The Victory Medal is the Belgian variant of the
Inter-Allied Victory Medal 1914–1918 (french: "Médaille de la Victoire 1914–1918, nl, "Zegemedaille 1914–1918") was a
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
commemorative war
medal
A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...
established by
royal decree
A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...
on 15 July 1919 and awarded to all members of the
Belgian Armed Forces
The Belgian Defense Forces ( nl, Defensie; french: La Défense) is the national military of Belgium. The King of the Belgians is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The Belgian Armed Forces was established after Belgium became indepen ...
who served during the
First World War
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 ...
.
Later
royal decree
A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...
s enlarged the list of potential recipients to include service in African campaigns and under special circumstances, to members of the merchant navy and fishing fleet. In all, 350,000 were awarded.
[
The Belgian sculptor ]Paul Du Bois
Paul Du Bois (; 1859–1938) was a Belgian sculptor and medalist, born in Aywaille, and died in Uccle, a municipality of Brussels (Belgium).
Du Bois was a student of Eugène Simonis and Charles van der Stappen. He studied from 1877 to 1883 ...
was responsible for the design.
Award description
The Belgian Inter-Allied Victory Medal 1914–1918 was a 36 mm in diameter circular gilt bronze medal. Its obverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''o ...
bore a winged victory
The ''Winged Victory of Samothrace'', or the ''Nike of Samothrace'', is a votive monument originally found on the island of Samothrace, north of the Aegean Sea. It is a masterpiece of Greek sculpture from the Hellenistic era, dating from the beg ...
standing on a globe, her arms and wings spread out, looking down at Earth. The reverse bore, superimposed over a laurel wreath, the coats of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its wh ...
of the Allies
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
, starting at center top and going clockwise, French Third Republic
The French Third Republic (french: Troisième République, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940 ...
, United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, Empire of Japan
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent fo ...
, Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece ( grc, label=Greek, Βασίλειον τῆς Ἑλλάδος ) was established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally recognised by the Treaty of Constantinople, where ...
, Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
, Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...
, United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, and at center, the Royal Coat of Arms of Belgium. Along the outer circumference, the relief bilingual inscription in French and Dutch "THE GREAT WAR FOR CIVILISATION" (french: LA GRANDE GUERRE POUR LA CIVILISATION", nl, "DE GROOTE OORLOG TOT DE BESCHAVING").
Notable recipients (partial list)
The individuals listed below were awarded the Belgian Inter-Allied Victory Medal:Antonin de Selliers de Moranville
Antonin Leonard Maurice Ghislain, Knight de Selliers de Moranville (Saint-Josse-ten-Noode 1852 – Ixelles 1945) was a Belgian General.
Family
He was born into an old catholic noble family; his father was Léonard de Selliers de Moranville, kn ...
*Lieutenant General Baron Louis de Ryckel
*Lieutenant General Baron Émile Dossin de Saint-Georges
*Lieutenant General Baron Honoré Drubbel
* Lieutenant General Count Gérard-Mathieu Leman
*Lieutenant General Victor Bertrand
* Lieutenant General Baron Jules Jacques de Dixmude
*Lieutenant General Georges Guiette
* Lieutenant General Albert Lantonnois van Rode
* Lieutenant General Baron Armand de Ceuninck
*Lieutenant General Aloïs Biebuyck
*Cavalry Lieutenant General Baron Léon de Witte de Haelen
Baron Léon Alphonse Ernest Bruno de Witte de Haelen, born Léon de Witte (12 January 1857 – 15 July 1933) was a Belgian army officer and general who served during World War I. He is particularly known for commanding the Belgian Cavalry Divisi ...
*Cavalry Lieutenant General Vicount Victor Buffin de Chosal
*Cavalry Lieutenant General Jules De Blauwe
* Major General Doctor Antoine Depage
* Major General Baron Edouard Empain
Plk. gst. Jaroslav Hajicek (Czechoslovakia)
See also
* Orders, decorations, and medals of Belgium Belgium has established numerous orders of knighthood, decorations and medals since its creation in 1830. Below is a list of the main awards.
Orders
Order of Leopold
Order of the Crown
Order of Leopold II
Order of the African Star
Royal Or ...
References
Other sources
* Quinot H., 1950, ''Recueil illustré des décorations belges et congolaises, 4e Edition.'' (Hasselt)
* Cornet R., 1982, ''Recueil des dispositions légales et réglementaires régissant les ordres nationaux belges. 2e Ed. N.pl''., (Brussels)
* Borné A.C., 1985, ''Distinctions honorifiques de la Belgique, 1830-1985'' (Brussels)
External links
Bibliothèque royale de Belgique
(In French)
(In French)
(In French and Dutch)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inter-Allied Victory Medal 1914-1918 (Belgium)
Armed Resistance 1940-1945, Medal of the
Military awards and decorations of Belgium
Awards established in 1919
Interallied Victory Medals of World War I
1919 establishments in Belgium