The Military Merit Order (''Militärverdienstorden'') was a military order of the

Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg (german: Königreich Württemberg ) was a German state that existed from 1805 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which exist ...

, which joined the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

in 1871. The order was one of the older military orders of the states of the German Empire. It was founded on 11 February 1759 by

Karl Eugen, Duke of Württemberg Karl may refer to: People * Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne * Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer * Karl of Austria, last Austri ...

as the ''Militär-Carls-Orden'', and was renamed the ''Militärverdienstorden'' on 11 November 1806 by King

Friedrich I Frederick I may refer to: * Frederick of Utrecht or Frederick I (815/16–834/38), Bishop of Utrecht. * Frederick I, Duke of Upper Lorraine (942–978) * Frederick I, Duke of Swabia (1050–1105) * Frederick I, Count of Zolle ...

. The order underwent several more revisions over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries. It became obsolete with the fall of the Württemberg monarchy in the wake of Germany's defeat in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Classes

The order came in three classes: * Grand Cross (''Großkreuz'') * Commander's Cross (''Kommandeurkreuz'') and * Knight's Cross (''Ritterkreuz''). Generally, the rank of the recipient determined which grade he would receive. Between 1799 and 1919, there were an estimated 95 awards of the Grand Cross, 214 of the Commander's Cross, and 3,128 of the Knight's Cross, with the bulk of these awards made in World War I; the numbers may only cover native Württembergers.

Description

The ''badge'' of the order was a white-enameled gold

cross pattée A cross pattée, cross patty or cross paty, also known as a cross formy or cross formée (french: croix pattée, german: Tatzenkreuz), is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre, and often flared in a curve or straight ...

with curved arms and slightly

concave Concave or concavity may refer to: Science and technology * Concave lens * Concave mirror Mathematics * Concave function, the negative of a convex function * Concave polygon, a polygon which is not convex * Concave set * The concavity In ca ...

edges. Around the white-enameled center medallion was a blue-enameled gold ring bearing on both sides the motto "Furchtlos und trew" ("Fearless and loyal"). On the obverse, the medallion bore a green-enameled gold laurel wreath. On the reverse, the medallion bore the monogram of the king of Württemberg at the time of award. The cross was the same size for the Grand Cross and the Commander's Cross, and slightly smaller for the Knight's Cross. The Grand Cross and Commander's Cross, and from 1870 the Knight's Cross, were topped with a crown. On 25 September 1914, the crown was removed from all grades. The ''star'' of the order, awarded with the Grand Cross only, was a gold-rimmed silver eight-pointed star featuring the ringed medallion of the obverse of the cross. The ''ribbon'' of the order was, until 1818 and after 1914, yellow with broad black stripes near each edge. After November 1917, when the ribbon was worn without the medal, the ribbon bore a green-enameled wreath to distinguish it from other Württemberg decorations on the same ribbon. The ribbon from 1818 to 1914 was blue.O'Connor, p. 38.

Notable recipients

Grand Crosses

Duke Adam of Württemberg Adam Karl Wilhelm Nikolaus Paul Eugen von Württemberg (16 January 1792 – 26 July 1847) was a Duke of Württemberg and General in Russian and Congress Poland, Polish-Russian service. Württemberg was born in Puławy to Duke Louis of Württe ...

Albert of Saxony en, Frederick Augustus Albert Anthony Ferdinand Joseph Charles Maria Baptist Nepomuk William Xavier George Fidelis , image = Albert of Saxony by Nicola Perscheid c1900.jpg , image_size = , caption = Photograph by Nicola Persch ...

Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg Albrecht, Duke and Crown Prince of Württemberg (Albrecht Maria Alexander Philipp Joseph; 23 December 1865 – 31 October 1939) was the last Württemberger crown prince, a German military commander of the First World War, and the head of the House ...

