Memes

No, swords were mostly civilian self defense weapons and backup weapons as pistols are nowadays (and, mind you, even nowadays where governments have the money to equip every soldier with a rifle and a pistol, they don't).

The reason swords were not as widely used in battle as spears, axes, maces, polearms were is that these weapons are battlefield weapons and swords aren't. Why depends on the situation and time period. Sometimes because they're not as effective against armor, sometimes because they're too expensive, sometimes because they required more training than a pointy stick.

Btw, there was an empire that widely equipped it's armies with swords (through times) because it made sense with the rest of the kit, fighting style, enemies, etc. The roman legionnaires are most famously depicted with a gallius helmet, lorica segmentata, scutum pilum and gladius