Introduce the medal system of each country

Best Answer

1]-- German Medals

Suffice it to say that once German medals are mentioned, the Iron Cross is undoubtedly the first thing that comes to mind. A German soldier takes it as his great honor to be able to receive the Iron Cross. This is why the Führer of the Third Reich wore his Iron Cross almost every moment. The Iron Cross is the symbol of the German nation, so the Iron Cross has become the pride of Germany.

The Iron Cross has a long history. The tradition of awarding the Iron Cross dates back to 1813. At that time, King Frederick William III of Prussia started the tradition during the war against Napoleon. The first Iron Cross was awarded on March 10, 1813.During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and World War I, Germany once again honored its heroes by awarding them the Iron Cross. Despite Germany's defeat in World War I, this did not cause the tradition to disappear, but rather it was carried on during the civil war.

To a large extent, the Iron Cross is included in the category of battlefield medals. The Iron Cross evokes memories of Prussian warriors, the great victories of the Bismarck era and the brave soldiers of the First World War. The shrewd Hitler reintroduced this symbol of will into his political system in the 1930s. The Iron Cross immediately became a symbol of the strong and visible military power of the Third Reich.

The Iron Cross was originally designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The style of the Iron Cross remained unchanged for decades. When the Iron Cross was revived in the Third Reich, it was still only available in four classes: the Second Class Iron Cross, the First Class Iron Cross, the Knight's Iron Cross, and the Grand Iron Cross. By the end of the war, the Iron Cross had grown to eight ranks.

During the five years of the war, the Iron Cross 1st/2nd Class was widely awarded, but that doesn't make these two classes any less valuable. The soldiers who received these medals made a real contribution. And the recipients of the Knight's Iron Cross were the cream of the crop within the German army, and were also held up as national heroes by the Nazi propaganda machine.

Traditionally, a soldier receives medals in a gradual progression from lower to higher ranks. But occasionally a second-class Iron Cross and a first-class Iron Cross can be earned at the same time, though this is still very rare. Recipients of the Iron Cross generally wear copies obtained from official sources, and the originals are kept by the recipients to avoid damage on the battlefield.

The Iron Cross was awarded not only to those who performed valor on the battlefield, but also to those who made other contributions to the victory of the war, such as coming up with superior strategies. Many officers also received the Iron Cross for outstanding command. The Iron Cross was widely awarded to all branches of the German military. Although it was originally intended to recognize the bravery of soldiers on the battlefield, later recipients of the Iron Cross also came from the police, fire department, highway system and even the Hitler Youth. The difference between the Iron Cross for combatants and non-combatants comes from the fact that the latter has a specialized decoration.

It is more often military personnel who receive the Knight's Cross. For a soldier, it is a great honor to receive the Knight's Cross, which means that he or she is among the elite of the military. Likewise, it earns the respect of one's colleagues. Although there are no special requirements for the award of the Knight's Cross, it is generally more likely to be awarded to members of elite units. Recipients of the Knight's Cross received special attention from the Third Reich's propaganda machine, with newspapers and other propaganda media repeatedly broadcasting their exploits to the people. Not only that, but the Third Reich government issued postcards bearing their likenesses, which were widely collected in wartime Germany.

The Iron Cross, Second Class

Note: Strictly speaking, all the Iron Crosses described below should be referred to as the "1939 Iron Cross". However, it is a common practice to refer to this type of medal, so unless otherwise specified, all medals in the following section will be referred to as "Type 1939 Iron Cross".

The Second Class Iron Cross (hereafter referred to as the EK2) is identical in appearance to its predecessor, the Early Iron Cross. However, the old-fashioned brown oak leaf and other symbols in the center of the Iron Cross have been replaced by the wan symbol. The back of the EK2 is basically unadorned, except for the inscription "1939" at the bottom of the lower branch, which represents the date of the start of the award. the EK2 has a circumference of 44 centimeters, and is usually hung on a ribbon in the black, white and red colors of the Third Reich. The EK2 has a circumference of 44 cm and is usually suspended from the black, white and red ribbon, the colors of the Third Reich.

