The '' 1914–1918'' () was a French

military decoration Military awards and decorations are distinctions given as a mark of honor for military heroism, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement. A decoration is often a medal consisting of a ribbon and a medallion. Civil decorations award ...

, the first version of the . It was created to recognize French and allied soldiers who were cited for valorous service during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, similar to the British '' mentioned in dispatches'' but with multiple degrees equivalent to other nations' decorations for courage. Soon after the outbreak of

, French military officials felt that a new military award had to be created. At that time, the ''Citation du jour'' ("Daily Citation") already existed to acknowledge soldiers, but it was just a sheet of paper. Only the Médaille Militaire and

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

were bestowed for courage in the field, due to the numbers now involved, a new decoration was required in earnest. At the end of 1914, General Boëlle, Commandant in Chief of the French 4th Army Corps, tried to convince the French administration to create a formal military award. Maurice Barrès, the noted writer and parliamentarian for Paris, gave Boëlle support in his efforts. On 23 December 1914, the French parliamentarian Georges Bonnefous proposed a legislative bill to create the ''Croix de la Valeur Militaire'' ("Cross of Military Valour") signed by 66 other parliamentarians. Émile Driant, a parliamentarian who served in the war zone during much of this time, became its natural spokesman when he returned to the legislature. On 18 January 1915, Driant submitted this bill but the name of the military award was renamed to ("War Cross"). After parliamentary discussions, the bill was adopted on 2 April 1915. World War I began in 1914 and ended in 1918, so the final name adopted is " 1914–1918".

Award statute

Every awarded carries at least one citation for gallantry or courage to a member of any rank of the French military or of an allied army. Ribbon devices indicate the importance or degree of the soldier's role during the action cited. The lowest degree is represented by a

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

star and the highest degree is represented by a bronze palm. The cross is only awarded once and subsequent actions worthy of citations will be limited to additional ribbon devices on the originally received insignia. The number of ribbon devices on a is not limited, some awards, especially to ace fighter pilots, had extremely long ribbons with dozens of stars and palms. The 1914-1918 was attributed to: *French and allied soldiers individually cited for a wartime act of gallantry; *Civilians and militarized personnel individually cited for a wartime act of gallantry; *Automatically to soldiers and civilians not specifically cited for a but awarded the Légion d'honneur or Médaille militaire for the highest acts of wartime valour and gazetted in the Official Journal of the French Republic; *Collectively, to army units, ships or air squadrons; *To cities and villages, martyrs of war, destroyed, ravaged or bombed by the enemy (2952 towns received the 1914–1918, in this case, always awarded with palm). Soldiers who were/are members of units recognized by a collective unit award of the may wear the Fourragère of the 1914-1918 as long as they remain members of that unit. Soldiers who actively took part as members of units during repeated feats of arms recognized by more than one collective award of the may continue to wear the fourragère even after leaving the meritorious unit. Battle streamers in the colours of the 1914-1918 are affixed to the colours of recipient units.

Award description

The cross was designed by the sculptor Paul-Albert Bartholomé. It is 37 mm wide, Florentine bronze

cross pattée A cross pattée or cross patty (, ), also known as a cross formée or cross formy, or even a Templar cross, is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre and often flared in a curve or straight line shape to be broader at th ...

, with two crossed swords pointing up between the arms. The obverse centre medallion bears the relief image of the

French Republic France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in the form of the bust of a young woman wearing a

Phrygian cap The Phrygian cap ( ), also known as Thracian cap and liberty cap, is a soft Pointed hat, conical Hat, cap with the apex bent over, associated in Classical antiquity, antiquity with several peoples in Eastern Europe, Anatolia, and Asia. The Phry ...

surrounded by the circular relief inscription ''RÉPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE'' (FRENCH REPUBLIC). Not knowing how long the war would last, the reverse centre medallion bears the dates 1914–1915, 1914–1916, 1914–1917 and finally 1914–1918. The cross is suspended by a ring through a suspension loop cast atop the upper cross arm. It hangs from a 37 mm wide green silk moiré ribbon with seven narrow 1,5 mm wide vertical red stripes evenly spaced and two 1 mm red edge stripes. Croix de Guerre 1914 revers X 4

The lowest degree is represented by a bronze star and the highest degree is represented by a silver palm. The cross was worn with the appropriate attachments to signify the singular or multiple awards of the decoration. * Bronze star (étoile de bronze): for those who were mentioned at the

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

level.. * Silver star (étoile d'argent): for those who were cited at the division level. * Silver gilt star (étoile vermeil): for those who were cited at the

corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...

level. * Bronze palm (palme de bronze): for those who were cited at the army level. * Silver palm (palme d'argent): could be worn in lieu of five bronze palms.

