The ''Ordre du Mérite militaire'' (Order of Military Merit) was a ministerial

order of merit The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by K ...

of France created on 22 March 1957 to recognize the contributions of active members of the military reserves during times of peace. The order was administered and awarded the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

. The order was created to replace the ''Croix des services militaires volontaires'' established in 1934. Holders of the Cross were made members of the Ordre du Mérite militaire, bronze holders as knights, silver holders as officers, and gold holders as commanders. The Order was deprecated by decree on 3 December 1963, and superseded by the Ordre national du Mérite. Extant members may continue to display their decorations.

Classes

The Order has three classes: *''Commandeur'' (Commander) *''Officier'' (Officer) *''Chevalier'' (Knight)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ordre du Mérite militaire Mérite militaire Mérite militaire Awards established in 1957 1957 establishments in France 1963 disestablishments in France Orders of merit Awards disestablished in 1963