The Military decoration is a French decoration , instituted the January 22nd 1852 by Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte to reward the soldiers or comparable, not-officers.

Presentation

Medal of the brave men , or jewel of the nation , such is the terms employed to describe it…

One of the most prestigious decorations in the world, but also of most original since it rewards at the same time the soldiers, graded and warrant officers and, in exceptional circumstances, the generals having ordered as a chief in front of the enemy.

The military decoration was, since its creation, the reward of innumerable sacrifices and of the campaigns of the Second Empire at our days it joined together under its currency: “Value and Discipline”, the most anonymous soldiers with the heroes most popular such Guynemer or Jean Moulin. It counts among its member elects the largest French military chiefs (marshals Joffre, Foch, Leclerc, June, etc) and allied (the Pershing generals, Montgomery…) ; on a purely very exceptional basis some civilians as President Roosevelt (on a purely posthumous basis) and Sir Winston Churchill.

History

By a coup d'etat, in the night of 1st in December 2nd, 1851, Louis-Napoleon, President of IIe Republic, the way with a restoration of the Empire opens: the National Assembly and the Council of State are dissolved, the vote for all is restored and a plebiscite is announced. On December 21st and 22nd, the country gives its support for the Prince-President. January 14th, 1852, it promulgates a new constitution, giving him the whole of the capacities for one ten years duration. Eight days after, per decree dated January 22nd, it institutes the Military decoration. It is to say the importance which it gives to this decoration. It is its own effigy with its first name “Louis-Napoleon” which it uses on the avers medal that it created and described in a decree of February 29th. It moreover is surmounted imperial eagle, holding two flashes of the lightning in its greenhouses. The advertisement of the return of the Empire of Bonaparte is obvious. This decoration came in substitution from the Ordre from the Crown from iron from Italy, instituted by his/her uncle Napoléon Ier. The Military decoration begins again, in accordance with the French tradition, the colors of the ribbon and dominant the money of the decoration which it replaces.

By creating the Military decoration, Prince President Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte intended to reward the merits for the best soldiers and warrant officers.
Le March 22nd, 1852, vis-a-vis the carousel of Louvre, it is addressed to the first 48 member elects thus: “Soldiers, how much time I regretted seeing soldiers and warrant officers to return in their hearths without reward, though by the duration of their services, wounds, actions worthy of praises, they had deserved a testimony of satisfaction of the fatherland! ” “is for theirs to grant that I instituted this medal (...). It will ensure 100 francs of life annuity; it is little, certainly; but what is much, it is the ribbon which you will carry on the chest and which will say to your comrades, your families, your fellow-citizens that which it door is a brave man (...)”

It is managed by the chancellery of the Légion of honor. It can be conceded only for exceptional military services and minimum a eight years of countryside. The attribution of the M.M. comprised with its creation, an imperceptible annual rent of one hundred gold franc, which ensured the member elect the bread and the tobacco with life. This revenue is into 2006 of an annual amount of 4,57€.

Characteristic and administration

The medal is a laurel wreath of money which surrounds a medallion of gold where figure the effigy of the Republic, surrounded by a blue enamel circle where the words are registered: French Republic . To the reverse, the medal carries in the center of the gold medallion, surrounded by a blue circle, the currency: Value and Discipline . The sheets and buttons of bay-tree are dependant of two ribbons intersected in top and bottom. Its port and its regulatory provision, immediately place it after the Croix of the Release (in third position compared to the Legion of honor). There remains permissible to carry it before any other order or distinctions. The badge is suspended with a yellow ribbon bordered of green on the two sides.

A medal deprived of rank

The marshal Canrobert decorating a senior corporal illustrates it sobrement, when he says to him: “And now you are as much as me, we are equal”. Deprived of ranks, it is the only honorary demonstration which puts on an equal footing those to which it is allotted, of humblest with most prestigious .

Palate of Salm

The palate of Salm to Paris shelters the large chancellery of the Legion of honor, which manages highest national decorations: the Legion of honor (since 1802); the Military decoration (since 1852); the national order of the Merit (since 1963). The Palate of Salm having been burnt under the Commune in 1871, much of files was destroyed. It was rebuilt thanks to a subscription launched among the military legionaries and medal-holders.