Prince August of Württemberg , image = August of Wurttemberg.jpg , spouse = Marie Bethge , issue = Helene von Wardenberg , house =House of Württemberg , father =Prince Paul of Württemberg , mother =Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen , ...

Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Fürst von Wahlstatt (; 21 December 1742 – 12 September 1819), ''Graf'' (count), later elevated to ''Fürst'' (sovereign prince) von Wahlstatt, was a Prussian ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (field marshal). He earned ...

Leonhard Graf von Blumenthal Karl Konstantin Albrecht Leonhard Graf von Blumenthal (30 July 1810 – 21 December 1900) was an officer of the Prussian Army and field marshal of the Imperial German Army, chiefly remembered for his decisive intervention at the Battle of Königg ...

Jérôme Bonaparte Jérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte (born Girolamo Buonaparte; 15 November 1784 – 24 June 1860) was the youngest brother of Napoleon I and reigned as Jerome Napoleon I (formally Hieronymus Napoleon in German), King of Westphalia, between 1807 and 1 ...

Julius von Bose The gens Julia (''gēns Iūlia'', ) was one of the most prominent patrician families in ancient Rome. Members of the gens attained the highest dignities of the state in the earliest times of the Republic. The first of the family to obtain the ...

Carl, Duke of Württemberg Carl Maria Peter Ferdinand Philipp Albrecht Joseph Michael Pius Konrad Robert Ulrich Herzog von Württemberg (1 August 1936 – 7 June 2022) was the head of the House of Württemberg from 1975 to 2022. He was succeeded by his grandson Wilhelm. L ...

Prince Charles of Prussia Prince Frederick Charles Alexander of Prussia (german: Friedrich Karl Alexander; 29 June 1801 – 21 January 1883) was a younger son of Frederick William III of Prussia. He served as a Prussian general for much of his adult life and became the fir ...

Archduke Eugen of Austria Archduke Eugen Ferdinand Pius Bernhard Felix Maria of Austria-Teschen (21 May 1863 – 30 December 1954) was an Archduke of Austria-Hungary, Austria and a Prince of Kingdom of Hungary, Hungary and Bohemia. He was the last Grand Master of the Teu ...

Duke Eugen of Württemberg (1758–1822) , house = Württemberg , father = Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg , mother = Margravine Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt , birth_date = , birth_place = Schwedt, Margraviate of Brandenburg , death_date = , ...

Ferdinand I of Bulgaria , image = Zar Ferdinand Bulgarien.jpg , caption = Ferdinand in 1912 , reign = 5 October 1908 – , coronation = , succession = Tsar of Bulgaria , predecessor = Himself as Prince , successor = Boris III , rei ...

Frederic von Franquemont Friedrich von Franquemont (5 March 1770, in Ludwigsburg – 2 January 1842) was a Württemberg Infantry General under Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars and later Württemberg State and Secretary of War. Life Franquemont was the son of an illegit ...

Eduard von Fransecky Eduard Friedrich Karl von Fransecky (16 November 1807 – 22 May 1890) was Prussian general who served in the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War. Biography Fransecky was born in 1807 in Gedern in a military family. In 1818 he ...

Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Frederick Francis II ( German: ''Friedrich Franz II;'' 28 February 1823 – 15 April 1883) was a Prussian officer and Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 7 March 1842 until 15 April 1883. Biography He was born in Schloss Ludwigslust, t ...

Frederick III, German Emperor Frederick III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl; 18 October 1831 – 15 June 1888), or Friedrich III, was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days between March and June 1888, during the Year of the Three Emperors. Known informa ...

Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1828–1885) Prince Friedrich Karl Nikolaus of Prussia (20 March 1828 – 15 June 1885) was the son of Prince Charles of Prussia (1801–1883) and his wife, Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1808–1877). Prince Friedrich Karl was a grandson of King ...

Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia (german: Joachim Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Leopold; 14 November 1865 – 13 September 1931) was a son of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia and Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau, married in 1854. Family ...

Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen (Friedrich Maria Albrecht Wilhelm Karl; 4 June 1856 – 30 December 1936) was a member of the House of Habsburg and the supreme commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I. Early life Fr ...

George, King of Saxony en, Frederick Augustus George Louis William Maximilian Charles Maria Nepomuk Baptist Xavier Cyriacus Romanus , image =George of Saxony by Nicola Perscheid c1900.jpg , caption = Photograph by Nicola Perscheid c. 1900 , reign ...

Paul von Hindenburg Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (; abbreviated ; 2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I and later became President of Germany fro ...

* Archduke John of Austria *

Georg von Kameke Arnold Karl Georg von Kameke (14 April 1817, in Pasewalk – 12 October 1893, in Berlin) was a Prussian General of the Infantry and Minister of War. Life Arnold Karl Georg von Kameke was a son of Prussian army officer Georg Christian Friedric ...

Hugo von Kirchbach Hugo Ewald Graf von Kirchbach (23 May 1809 – 26 October 1887) was a Prussian general who commanded the Prussian V Corps during the Franco-Prussian War. Biography He was born in 1809 at Neumarkt in Silesia, to the Saxon noble family of Ki ...

Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia Konstantin Pavlovich (russian: Константи́н Па́влович; ) was a grand duke of Russia and the second son of Emperor Paul I and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. He was the heir-presumptive for most of his elder brother Alexande ...

Duke Louis of Württemberg Duke Ludwig Friedrich Alexander of Württemberg (; 30 August 1756, in Treptow an der Rega20 September 1817, in Kirchheim unter Teck) was the second son of Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg (1732–1797) and Margravine Sophia Dorothea of Br ...

Ludwig III of Bavaria Ludwig III (Ludwig Luitpold Josef Maria Aloys Alfried; 7 January 1845 – 18 October 1921) was the last King of Bavaria, reigning from 1913 to 1918. Initially he served in the Bavarian military as a lieutenant and went on to hold the rank of Oberl ...

Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel Edwin Karl Rochus Freiherr von Manteuffel (24 February 180917 June 1885) was a Prussian ''Generalfeldmarschall'' noted for his victories in the Franco-Prussian War, and the first Imperial Lieutenant (german: Reichsstatthalter) of Alsace–Lorrai ...

Jean Gabriel Marchand Jean Gabriel Marchand, 1st Count Marchand (10 December 1765 – 12 November 1851) went from being an attorney to a company commander in the army of the First French Republic in 1791. He fought almost exclusively in Italy throughout the French ...

Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia (25 October 1832 – 18 December 1909) was the fourth son and seventh child of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia and Charlotte of Prussia. He was the first owner of the New Michael Palace on the Palace Quay in ...

* Helmuth von Moltke the Elder *

Nicholas I of Russia Nicholas I , group=pron ( – ) was List of Russian rulers, Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland and Grand Duke of Finland. He was the third son of Paul I of Russia, Paul I and younger brother of his predecessor, Alexander I ...

Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia (1831–1891) Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia (russian: Великий князь Николай Николаевич; 8 August 1831 – 25 April 1891) was the third son and sixth child of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia and Alexandra Feodorovna. He may ...

Ivan Paskevich Count Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich-Erevansky, Serene Prince of Warsaw (russian: Ива́н Фёдорович Паске́вич-Эриванский, светлейший князь Варшавский, tr. ; – ) was an Imperial Russian mi ...

Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg Philipp Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg (born ''Georg Philipp Albrecht Carl Maria Joseph Ludwig Hubertus Stanislaus Leopold Herzog von Württemberg''; 14 November 1893 – 17 April 1975) was the son of Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg, and Archduche ...

Joseph Radetzky von Radetz Johann Josef Wenzel Anton Franz Karl, Graf Radetzky von Radetz ( en, John Joseph Wenceslaus Anthony Francis Charles, Count Radetzky of Radetz; cz, Jan Josef Václav Antonín František Karel hrabě Radecký z Radče; sl, Janez Jožef Vencelj ...

