The Military Virtue Medal ( ro, Medalia "Virtutea Militară") is a
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
n military decoration, instituted on April 8, 1872, by
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
Carol I. A previous version, called ''Pro Virtute Militari'', was established by
Alexandru Ioan Cuza
Alexandru Ioan Cuza (, or Alexandru Ioan I, also anglicised as Alexander John Cuza; 20 March 1820 – 15 May 1873) was the first ''domnitor'' (Ruler) of the Romanian Principalities through his double election as prince of Moldavia on 5 Janua ...
in 1860 for the veterans of the
Dealul Spirii battle (1848) between the revolutionaries and the
Ottomans, but it was issued to the recipients later, in 1866, due to political reasons (Romania was still under Ottoman
suzerainty).
The medal had 2 classes, the 1st class (in gold) being awarded to the officers, and the 2nd class (in silver) to non-commissioned officers and the other enlisted ranks. After the
Order of Michael the Brave was instituted (1916), the Military Virtue Medal was issued only to the NCO's and soldiers.
Data
*Requirements: Awarded to NCOs and other enlisted ranks for exceptional deeds on the battlefield
*Classes: 2nd and 1st
*Date Instituted: April 1872
War Medal of Military Virtue
In 1880
Carol I of Romania
Carol I or Charles I of Romania (20 April 1839 – ), born Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, was the monarch of Romania from 1866 to his death in 1914, ruling as Prince (''Domnitor'') from 1866 to 1881, and as King from 1881 to 1914. He w ...
, the first ruler of the
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
( en, Nothing without God)
, national_anthem =
, common_languages = German
, religion = Roman Catholic
, currency =
, title_leader = Prince
, leader1 ...
dynasty, instituted a new ''Medal of Military Virtue''. This one was given for bravery only during wartime. Soldiers who had earned the medal during wartime were able to trade in their old medal for a new wartime version, the ''War Medal of Military Virtue'' (''Medalia Virtutea Militara de Razboi'').
See also
*
List of military decorations
*
National Decorations System (Romania)
*
Military decoration
External links
*
Military Virtue Medal at worldwar2.ro*
{{Romanian National Decorations System
Military awards and decorations of Romania