The Iron Cross 1st Class

The EK1 was awarded in much smaller numbers than the EK2, and was therefore more highly regarded by those who received it. Unlike the previous version of the EK (i.e. the Type 1914 EK), the Type 1939 EK1 was more standardized in every way, and the Imperial emblem was removed from the medal.

Externally, the EK1 is indistinguishable from the EK2. It also consists of three layers, though the reverse side is a sturdy silver-plated negative and comes with a central bloated pin. The iron core is wrapped between the backing piece and the front iron frame. Generally the pin or cross has the manufacturer's mark engraved on the top of the lower arm. The soldering between the parts is excellent with only imperceptible gaps. The whole medal has a lusterless or semi-lusterless black color. Of course, there were also EK1s that were not made of solid iron, and at first some manufacturers produced convex EK1s, but after May 1941 these practices were officially banned.

Convex EK1

The privately purchased variant we usually see is the "screw-back" type. This type of EK1 is more robust and therefore favored by combatants. The "Screwback" EK1 replaces the pin with a protruding metal hose that runs directly through the uniform. The hose has an original disk that screws into it. There is also a protrusion on the back of the upper arm of the cross to ensure that the medal is worn properly and not tilted to one side.

The Iron Cross was produced in both Japan and Spain. The Japanese-made medals were intended to be given to those German sailors in Tokyo. This type of Iron Cross is very rare. Spain also used the Iron Cross to honor men of the Blue Legion. It is worth noting that Spain did not outlaw the 10,000 after WWII, so this type of Iron Cross was still produced later.

The EK1 is usually kept in a black leather box with engraved silver lettering. The inside of the box is padded in white color and the EK1 fits perfectly inside. Like the EK2, the EK1 also has various official certificates and texts given to the recipient at the same time. Generally speaking, the EK1 is worn on the left breast pocket of the uniform. Recipients prefer to purchase an officially recognized replica to ensure that the original is not damaged. The most popular replica is the "screw-back" EK1 described above.

The first criterion for obtaining the EK1 is that you must get an EK2, on top of which you must have 3-4 acts of valor. For the Army, Air Force, Navy and Waffen SS, the criteria for each are much the same. For U-Boat commanders and Air Force pilots, the former sinking 50,000 tons of ships and the latter completing 6-7 certified skills also earns an EK1. Of course, these are just reference criteria, and an EK1 can be earned for a single major action and a long period of loyal service. during World War II, the total **** was about 300,000 to 575,000 EK1s were awarded.

The EK1 was also available in a 1957 version, and like other EKs, the center ten-thousand was removed and replaced with an oak leaf. EK1 recipients who served in the Bundeswehr after the war preferred to wear the EK1 sash rather than the medal.

EK1s, like EK2s, were generally stored inside a black leather box with the name of the medal inscribed in silver on the lid. The lining of the box is made of white satin with a velvet backing. Also, the lining is vaguely stamped with the medals so that the medals placed inside the box are not damaged.

The EK1 is worn on the left breast pocket of the uniform at all times. Recipients also generally purchased officially recognized replicas to protect the original. Hence the variants described above.

Total*** between 300,000 and 575,000 men were awarded the EK1 throughout World War II.

Knight's Cross (Ritter Kreuz)

In September 1939, Hitler came up with the idea of the Knight's Cross as a way of bridging the huge gap between the First Class Iron Cross and the Grand Iron Cross. Thus, an unprecedented category within the Iron Cross family emerged. The Knight's Cross (hereafter RK) was awarded to all ranks of the Reich's military, and those who received the RK were usually considered the elite and pride of the Reich within the Reich, and they naturally made their way into the upper echelons of the Reich's society. As the war entered its second year, new types of RKs were awarded. Each of them was easily recognizable. All types of RKs had great propaganda power at that time.