Albrecht von Roon Albrecht Theodor Emil Graf von Roon (; 30 April 180323 February 1879) was a Prussian soldier and statesman. As Minister of War from 1859 to 1873, Roon, along with Otto von Bismarck and Helmuth von Moltke, was a dominating figure in Prussia's ...

Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria, Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine by (the) Rhine (''Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand''; English: ''Robert Maria Leopold Ferdinand''; 18 May 1869 – 2 August 1955), was the last hei ...

Alfred von Schlieffen Graf Alfred von Schlieffen, generally called Count Schlieffen (; 28 February 1833 – 4 January 1913) was a German field marshal and strategist who served as chief of the Imperial German General Staff from 1891 to 1906. His name lived on in t ...

Albrecht von Stosch Albrecht von Stosch (20 April 1818 – 29 February 1896) was a German General of the Infantry and admiral who served as first chief of the newly created Imperial German Navy from 1872 to 1883. Life Born in Koblenz, he was a cousin of Hans Stos ...

Wilhelm von Tümpling Wilhelm Ludwig Karl Kurt Friedrich von Tümpling (b. 30 December 1809 - d. 13. February 1884) was a Prussian ''General der Kavallerie''. Tümpling commanded a division in the Austro-Prussian War and VI Army Corps during the Franco-Prussian War. ...

Nikita Volkonsky Prince Nikita Grigorievich Volkonsky (9 July 1781, Moscow, Russian Empire - 6 December 1844, Assisi, Italy) was a Russian general from the Volkonsky family. He took part in the Napoleonic wars and later converted from Orthodoxy to Roman Catholi ...

Alfred von Waldersee Alfred Ludwig Heinrich Karl Graf von Waldersee (8 April 1832 in Potsdam5 March 1904 in Hanover) was a German field marshal (''Generalfeldmarschall'') who became Chief of the Imperial German General Staff. Born into a prominent military family, ...

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister o ...

August von Werder Karl Wilhelm Friedrich August Leopold Graf von Werder (12 September 1808 – 12 September 1887) was a Kingdom of Prussia, Prussian general. Life and career Early life and assignments Werder was born in Schloßberg near Norkitten in the Pr ...

Wilhelm II, German Emperor Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (german: Kaiser) and King of Prussia, reigning from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918. Despite strengthening the German Empir ...

William I of Württemberg William I (german: Friedrich Wilhelm Karl; 27 September 178125 June 1864) was King of Württemberg from 30 October 1816 until his death. Upon William's accession, Württemberg was suffering crop failures and famine in the "Year Without a Summer", ...

William I, German Emperor William I or Wilhelm I (german: Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 2 January 1861 and German Emperor from 18 January 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was th ...

William II of the Netherlands William II ( nl, Willem Frederik George Lodewijk, anglicized as William Frederick George Louis; 6 December 1792 – 17 March 1849) was King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg. William II was the son of William ...

Duke William Frederick Philip of Württemberg Duke William Frederick Philip of Württemberg (27 December 1761, in Stettin – 10 August 1830, in Schloss von Stetten im Remstal) was a prince of the House of Württemberg and a minister for war. Early life William was the fourth son of Frede ...

Duke William of Württemberg Duke William of Württemberg (german: Wilhelm Nikolaus Herzog von Württemberg; 20 July 1828 – 5 November 1896) was an Austrian and Württemberg General. Early life and family Duke William was born at Carlsruhe, Kingdom of Prussia (now P ...

Duke Eugen of Württemberg (1788–1857) Duke Eugen of Württemberg (german: Herzog Friedrich Eugen Carl Paul Ludwig von Württemberg; 8 January 1788 – 16 September 1857) was a German prince and a General of Infantry in the Imperial Russian Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Early life ...

