# Order of the Falcon (Czechoslovakia)

The Order of the Falcon of Štefánik (Czech: Štefánikův Řád Sokola), also known unofficially as the Štefánikův Order was a Czechoslovak order established in November 1918.

## History

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.

## Composition

Appointments to the Order were in either the Military or Civilian divisions. The order was intended to consist of five classes:
* Grand Cross (Czech: Velkokříž), Class I
* Grand Officer (Czech: Velkodůstojník), Class II
* Commander (Czech: Komtur), Class III
* Officer (Czech: Důstojník), Class IV
* Knight (Czech: Rytíř), Class V
In practice appointments were only made to the lowest class.

## Insignia

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.

## Knights

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 |
| Jindřich Bejl | 1890 | 1973 | Maj later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Alois Benda | 1890 | 1957 | Maj later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Jan Beneš | 1886 | 1949 | Maj later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Jindřich Birula | 1895 | 1972 | LtCol later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| František Bláha | 1886 | 1945 | Maj later DivGen Mem | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Stanislav Čeček | 1886 | 1930 | DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Head of the Czechoslovak Ministry of Aviation |
| Jan Čermák | 1893 | 1961 | Capt later BdeGen | Inf and Engr Offr CS Army | Commander III Corps Engineers |
| Jaroslav Červinka | 1889 | 1985 | Col later BdeGen | Inf and Cav Offr CS Army | |
| Jaroslav Čihák | 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 Číla | 1883 | 1983 | LtCol later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Jaroslav Čížek | 1891 | 1972 | Capt later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Secretary General of the Czechoslovak Inter-ministerial Council for Matters of National Defence |
| Mikhail Diterikhs | 1875 | 1937 | LtGen | Cav Offr Ru Army | Commander of the Czechoslovak Legions Military Affairs Minister |
| Josef Dostál | 1891 | 1945 | Capt later DivGen Mem | Inf and Cav Offr CS Army | |
| Josef Eisenberger | 1887 | 1955 | Maj later (Bde)Gen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Jaroslav Fajfr | 1883 | 1974 | Maj later MajGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Julius Fišera | 1894 | ? | Maj later BdeGen | Cav Offr CS Army | |
| Radola Gajda | 1892 | 1948 | DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Deputy Chief of Staff for the Czechoslovak Army National Fascist Community politician |
| Vladimír Haering | 1882 | 1942 | LtCol later ChiefGenMS Mem | Med Offr CS Army | Chief of Czechoslovak Army Corps Medical Services |
| Antonín Hasal | 1893 | 1960 | LtCol later ArmyGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Czechoslovak Minister for Transport and Technology |
| František Havel | 1883 | 1958 | Maj later BdeGen | Engr Offr CS Army | |
| Bedřich Homola | 1887 | 1943 | Maj later ArmyGen Mem | Inf Offr CS Army | Commander VII Corps |
| Rudolf Hošek | 1887 | ? | Maj later DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| František Hrabčík | 1894 | 1967 | Maj later DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Secretary of the Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence |
| Karel Husárek | 1893 | 1972 | LtCol later DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Czechoslovak Minister for Railways |
| Josef Janáček | 1885 | 1954 | Capt later DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Commander IV Corps |
| Pierre Thiebaut Charles Maurice Janin | 1862 | 1946 | LtGen later LtGen | Inf Offr Fr Army | Commander VII Corps (French Army) Commander-in-Chief Czechoslovak Legion Headquarters |
| Rudolf Janů | 1879 | 1934 | LtCol later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Eduard Kadlec | 1880 | 1961 | Col later ArmyGen | Arty Offr CS Army | Commander IV Corps |
| Bonifác Káňa | 1893 | 1941 | Capt later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Jan Karger | 1887 | 1977 | Capt later BdeGen | Inf and Arty Offr CS Army | Commander VI Corps Artillery |
| Jaroslav Kejla | 1892 | ? | Col later GenTOSA | Inf and Ord Offr CS Army | Aviation Materiel Department Head, Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence |
| Vojtěch Klecanda | 1888 | 1947 | LtCol later DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | division commander and military attaché |
| Karel Klubal | 1886 | 1939 | Capt later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| František Kolařík | 1881 | 1950 | Maj later DivGen | Engr Offr CS Army | |
| Václav Kopal | 1882 | 1935 | Maj later DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Josef Koutňák | 1890 | 1961 | Capt later DivGen Mem | Cav Offr CS Army | Commander Czechoslovak Tank Corps |
| Ludvík Krejčí | 1890 | 1972 | Col later ArmyGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Commander-in-Chief Czechoslovak Armed Forces |
| Josef Kroutil | 1879 | 1936 | LtCol later DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Rudolf Kroutil | 1884 | 1964 | Maj later MajGen | Arty Offr CS Army | Head Artillery Department, Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence |
