Military medals
Military orders are orders donated by sovereigns for military success and merit, which result in admission to a religious order modeled on the medieval order of knights and which in some cases brought further privileges (e.g. honorary salary , tax relief ) for the medal winners .
Principles
The medal was awarded exclusively to officers, as a rule, for any military act that "could have been omitted without responsibility or that testifies to rare determination, bravery and prudence". The religious chapter examined the deeds of the candidates.
Military Order included several classes, the respective ranks and officer ranks was assigned. In the classification, this corresponded to the division into generals , staff officers and subordinate officers. This basic model was suggested by the Sun King Louis XIV and was first used in the Ordre royal et militaire de Saint-Louis , founded in 1693 for military merit:
- Ordensgeneral - Grand Cross - highest level
- Ordenskomtur - Commander's Cross - intermediate level
- Knights of the Order - Knight's Cross - lower tier
Further subdivisions could be formed by combining the respective cross with stars, swords or the like.
Overview of selected military orders
The most famous are:
- Pour le Mérite (Prussia) (1740)
- Military Order of Maria Theresa (MMTO) (Austria-Hungary) (1757)
- Legion of Honor (France) (1802)
- Iron Cross (Prussia) (1813)
Other orders of military merit donated in Germany are:
- Albrechts Order (Saxony) (1850)
- Guelph Order (Hanover) (1815)
- Order of the Crown (Prussia) (1861)
- Military Order of Carls (Württemberg) (1759/1799)
- Military Karl Friedrich Order of Merit (Baden) (1807)
- Military Max Joseph Order (Bavaria) (1806)
- Military Order of St. Heinrich (Saxony) (1736/1807)
- Military Order of Merit (Württemberg) (1806)
Selected Military Merit Medals
Military merit medals were donated for teams and NCOs in the 19th century :
Grand Duchy of Baden
Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Saxony
Kingdom of Württemberg
Empire of Austria
- Kuk Medal of Bravery (1789)
See also
- War award
- War Memorial Medal
- War medal
- War Merit Cross
- War Merit Medal
- Medal of Honor
- Military medal
- Military Merit Cross
- Military Merit Medal
- Military Merit Order
- Medal of Bravery