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Aftermath of the Battle of Racławice. Kosynierzy, the Polish war scythe wielding peasant infantry, are visible in the middle of the scene. Painting by Jan Matejko.

A war scythe (Polish: kosa bojowa) is a kind of improvised pole weapon, similar to a fauchard, usually created from standard scythes. The blade of the scythe is transformed so as to extend upright from the pole, thus forming an infantry weapon practical both in offensive actions against infantry and as a defensive measure against enemy cavalry.

It was commonly used by peasants, for example, in the 18th and 19th centuries the weapon was widely used by a variety of Polish formations created out of unskilled workers and peasants (dubbed kosynierzy, after the Polish word for scythe). It was also used in other places - in Europe and beyond - since the Ancient Era.

Roundel of the Polish 7th Air Escadrille featuring two crossed war scythes.

Emblem of the RAF 303 Polish Squadron

Forging of war scythes during Polish January Uprising, by Artur Grottger.

The scythe, a farming tool popular in 19th century Poland, could be easily transformed into an effective infantry weapon. As contemporary Poland was often in dire need of soldiers, peasants, usually promised release from serfdom and other benefits, often flocked to Polish generals, such as Tadeusz Kościuszko, who promised to improve their way of life. It was Kościuszko, with his 1794 Proclamation of Połaniec, who created the most famous unit of that kind: the kosynierzy peasant volunteer infantry (Polish for 'scythe men'). The most well-known member of such a unit was Wojciech Bartosz Głowacki, a national hero of Poland.

19th century Poland was not the only country where war scythes were used. They were a popular weapon of choice and opportunity of many peasant uprisings throughout history. To name just a few examples, ancient Greek historian, Xenophon, describes in his work (Anabasis) the chariots of Cyrus the Younger which used scythes. Polish peasants used war scythes during the 17th century Swedish invasion (The Deluge). In the 1685 battle of Sedgemoor, James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, fielded a 5000 strong peasant unit armed with war scythes. They were used in 1848 in Denmark, and again in various Polish uprisings: November Uprising in 1831, January Uprising in 1863 and Silesian Uprising in 1921. The name was used even in 1939, but the unit Red scythemen of Gdynia was armed rather with hunting guns.

As a pole weapon, the war scythe is characterised by long range (in melee combat), and powerful force (due to leverage): there are documented examples where a scythe has cut through a metal helmet. They could be used, depending on construction and tactics, to make slashing or stabbing attacks, and due to their uncommon looks and significant power, could have a psychological impact on an unprepared enemy. However, as most pole weapons, their disadvantages were their weight (which could quickly tire the user) and slow speed. The war scythe was probably an early ancestor of more professional pole weapons like halberds.

• Fauchard
• Kama--Japanese Hand Scythe

• This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding Polish Wikipedia article as of 19 May 2006.

In the tabletop War game warhammer 40,000 Warscythes are the strongest melee weapon that the Necron race has at its disposal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necrons#Warscythes