Duke Ferdinand Frederick Augustus of Württemberg Duke Ferdinand Frederick Augustus of Württemberg (22 October 1763 – 20 January 1834) was a Habsburg Austrian general during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Early life He was born into the House of Württemberg as the f ...

Ferdinand von Zeppelin Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin (german: Ferdinand Adolf Heinrich August Graf von Zeppelin; 8 July 1838 – 8 March 1917) was a German general and later inventor of the Zeppelin rigid airships. His name soon became synonymous with airships a ...

* Otto von Marchtaler

Commanders

Duke Alexander of Württemberg (1771–1833) Duke Alexander of Württemberg (Mömpelgard/Montbéliard, then Württemberg (now France); 24 April 1771 – 4 July 1833, in Gotha, Thuringia, Germany)p.448, Mikaberidze was a Duke of Württemberg. The son of Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württe ...

Paul Bronsart von Schellendorff Paul Leopold Eduard Heinrich Anton Bronsart von Schellendorf (25 January 1832 – 23 June 1891) was a Prussian general and writer, who served as Minister of War from 1883 to 1889. Family Bronsart was born in Danzig (present-day Gdańsk, Poland) ...

Max von Fabeck Herrmann Gustav Karl Max von Fabeck (6 May 1854 – 16 December 1916) was a Prussian military officer and a German '' General der Infantarie'' during World War I. He commanded the 13th Corps in the 5th Army and took part in the Race to the Sea on ...

* Friedrich Wilhelm von Bismarck *

Franz von Hipper Franz Ritter von Hipper (13 September 1863 – 25 May 1932) was an admiral in the German Imperial Navy (''Kaiserliche Marine''). Franz von Hipper joined the German Navy in 1881 as an officer cadet. He commanded several torpedo boat units an ...

Julius von Verdy du Vernois Adrian Friedrich Wilhelm Julius Ludwig von Verdy du Vernois (19 July 1832 – 30 September 1910), often given the short name of Verdy, was a German general and staff officer, chiefly noted both for his military writings and his service on ...

Wilhelm Karl, Duke of Urach Prince Wilhelm of Urach, Count of Württemberg, 2nd Duke of Urach (''Wilhelm Karl Florestan Gero Crescentius''; German: '' Fürst Wilhelm von Urach, Graf von Württemberg, 2. Herzog von Urach''; 30 May 1864 – 24 March 1928), was a German prince ...

Knights

Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Poland and Gra ...

Gottlob Berger Gottlob Christian Berger (16 July 1896 – 5 January 1975) was a senior German Nazi official who held the rank of '' SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS'' (lieutenant general) and was the chief of the SS Main Office responsibl ...

Oswald Boelcke Oswald Boelcke PlM (; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a World War I German professional soldier and pioneering flying ace credited with 40 aerial victories. Boelcke is honored as the father of the German fighter air force, and of air ...

Walter Braemer Walter Braemer (7 January 1883 13 June 1955) was a general in the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht and a high-ranking SS commander during the Nazi era. He was a Nazi criminal responsible for mass murders of the civilian population of Bromberg/Byd ...

* Wladyslaw Grzegorz Branicki * Nikolaus zu Dohna-Schlodien *

Ernst I, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg , house =Hohenlohe-Langenburg , father =Charles Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg , mother =Countess Amalie Henriette of Solms-Baruth , birth_date = , birth_place =Langenburg, Hohenlohe-Langenburg , death_date = ...

* Friedrich Ehmann *

Gottfried Ehmann ''Vizefeldwebel'' Gottfried Ehmann was a German World War I flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories. Franks et al 1993, p. 103The Aerodrome website's page on Ehmann http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/ehmann2.php Retrieved on 13 April ...

* Otto Esswein *

Wilhelm Groener Karl Eduard Wilhelm Groener (; 22 November 1867 – 3 May 1939) was a German general and politician. His organisational and logistical abilities resulted in a successful military career before and during World War I. After a confrontation wi ...