Detailed Description

No other medal was as mysterious as the RK during the Third Reich. It is perfectly safe to assume that those who were awarded the RK went through the rigors of war. Due to the mysterious nature of the RK and its superiority over other medals, it became the most desired military medal for military personnel in the Reich at the time. This intense interest in turn greatly increased the value of the RK, and numerous replicas appeared. Some replicas are as old as the originals, and some have been produced in recent years.

Materials, Construction and Finishes

Unlike other Third Reich medals and insignia, the RK has always been made to a very high standard of craftsmanship and quality, with the RK's frame almost exclusively being stamped from "800" silver (note: 800 silver is 800 parts of sterling silver out of 1,000 parts of this metalwork). 800 silver has the luster of sterling silver but has a more muted look. Also, it is harder and more durable than sterling silver. Alloys with more silver content, such as "935" silver, are also often used to make RK originals. The type of silver and the maker's name are stamped on the outer frame prior to assembly, and the core of the RK is mostly stamped from malleable magnetite.RK band rings are generally 800 silver. Of course, there are variations of RKs that use different materials. For example, some RKs are made with "German silver" (i.e., silver-nickel alloy) and non-ferrous cores. In addition, non-silver rings are often encountered. The intention behind the use of different materials varied, but the majority of RKs not made from standardized materials were displayed in museums or by manufacturers, as well as being available for private purchase. In addition, during the latter part of the war, when the supply of high-quality raw materials was limited, there were many RKs that were not made from standard materials.

The structure of the original RKs is the same as that of the early EK2s. What's special, though, is that the outer frames on both the front and back of the RK are pressed from thin silver sheets, which are then trimmed and mounted to the core. The outer half of the frame generally consists of a metal outer edge and a ribbed inner frame. Both the front and back outer frames are made from the same die, so their shape is identical. On the upper arm of the RK there is a ring shaped eyelet, which is also considered to be part of the half outer frame. The kernel of the original is pressed from the corresponding metal and the associated details are different from the outer frame. On the obverse side of the kernel is the word "Wan" rotated at 45 degrees, with "1939" on the lower arm; on the reverse side the word "1813" is on the lower arm.

When we touch the RK, we will immediately marvel at the superb combination of craftsmanship. The two sides of the frame are soldered together with soft lead, and the inner bezel is also soldered together to keep the core stable. As we can imagine, the soldering is done with such care that there are no gaps or excess material between the two sides. The band ring is always made of rigid ~1.5mm metal wire bent into the shape of a crankpin. Its length is usually 18-21cm. the end of the wire is skillfully polished.

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Golden Diamond Oak Leaf Peg Sword Knight's Cross/Honor

On December 29, 1944, Hitler instituted the Knight's Cross/Honor (Goldenem Eichenlaub Schwertern und Brillanten) with Gold Diamond Oak Leaf Peg Sword. Suffice it to say that, in a real sense, this class of medal was the highest ranking military decoration of the Third Reich. The creation of the medal was largely motivated by the exploits of Hans Ulrich Rudel, an outstanding air force officer and "Stuka" ace. As a pilot on the Eastern Front, Rudel made an incredible 2,530 sorties, destroying nearly 500 tanks. He received all the medals he could, but remained highly decorated on the battlefield.On January 1, 1945, he received the Gold Diamond. There is a lot of information about Rudel in both Chinese and foreign sources, so you can get a lot of information with a little effort. If people still want to know more about Rudel, they can turn to his three autobiographies. They are: "Stuka Pilot" (Stuka Pilot) in English, "Mein Kriegstagebuch : Aufzeichnungeneines Stukafliegers" (My Field Diary: Memoirs of a Stuka Pilot) and "Stukafliegers" (My Field Diary: Memoirs of a Stuka Pilot) in German. Stukafliegers) and Mein Leben in Krieg und Frieden (My Life in Wartime and in Peace). There is also Stuka-Pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel: His Life Story in Words in Photographs by Gunther Gast

Golden Diamonds of the Lord's Jewelry Similar in style to the diamond one, it is also made entirely by hand and set with 50 diamonds. But the former contains 8 carats of pure gold. The gold diamonds were made by the Goedert Company in Berlin. Hitler intended to limit the number of recipients to 12, but in the end only Rudel became the lucky winner. And since it was near the end of the war, no official certificates relating to the gold diamond have survived.