Houses of education of the Legion of honor

Since 2005 (Decree nº 2005-301 of 3/31/2005 Article 1 - OJ of the 4/1/2005), the houses of education of the Legion of honor can also accommodate in their center the girls, grand-daughters and military back-small-girls of medal-holders

The fodder one of the Military decoration

It is about a cord braided with the color (yellow and green) of the Military decoration. The port of this fodder is not the privilege of the regiments and units decorated with the Military decoration. It is reserved for the regiments and units forming bodies which were quoted 4 or 5 times at the order of the Army. The port of two fodder of the Legion of Honor and the Military decoration is reserved for the regiments and unit which were quoted 12 to 14 times at the order of the Army…

Camerone

1863: Mexico, Camerone

A company of the Foreign legion of sixty men resisted nearly one day three thousand Mexicans, put some nearly five hundreds out of combat, allowing a convoy of gold and ammunition to reach without encumbers its destination. Only three combatants survived who were the first military medal-holders of the countryside of Mexico. Each year, the birthday of this feat of arms is celebrated with a particular ostentation in all the units of the Foreign legion.

Decorated women

The first two women to have obtained the military decoration, the June 17th 1859, were: Mrs Rossini, born Beard Jeanne Marie, cantinière with the Zouave S of the Guard and Mrs Trimoreau, born Dagobert Madeleine, cantinière with the 2 {{E}} Zouaves.

Decorated units

Army

. List units whose flag or standard was decorated with the Military decoration: By the decree of February 24th, 1918:
  • battalions of hunters to foot.
July 15th, 1918
  • the 146e regiment of infantry of fortress.
August 20th, 1918 September 3rd, 1918 September 10th, 1918 September 11th, 1918 October 15th, 1918 November 4th, 1918 November 17th, 1918 November 13rd, 1918 November 23rd, 1918 November 27th, 1918 November 29th, 1918 December 10th, 1918 December 19th, 1918 March 21st, 1919 January 3rd, 1919 February 9th, 1919
  • the 251 regiment of infantry of line
February 17th, 1919 By the decree of July 5th, 1919:
  • the 3rd regiment of walk of zouaves, to which the current heir is the 3rd regiment of zouaves;
  • the 2nd regiment of walk of riflemen, to which the current heir is the 2nd regiment of Algerian riflemen;
  • the regiment of colonial infantry of Morocco, (R.I.C.M.) to which the current heir is the Régiment of infantry-tanks of navy.
  • the 19th regiment of infantry of line.
  • the 151e regiment of infantry of line.
By the decree of August 26th, 1919:
  • the 1st regiment of walk of the Foreign legion, (R.M.L.E.) to which the current heir is the 3rd regiment foreign of infantry (R.E.I. ).
By the decree of December 25th, 1919: July 1st, 1950 By the decree of December 14th, 1983:
  • in exceptional circumstances, with the 3rd company of the 1st regiment of hunters parachutists whose 58 soldiers perished in the attack with the explosive perpetrated in Beirut on October 23rd, 1983.

school of the warrant officers

  • At the time of the 150e birthday of the Military decoration, by decree of January 25th, 2002 at four schools of warrant officers, in recognition of the sacrifices that they (warrant officers) agreed:
  • the School of Gendarmerie of Chaumont;
  • the National school of the warrant officers of active of Saint-Maixent-the School;
  • the Naval Center of Instruction (C.I.N. ) of Saint-Mandrier;
  • the School of Training of the Warrant officers of the Air force of Rochefort.

Member elects in exceptional circumstances

General officers

It can also be in exceptional circumstances conceded with the Marshals of France and with the generals, grand' cross of the Légion of honor, who exerted in time of war a command as a chief in front of the enemy or rendered services exceptional to National defense. On the photographs of the marshals of the Great War: Joffre, Foch, Lyautey, Pétain…, raises only the only Military decoration.

Foreign member elects

Some famous foreigners were also decorated on a purely very exceptional basis, among which one can quote:

  • Albert Ier, king of the Belgians (August 9th 1914)

  • the field Marshall Sir John French, count d' Ypres, commander-in-chief of the British troops (February 9th 1915)
  • the general off the Armies John Pershing, commander-in-chief of the American army (September 15th 1920)
  • the admiral off the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunnigham, Viscount Cunningham off Hyndhop, first Lord of the sea (February 12th 1946)
  • Sir Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister (May 8th 1947)
  • the general off the Army Dwight Eisenhower, higher commander of the allied forces in Europe (May 19th 1952)
  • the emperor of Ethiopia Haïlé Sélassié Ier (October 28th, 1954)
  • the field Marshall Bernard Montgomery, Viscount Montgomery off Alamein (September 9th 1958).

See too

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