The Croix de guerre
1914-1918 (French for "Cross of War"
) is a FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
military decoration.
Soon after the outbreak of World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, French military officials felt that a new military award had to be created. At that time, the "Citation du jour" ("Daily Service Citation") already existed to acknowledge soldiers, but it was just a sheet of paper.
At the end 1914, General Boëlle, Commandant in Chief of the French 4th Army Corps, tried to convince the French administration to create the formal military award.
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The Croix de guerre
1914-1918 (French for "Cross of War"
) is a FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
military decoration.
Creation
Soon after the outbreak of World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, French military officials felt that a new military award had to be created. At that time, the "Citation du jour" ("Daily Service Citation") already existed to acknowledge soldiers, but it was just a sheet of paper.
At the end 1914, General Boëlle, Commandant in Chief of the French 4th Army Corps, tried to convince the French administration to create the formal military award.
Maurice BarrèsMaurice Barrès was a French novelist, journalist, and anti-semite socialist politician and agitator. In his youth a Boulangist deputy, he progressively developed a theory close to Romantic nationalism and shifted to the traditionalist right during the Dreyfus Affair, leading the Anti-Dreyfusards...
, the noted
writerA writer is anyone who creates a written work, though the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, as well as those who have written in many different forms.-Profession:...
and
deputyA legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually politicians and are often elected by the people...
of
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, gave Boëlle support in his efforts.
On December 23 1914, the French deputy Georges Bonnefous proposed a legislative bill to create the "Croix de la Valeur Militaire"
("Cross of the Military Valor") signed by 66 other deputies. Émile DriantÉmile Augustin Cyprien Driant was a French nationalist writer, politician, and army officer, and was the first high ranking casualty of the Battle of Verdun during World War I.-Biography:...
, a deputy who served in the war zone during much of this time, became its natural spokesman when he returned to the legislature. On 18 January 1915, Émile DriantÉmile Augustin Cyprien Driant was a French nationalist writer, politician, and army officer, and was the first high ranking casualty of the Battle of Verdun during World War I.-Biography:...
submitted this bill but the name of the military award was renamed the Croix de guerre
("Cross of War"
). After parliamentary discussions, the bill was adopted on 2 April 1915
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
began in 1914 and ended in 1918, so the final name became "Croix de guerre
1914-1918".
Every "Croix de guerre"
carries at least one mention awarded for gallantry to any member of the French military or its allies. Degrees indicate the importance of the former soldier's role during the World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
. The lowest degree is represented by a bronzeBronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive, but sometimes with other elements such as phosphorus, manganese, aluminium, or silicon. It was particularly significant in antiquity, giving its name to the Bronze Age...
star and the highest degree is represented by a silverSilver is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
palm. The number of mentions on a Croix de guerre
is not limited.
Military insignia
- Medal designed by the sculptor Paul-Albert Bartholomé
Paul-Albert Bartholomé , was a French painter and sculptor and is inhumed in the 4th division of the Père Lachaise Cemetery.-Sculptures:...
. It is 37 mm in diameter showing four arms and two crossed swords. The center of the front side shows the symbolic profile of the French Republic: a young woman wearing a Phrygian capThe Phrygian cap is a soft, red, conical cap with the top pulled forward, worn in antiquity by the inhabitants of Phrygia, a region of central Anatolia...
. The words
« République française » (French Republic) encircle the portrait. The back of the medal shows the dates of the conflict: first, it was 1914-1915 then 1914-1916, 1914-1917 and finally 1914-1918.
- Ribbon : green with seven narrow vertical red stripes
Citations
- Mentioned in Despatches: The lowest degree is represented by a bronze star and the highest degree is represented by a silver palm.
Bronze star: for those who were mentioned at the regiment
A regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. A regiment can be broken into two distinct categories, one being an administrative unit which is responsible for non-operational management of battalions , while the other being a deployable combat...
or brigadeA brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army. Usually, a brigade is a sub-component of a division, a larger unit consisting of two or more brigades; however, some brigades are classified as a...
level.
- Silver star: for those who were mentioned at the division
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between ten to thirty thousand soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions make up a corps...
level.
- Silver gilt star: for those who were mentioned at the corps level.
- Bronze palm: for those who were mentioned at the army
An army An army An army (from Latin armata "armed (things)" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based Military of a nation. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
level.
- Silver palm: represents five bronze mentions.
The mentions are awarded for gallantry to any member of the French military or its allies and are, depending on the degree, roughly the equivalent to the U.S.
Bronze StarThe Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. When awarded for bravery, it is the fourth-highest combat award of the U.S. Armed Forces and the ninth highest military award in the order...
and
Silver StarThe Silver Star is the third highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is also the third highest award given for valor ....
or the UK
Military CrossThe Military Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
and
Military MedalThe Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
.
- Examples of translation from French
- étoile en vermeil = silver-gilt star
- palme en argent = silver palm
See also
- Ribbons of the French military and civil awards
-The French Order of Chivalry:-The principal French military awards:-The French commemorative awards:-The other awards:- Sources :* Les décorations françaises ISBN 2-911468-99-6...
- Croix de guerre
The croix de guerre is a military decoration of both France and Belgium, where it is also known as the Oorlogskruis . It was first created in 1915 in both countries and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins...
- Croix de guerre 1939-1945
The Croix de guerre 1939-1945 is a French military decoration created in September 26 1939, to honour people who fought with the Allies against the Axis force at any time during World War II.-Recipients:...
- Croix de guerre des Théatres d'Opérations Exterieures
The croix de guerre des théâtres d’opérations extérieures is a French medal rewarded for military service in foreign countries....