Military Order of Merit (Bulgaria)

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Grand cross with diamonds
Military Order of Merit
Knight's cross with crown on a military ribbon

The Military Order of Merit was founded on May 18, 1900 by Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria and could be awarded to all soldiers of the Bulgarian armed forces regardless of rank for military merit and for bravery in the face of the enemy. A loan to foreigners was also permitted.

Classes

The order has five classes, with the last two divided into two levels each.

Order decoration

The medal is a red enameled cross with curly bars and pointed ends. It hangs on the crown and has a white medallion in the middle with a stylized eagle and crossed swords.

Carrying method

For military merits the ribbon was yellow with black and white margins and for civil merit it was white with green-pink margins. Since 1915, laurel branches had been added to the Order of Merit based on the Austrian model as war decorations. The ribbon was then light blue with silver stripes.

literature

  • Kurt-Gerhard Klietmann : For bravery and merit. Schild, Munich 1954.
  • Dimitri Romanoff: The Orders, Medals and History of the Kingdom of Bulgaria. Balkan Heritage, Rungsted Kyst 1982, ISBN 87-981267-0-9 .
  • Todor Petrov: Bulgarian Orders and Medals 1878–2005. Military Publishing House Ltd., Sofia 2005, ISBN 954-509-317-X .