Medal of Bravery (Slovakia 1939)

Slovak medal of valor of all three classes

Slovak ribbon clip, in the middle of which the III. Class can be seen. To the right of it the commemorative medal for the defense of Slovakia .

The Medal of Bravery ( slk. Medaila Za hrdinstvo ) of the 1st Slovak Republic was donated by government decree of May 9, 1939 by the President Jozef Tiso and was a merit for heroics in the struggle for the independence of the Slovak nation .

Classification

I. class in gold ,
II. Class in silver and the
III. Class in bronze .

Appearance

The obverse of the medal with a diameter of 35 mm shows an eagle with raised wings, turned to the left when viewed from the observer, which kicks down a snake lying on its back with one claw and threatens it with the second and its beak. The lapel , on the other hand, shows two laurel branches that are crossed at the bottom and directed diagonally upwards, the crossing point of which is covered by a band without any inscriptions, while the coat of arms of Slovakia extends over the branches to the upper edge of the medal. The Slovak coat of arms shows the well-known double cross on the Dreiberg .

At the upper edge of the medal there is an eyelet through which the hanger, in the form of a piece of ribbon, is pulled, which is placed on both sides around the crossbar, which is made up of three bars and is 35 mm long. The crossbar is used to keep the ribbon of the medal wide and to close it accordingly at the bottom.

The medal not only differentiates between its classes in terms of their properties, but also identifies them in the different colors of the ribbon. This is watered and 35 mm wide. The tape of the III. Class is yellow, Class II is blue and Class I ribbon is red. The white-green-white central stripe with a total width of 8.5 mm is the same for all classes, with the green stripe having a width of 2 mm.

Authority to award

The authority to award the medal of bravery was incumbent on the defense minister or the supreme commander of the Hlinka Guard at the suggestion of the superior commander. Starting with the commander of the independent formation, i.e. those members of the Slovak Army or Hlinka Guard who appeared worthy of the award in the fight against the enemy or for outstanding deeds and / or achievements. The Minister of Defense or the Commander-in-Chief of the Hlinka Guard then issued a decree on the award in question, which entitles them to wear the badge of honor. The III. The class of the medal could also be awarded for extraordinary services at home or in peace, i.e. not in front of the enemy; but then she received a bronze label in the middle of the ribbon (even if this was done without the medal), which consisted of a wreath of ears with two fluttering ribbons. The two-line inscription on these ribbons reads : za / záslushy (for merit).

Carrying method

The medal was worn as a ribbon order over the left breast pocket. The medal of bravery, consisting of three degrees, could be replaced in the same way by pieces of tape (strap buckles), in which the class could be recognized not only by the color of the ribbon, but also by a button with the Slovak double cross on a red background. The button has a metal ring of the same color as the awarded medal between the blue outer ring and the red background. The III. Class could also be awarded without this button, which, by the way, could always be worn with the original medal on the medal buckle; it was then the so-called military merit medal ; to identify them more precisely, a small badge was placed on the ribbon, which consisted of a wreath with waving ribbons.

Award requirements

The Minister of Defense and the Commander in Chief of the Hlinka Guard were authorized to award the medal if:

the soldiers, citizens and members of the Hlinka Guard on the occasion of the struggles for Slovak independence and on the occasion of the military measures for the state security, special merit

had acquired. With the award of the medal to the entrusted person, he received the above-mentioned decree of the Defense Minister or the Commander-in-Chief of the Hlinka Guard, which authorized him to wear it. These also issued detailed wearing regulations and service regulations for the award itself by mutual agreement. Corresponding detailed awarding procedures and wearing regulations

Unauthorized wearing of the award

Unauthorized wearing of the medal constituted a violation, which, if it was not an act to be investigated by a court , could be punished with arrest, which could last up to 14 days or with a fine of up to 5000 Slovak crowns .

Come into effect

The government declaration of May 8, 1939 relevant to the foundation came into force the following day, whereby the foundation of the Medal of Bravery is dated May 9, 1939.

Individual evidence

↑ Slovak government declaration of May 8, 1939, regarding awards for bravery in the struggle for the independence of the Slovak nation and medal for services in the fight for Slovak independence, § 1 of the government declaration.
↑ Slovak Government Declaration of May 8, 1939, regarding awards for bravery in the struggle for the independence of the Slovak nation and medal for services in the fight for Slovak independence, § 2 of the government declaration.
^ Slovak government declaration of May 8, 1939, regarding awards for bravery in the struggle for the independence of the Slovak nation and medal for services in the fight for Slovak independence, § 4 and 5 of the government declaration.
↑ Slovak government declaration of May 8, 1939, regarding awards for bravery in the struggle for the independence of the Slovak nation and medal for services in the fight for Slovak independence, § 6 of the government declaration.
^ Slovak government declaration of May 8, 1939, regarding awards for bravery in the struggle for the independence of the Slovak nation and medal for services in the fight for Slovak independence, § 7 of the government declaration.

[1] Slovak government declaration of May 8, 1939, regarding awards for bravery in the struggle for the independence of the Slovak nation and medal for services in the fight for Slovak independence, § 1 of the government declaration.

[2] Slovak Government Declaration of May 8, 1939, regarding awards for bravery in the struggle for the independence of the Slovak nation and medal for services in the fight for Slovak independence, § 2 of the government declaration.

[3] Slovak government declaration of May 8, 1939, regarding awards for bravery in the struggle for the independence of the Slovak nation and medal for services in the fight for Slovak independence, § 4 and 5 of the government declaration.

[4] Slovak government declaration of May 8, 1939, regarding awards for bravery in the struggle for the independence of the Slovak nation and medal for services in the fight for Slovak independence, § 6 of the government declaration.

[5] Slovak government declaration of May 8, 1939, regarding awards for bravery in the struggle for the independence of the Slovak nation and medal for services in the fight for Slovak independence, § 7 of the government declaration.