The Czechoslovak War Cross 1918 (''Československý válečný kříž 1918'' in
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
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Places
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, ''Československý vojnový kríž 1918'' in
Slovak) is a military decoration of the former state of Czechoslovakia which was issued for acts of military valour during the years of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
.
Description
The medal was first created on November 7, 1918, and issued to Czechoslovak citizens and also, upon application, to citizens of
Germany and
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populou ...
who had served in the Czechoslovak armed forces ( e.g.
Czechoslovak Legions
, image = Coat of arms of the Czechoslovak Legion.svg
, image_size = 200px
, alt =
, caption = Czechoslovak Legion coat of arms
, start_date ...
) during the years of the Great War with distinction and bravery, and also during border conflicts with Poland and Hungary.
The Czechoslovak War Cross was also, on occasion, issued to veterans of the Allied powers who had played a large role in World War I and were considered contributors to the formation of the Czechoslovak state.
John J. Pershing
General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), nicknamed "Black Jack", was a senior United States Army officer. He served most famously as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the We ...
was one such recipient of the Czechoslovak War Cross.
It was also awarded to the capital city of
Serbia,
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 m ...
, on October 8, 1925.
Design
The medal was die-struck and high in detail, with a bronze finish. On the obverse of the cross was the symbols of the lands in circles – the symbol of the
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohe ...
above,
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to th ...
below, Moravia left and
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
to the right. On the reverse the circles featured vermeil linden leaves, with the letters ''"ČS"'' (Československo, meaning Czechoslovakia)
in the middle. The medal was suspended from a white ribbon with red stripes.
See also
*
Czechoslovak War Cross 1939–1945
The Czechoslovak War Cross 1939 (''Československý válečný kříž 1939'' in Czech, ''Československý vojnový kríž 1939'' in Slovak) is a military decoration of the former state of Czechoslovakia which was issued for those who had provid ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Czechoslovak war cross 1918
Military awards and decorations of Czechoslovakia
Awards established in 1918
1918 establishments in Czechoslovakia