There is, however, no evidence that anyone in ancient Rome ever used the form of the straight-arm salute that was used by the Italian Fascists and German Nazis. Various modern-day fascists and Neo-Nazis have tried to do the same thing. The Italian Fascists and the German Nazis both believed that this salute originated with the ancient Romans and tried to use the salute’s supposed Roman origins in order to bolster their own prestige and portray themselves as continuing the Roman legacy. Also, some objects were to be saluted: the Lenin Mausoleum, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, mass graves of the soldiers perished defending the Fatherland, all military banners and standards, as well as funeral processions accompanied by troops.In the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, the National Fascist Party (i.e., the PNF) in Italy and the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (i.e., the NSDAP or Nazi Party) in Germany both used a salute that consisted of a straight, rigid arm raised into the air above the shoulders with the hand parallel to the rest of the arm and the palm facing toward the ground. Forgetting or, worse, refusing to salute was considered an offense and was subject to punishment. The lower ranks salute the higher ranks first. The General Order of the internal service of the Armed Forces of the USSR (1960) prescribed that all military persons must greet each other with a military salute. by the whole regiment in the presence of a general at a parade), such rule was installed: A full hand military salute is performed by the head of the military unit, while all members of the unit standing at attention, their eyes looking in the direction of the high-ranked commander. For military salutes performed massively (e.g. The aforementioned rules were largely employed in the Red Army of the USSR. Tsar Nicholas II Visiting The Russian Front, May 1915 Military salute in the USSR and the Russian Federation And never, under any circumstances, was a soldier obliged to take off his headwear – even in the presence of the Tsar. While carrying a rifle or a naked sabre, the soldiers were to put the weapon on their shoulders. Such commanders and persons included: all members of the Imperial family, generals, admirals, garrison commanders, commanders of regiments, escadrons, staff officers and also while passing by state banners and standards (flags). When the commander passes him by a step, then his hand can be lowered.”Ĭommanders of a high rank were to be saluted while standing at attention. Petersburg in 1887: “If a soldier meets a commander whom he is supposed to salute, he must put his right hand to the right side of the lower edge of his hat 4 steps before reaching the commander, so that the fingers are together, the palm is slightly turned out and the elbow is at shoulder height at the same time, he must look at the commander and follow him with his eyes. This is how it is described in the ‘Manual for young soldiers and Cossacks’, published in St. Officers of the 13th Yerevan Grenadier Regiment of the Russian Imperial ArmyĪfter the mid-19th century, the ‘Two-fingered salute’ was replaced with a full-hand salute. In the army of Medieval Russia, no military salutes were performed – there were few certain military ranks, no common uniform and high-ranked military persons were at the same time high-ranked people in the state hierarchy, so they greeted each other with bows. However, when, for example, President Vladimir Putin, dressed in civilian clothing, is saluted, he doesn’t return the salute, because he is not in uniform and isn’t wearing military headwear (unlike the U.S. This is why a military salute is performed only by people in military uniform and towards other people in military uniform – except when head of state (and the head of the military), like the President, is saluted. A military salute is a gesture of mutual recognition and belonging to the same corporation, a symbol of mutual respect of military men. What is important about a military salute in general is that it’s not a person (be it an officer, a sergeant, or a private) who is saluted, but the military uniform. Sergey Shoygu, Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, during a Victory Day parade.
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