| Miloš Kudrna | 1884 | 1951 | Maj later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Karel Kutlvašr | 1895 | 1961 | LtCol later ArmyGen Mem | Inf Offr CS Army | Commander III Corps Commander V Corps |
| Otakar Líčka | 1889 | 1963 | Maj later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Emil Linhart | 1889 | 1959 | Capt later DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Commander I Corps |
| Vojtěch Luža | 1891 | 1944 | Maj later ArmyGen Mem | Inf Offr CS Army | Commander IV Corps Commander V Corps |
| Rudolf Medek | 1890 | 1940 | LtCol later (Bde)Gen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Karel Mejstřík | 1886 | 1945 | Maj later DivGen Mem | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Ondřej Mézl | 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 Moravec | 1887 | ? | Maj later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Secretary General of the Czechoslovak Inter-ministerial Council for Matters of National Defence |
| Josef Mrázek | 1885 | 1967 | Maj later BdeGen | Arty Offr CS Army | Artillery Department Head, Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence |
| Matěj Němec | 1886 | 1975 | LtCol later DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Jan Netík | 1885 | 1945 | Maj later DivGen | Arty Offr CS Army | Artillery Department Head, Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence |
| Bedřich Neumann | 1891 | 1964 | Maj later DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Chief of Staff, Czechoslovak Armed Forces Headquarters |
| Václav Nosek | 1887 | 1953 | Maj later BdeGen | Engr Offr CS Army | Commander I Corps Engineers Commander Army Engineers |
| František Nosál | 1889 | 1963 | LtCol later DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Czechoslovak Minister of Public Works |
| Josef Nosál | 1885 | 1940 | Maj later BdeGen | Arty Offr CS Army | |
| Zdeněk Novák | 1891 | 1988 | Maj later BdeGen | Arty Offr CS Army | Commander IV Corps Artillery Commander Land Artillery Command |
| Josef Palacký | 1888 | 1938 | Maj later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Václav Petřík | 1885 | 1957 | Col later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Josef Petrš | 1886 | 1968 | Col later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Josef Pícek | 1874 | ? | Maj later GenMS | Med Offr CS Army | |
| Lev Prchala | 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 Přikryl | 1888 | 1955 | Maj later DivGen | Arty Offr CS Army | Commander 1st Army Artillery Commander Land Artillery Command |
| Robert Pytlík | 1887 | 1965 | Maj later GenMS | Med Offr CS Army | |
| Rudolf Raše | 1872 | 1954 | Col later GenMS | Med Offr CS Army | |
| Bedřich Ruml | 1888 | 1980 | Lt later DivGen | Arty Offr CS Army | Deputy Commander II Corps |
| Jan Růžička | 1896 | 1968 | Lt later BdeGen | Arty Offr CS Army | Commander VII Corps Artillery |
| Bohumil Rytíř | 1889 | ? | Maj later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| František Slunečko | 1886 | 1963 | Maj later MajGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Commander I Corps |
| Vladimir Šokorov (ru) | 1868 | 1940 | LtGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces, Siberian Theatre |
| Jan Staněk | 1882 | ? | Capt later GenLS | Inf and Legal Offr CS Army | Attorney General, Office of the General Military Prosecurtor |
| Karel Štěpánek | 1883 | 1966 | Capt later BdeGen | Inf and Engr Offr CS Army | |
| Václav Suchý | 1881 | 1966 | Maj later ChiefGenIS | Inf and Ord Offr CS Army | |
| Oleg Svátek | 1888 | 1941 | LtCol later DivGen Mem | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Jan Syrový | 1888 | 1970 | MajGen later ArmyGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Czechoslovak Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence |
| František Tallavania | 1894 | 1981 | Maj later BdeGen | Arty Offr CS Army | |
| Karel Urbánek | 1878 | 1937 | Capt later BdeGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Josef Váňa | 1893 | 1976 | LtCol later DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Commander II Corps |
| Josef Vedral | 1886 | 1979 | Maj later BdeGen | Arty Offr CS Army | Commander Land Artillery Command |
| Rudolf Viest | 1890 | 1945 | Maj later ArmyGen Mem | Inf Offr CS Army | Commander 1st Army Minister of State, Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence in exile |
| Karel Vojan | 1887 | 1978 | Lt later BdeGen | Arty Offr CS Army | Commander II Corps Artillery |
| Sergej Vojcechovský (ru) | 1883 | 1951 | MajGen later ArmyGen | Inf Offr CS Army | Commander 1st Army |
| Hugo Vojta | 1885 | 1941 | Maj later MajGen | Arty Offr CS Army | Commander Headquarters Land Artillery |
| Karel Voženílek | 1883 | 1943 | Col later DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Bohuslav Všetička | 1893 | 1942 | LtCol later DivGen Mem | Arty Offr CS Army | Commander VIII Corps |
| Dominik Vymětal | 1883 | 1953 | Maj later GenMS | Med Offr CS Army | Head Health Service Corps |
| Miloš Žák | 1891 | 1970 | LtCol later DivGen | Inf Offr CS Army | |
| Václav Ždímal | 1890 | 1942 | Capt later DivGen Mem | Arty Offr CS Army | Commander IV Corps Artillery |
| Josef Zmek | 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