page_title: Sabre
section_title: Modern use
hierarchical_section_title: Sabre / History / Modern use
caption_attribution_description: English: Sabre of an officer of the militia of Lausanne Français&#160;: Sabre d'officier de la milice de Lausanne.
context_page_description: A sabre, is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as the hussars, the sabre became widespread in Western Europe in the Thirty Years' War. Lighter sabres also became popular with infantry of the late 17th century.
  In the 19th century, models with less curving blades became common and were also used by heavy cavalry.
  The last sabre issued to US cavalry was the Patton saber of 1913. Szabla wz. 34 was the last sabre issued to the Polish cavalry, in 1934.
  The military sabre was used as a duelling weapon in academic fencing in the 19th century, giving rise to a discipline of modern sabre fencing loosely based on the characteristics of the historical weapon in that it allows for cuts as well as thrusts.
context_section_description: The sabre saw extensive military use in the early 19th century, particularly in the Napoleonic Wars, during which Napoleon used heavy cavalry charges to great effect against his enemies. Shorter versions of the sabre were also used as sidearms by dismounted units, although these were gradually replaced by fascine knives and sword bayonets as the century went on. Although there was extensive debate over the effectiveness of weapons such as the sabre and lance, the sabre remained the standard weapon of cavalry for mounted action in most armies until World War I and in a few armies until World War II. Thereafter it was gradually relegated to the status of a ceremonial weapon, and most horse cavalry was replaced by armoured cavalry from the 1930s onward.
  Where horse mounted cavalry survived into World War II it was generally as mounted infantry without sabres. However the sabre was still carried by German cavalry until after the Polish campaign of 1939, after which this historic weapon was put into storage in 1941.
  Romanian cavalry continued to carry their straight "thrusting" sabres on active service until at least 1941.
caption: The briquet, typical infantry sabre of the Napoleonic Wars
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