* Philip, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg *

Erich Ludendorff Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff (9 April 1865 – 20 December 1937) was a German general, politician and military theorist. He achieved fame during World War I for his central role in the German victories at Liège and Tannenberg in 1914. ...

Max Ritter von Müller Max Ritter von Müller (birth name Max Müller) (1 January 1887 – 9 January 1918) PlM, IC, MOMJ was a German World War I fighter ace credited with 36 victories. He was the highest scoring Bavarian pilot of the war. A prewar pilot, Müller b ...

Karl August Nerger Karl August Nerger (25 February 1875 – 12 January 1947) was a naval officer of the Imperial German Navy in World War I, who achieved fame and recognition during the war for his command of the auxiliary cruiser '' SMS Wolf''. Nerger was born ...

Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich of Russia Grand Duke Nicholas Constantinovich of Russia (14 February 1850 – 26 January 1918) was the first-born son of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich and Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia and a grandson of Nicholas I of Russia. Early life ...

Prince Paul of Württemberg Prince Paul of Württemberg (Paul Heinrich Karl Friedrich August; 19 January 1785 – 16 April 1852) was the fourth child and second son of King Frederick I and his wife, Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Early life Paul was born in St ...

Manfred von Richthofen Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of ...

Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...

Reinhard Scheer Carl Friedrich Heinrich Reinhard Scheer (30 September 1863 – 26 November 1928) was an Admiral in the Imperial German Navy (''Kaiserliche Marine''). Scheer joined the navy in 1879 as an officer cadet and progressed through the ranks, commandin ...

Hugo Sperrle Wilhelm Hugo Sperrle (7 February 1885 – 2 April 1953), also known as Hugo Sperrle, was a German military aviator in World War I and a Generalfeldmarschall in the Luftwaffe during World War II. Sperrle joined the Imperial German Army in 1903. ...

Jona von Ustinov Jona Freiherr von Ustinov (russian: Иона Платонович Устинов, Iona Platonovich Ustinov; 2 December 18921 December 1962), often known as Klop Ustinov (), was a German journalist and diplomat who worked for MI5 during the ti ...

Otto Weddigen Otto Eduard Weddigen (15 September 1882 – 18 March 1915) was an Imperial German Navy U-boat commander during World War I. He was awarded the Pour le Mérite, Germany's highest honour, for sinking four British warships. Biography and car ...

William II of Württemberg , spouse = , issue = Pauline, Princess of WiedPrince Ulrich , house = Württemberg , father = Prince Frederick of Württemberg , mother = Princess Catherine of Württemberg , birth_date = , birth_place = Stu ...

Franz Graf von Wimpffen Franz Emil Lorenz Heeremann Graf von Wimpffen (2 April 1797 – 26 November 1870) was an Austrian General and Admiral who served as Administrative Head of the Austro-Hungarian Navy from 1851 to 1854. Military career Franz von Wimpffen was born i ...

Duke Eugen of Württemberg (1846–1877) , house =Württemberg , father = Duke Eugen of Württemberg , mother =Princess Mathilde of Schaumburg-Lippe , birth_date = , birth_place = Bückeburg, Schaumburg-Lippe , death_date = , death_place =Düsseldorf, Kingdom of ...

References

* Königlich Statistischer Landesamt,''Hof und Staatshandbuch des Königreichs Württemberg'', 1908. * Neal O'Connor, ''Aviation Awards of Imperial Germany in World War I and the Men Who Earned Them: Volume IV - The Aviation Awards of the Kingdom of Württemberg'', Flying Machines Press 1995 * Dr. Kurt-Gerhard Klietmann, ''Pour le Mérite und Tapferkeitsmedaille'', 1966. * Website on th
Decorations of the Kingdom of Württemberg

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Military Merit Order (Wurttemberg) Orders, decorations, and medals of Württemberg Military awards and decorations of Imperial Germany 1759 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1919 disestablishments in Germany Awards established in 1759 Awards disestablished in 1919