The Grand Iron Cross

Before we get to the Grand Iron Cross, it's important to clear up one concept. Generally speaking, the Gold Diamond is the highest level of the Third Reich's medals, which has a very far-reaching practical significance and historical significance. The Grand Iron Cross, as the highest rank in the entire Iron Cross system, is only the highest in the symbolic sense. Therefore, we still consider the Gold Diamond to be the highest level of the Third Reich's medals.

The Great Iron Cross (Grosskreuz des Eidernen Kreuzes) has existed since the day the Type 1939 Iron Cross began to be re-established. Its characteristics are similar to the Knight's Cross. However, it is larger in shape, reaching 63 mm. initially the outer edge of the Grosskreuz was designed to be gold, but this was later slightly altered at the time of award. The Cross is worn around the neck and is attached by a 57mm wide ribbon. The color of the hoon band is the same as that of the Knight's Cross and the Second Degree Iron Cross.

The Grand Iron Cross is not a full-fledged decoration, but is awarded only to commanders above the rank of general, whose strategic decisions have had a significant impact on the course of the war. And in fact only one person has ever received the Grand Iron Cross, and that was Reichsmarschall Hermann G?ring. He was decorated in the Reichstag on July 19, 1940, at which point he was promoted to Reichsmarschall. The medal was also awarded in large part in recognition of the Air Force's success in the Blitzkrieg against France and the Low Countries.

G?ring's large iron cross was destroyed during the Allied bombing of Berlin. But G?ring still has a couple of replicas. One of them has a white gold outer edge, and it was the medal he wore when he surrendered.

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< p>4]--Medal of Honor

It was my intention to comment on this issue a long time ago, but I didn't have much of a chance to do so. This time, I would like to say a few words of personal opinion, and hope that you can correct me.

The medal is a symbol of honor for a soldier. It is a symbol of honor for a soldier. It is a recognition of their achievements and a motivation for them to forge ahead. At the same time a country's medal system is also a symbol of the formalization of the national army. However, I think we have not done enough in this regard. There are mainly the following aspects:

I think our current medals are too simplistic. Currently, it is the first, second and third class merit, and the first and second class heroes medal (I know of only these kinds). It is difficult to objectively reflect the various contributions made by soldiers in wartime and in peaceful environments with such a generalized classification. In my opinion, there should be a special class of medals such as the "Order of War Wounds" and the "Purple Heart" for those who have bled and been wounded in the service of their country. There are other aspects such as: assault (charge), attendance, etc. can be specially set up corresponding medals, this aspect can be learned from many developed military countries (such as World War II, Germany, the United States), in general, is that the types of medals to be refined.

In addition, I think our country's medals, whether it is the name or modeling should have national, that is, to have Chinese characteristics. The name can come from some allusions, and the style should be as Chinese as possible.

The last is to wear, many foreign military developed countries for the medal wear have strict requirements, what occasion to wear, wear in what position are clearly written into the order. And our soldiers do not pay attention to this, what important holidays are rarely wear (unless it is to participate in what recognition of the General Assembly, or what political color is very strong gala). Normally, we don't see anyone wearing it. This can not be said to be our military sense of honor is not enough, can only show that our formalization of the construction there is still a long way to go.

China since we have designed a new uniform, then I long for China can be earlier can have more with the times with the medal. More importantly the related regulation system. This has great significance for the cultivation of our army generals' sense of military honor, sense of responsibility, stimulate the morale of officers and soldiers, and promote the modernization of our army.