenMS — Med Offr CS Army • Rudolf — 1872 — 1954 — Col later GenMS — Med Offr CS Army • Bedřich — 1888 — 1980 — Lt later DivGen — Arty Offr CS Army — Deputy Commander II Corps • Jan — 1896 — 1968 — Lt later BdeGen — Arty Offr CS Army — Commander VII Corps Artillery • Bohumil — 1889 —? — Maj later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • František — 1886 — 1963 — Maj later MajGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Commander I Corps • Vladimir (ru) — 1868 — 1940 — LtGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces, Siberian Theatre • Jan — 1882 —? — Capt later GenLS — Inf and Legal Offr CS Army — Attorney General, Office of the General Military Prosecurtor • Karel — 1883 — 1966 — Capt later BdeGen — Inf and Engr Offr CS Army • Václav — 1881 — 1966 — Maj later ChiefGenIS — Inf and Ord Offr CS Army • Oleg — 1888 — 1941 — LtCol later DivGen Mem — Inf Offr CS Army • Jan — 1888 — 1970 — MajGen later ArmyGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Czechoslovak Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence • František — 1894 — 1981 — Maj later BdeGen — Arty Offr CS Army • Karel — 1878 — 1937 — Capt later BdeGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Josef — 1893 — 1976 — LtCol later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Commander II Corps • Josef — 1886 — 1979 — Maj later BdeGen — Arty Offr CS Army — Commander Land Artillery Command • Rudolf — 1890 — 1945 — Maj later ArmyGen Mem — Inf Offr CS Army — Commander 1st Army Minister of State, Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence in exile • Karel — 1887 — 1978 — Lt later BdeGen — Arty Offr CS Army — Commander II Corps Artillery • Sergej (ru) — 1883 — 1951 — MajGen later ArmyGen — Inf Offr CS Army — Commander 1st Army • Hugo — 1885 — 1941 — Maj later MajGen — Arty Offr CS Army — Commander Headquarters Land Artillery • Karel — 1883 — 1943 — Col later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Bohuslav — 1893 — 1942 — LtCol later DivGen Mem — Arty Offr CS Army — Commander VIII Corps • Dominik — 1883 — 1953 — Maj later GenMS — Med Offr CS Army — Head Health Service Corps • Miloš — 1891 — 1970 — LtCol later DivGen — Inf Offr CS Army • Václav — 1890 — 1942 — Capt later DivGen Mem — Arty Offr CS Army — Commander IV Corps Artillery • Josef — 1889 — 1942 — Maj later DivGen Mem — Inf Offr CS Army Legend Ranks • ArmyGen = Army General, equivalent to General (4-star rank) • LtGen = Lieutenant General (3-star rank) • DivGen = Division General, equivalent to Major General (2-star rank) • ChiefGenIS = Chief General of the Intendent Services, equivalent to Major General • ChiefGenMS = Chief General of the Medical Services, equivalent to Major General • BdeGen = Brigade General, equivalent to Brigadier General (1-star rank) • (Bde)Gen = General, equivalent to Brigadier General • GenLS = General of the Legal Services, equivalent to Brigadier General • GenMS = General of the Medical Services, equivalent to Brigadier General • GenTOSA = General of the Technical Ordnance Service of Aviation, equivalent to Brigadier General • Mem = in memoriam, rank was granted posthumously Service/Branch • Arty = Artillery, Engr = Engineering, Inf = Infantry, Leg = Legal, Med = Medical, Offr = Officer, Ord = Ordnance • CS = Czechoslovak, Fr = French, Ru = Russian

Order of the Falcon is associated with Czechoslovakia.