Award Ribbons

File:Croix de Guerre étoile de bronze rubon.svg,
File:Croix de Guerre étoile d'argent ruban.svg,
File:Croix de Guerre étoile d'or ruban.svg,
File:Croix de Guerre palme de bronze ruban.svg,
File:Croix de Guerre palme d'argent ruban.svg,

Notable French recipients (partial list)

*General

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...

(1 citation) *Fighter ace lieutenant Charles Nungesser (30 citations) *Fighter ace captain Georges Guynemer (26 citations) *General Edgard de Larminat (4 citations) *General Joseph de Goislard de Monsabert (7 citations) *Colonel

Théophile Marie Brébant Théophile Marie Brébant (24 May 1889 – 20 February 1965) was a French Army officer during World War I and World War II. He ended his career in 1946 with the rank of colonel. Career Brébant served from 23 July 1908 to 14 June 1946 in the Fre ...

(4 citations) *General Jean Vallette d'Osia (6 citations) *General Raoul Salan (1 citation) *Fighter ace colonel

René Fonck Colonel René Paul Fonck (27 March 1894 – 18 June 1953) was a French aviator who ended the First World War as the top Triple Entente, Entente fighter Flying ace, ace and, when all succeeding aerial conflicts of the 20th and 21st centurie ...

(29 citations) *General Marie-Pierre Kœnig (2 citations) *General Raoul Magrin-Vernerey (11 citations) *Fighter ace lieutenant-colonel Charles Nuville (10 citations) *Fighter ace captain Georges Madon (10 citations) *Marshal

Joseph Joffre Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre , (; 12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931) was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 19 ...

(1 citation) *General Robert Nivelle (3 citations) *Private Albert Severin Roche (12 citations)

Notable foreign recipients (partial list)

*Brigadier General John William Barker *Fighter ace Air Marshal William Avery "Billy" Bishop *Field Marshal Petar Bojović *Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton *Lieutenant

Stanley Bruce Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne (15 April 1883 – 25 August 1967) was an Australian politician, statesman and businessman who served as the eighth prime minister of Australia from 1923 to 1929. He held office as ...

*Major General Charles Budworth *Corporal Eugene Bullard,

French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...

*Fighter ace Captain Vernon Castle *Carrier Pigeon Cher Ami, Lost Battalion (World War I) *Fighter ace Air Vice Marshal Raymond Collishaw *General Sir Arthur William Currie *Fighter ace Major Roderic Dallas *Private Herman Davis *Brigadier General Edward Terence Donnelly *Brigadier General Lucius Loyd Durfee *Field Marshal John French, 1st Earl of Ypres *Director General Stephen Galatti, American Field Service *Lieutenant William F. Howe *Brigadier General Evan M. Johnson *Sergeant Henry Johnson *Sergeant George Lawson Keene *Fighter ace Captain Robert A. Little *General

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...

*Lieutenant , Royal Italian Army *General George C. Marshall *Fighter ace Major

James McCudden James Thomas Byford McCudden, (28 March 1895 – 9 July 1918) was an English flying ace of the First World War and among the most highly decorated airmen in Military history of the United Kingdom, British military history. Born in 1895 to a midd ...

*Corporal Harry Miner *Field Marshal Živojin Mišić *Lieutenant Colonel "Mad" Harry Murray *Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Rodney Park *General George S. Patton *Sergeant John Ranner 282nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery *Captain Eddie Rickenbacker *Private Needham Roberts *Lieutenant Quentin Roosevelt *Lieutenant Colonel Clarence O. Sherrill *General Phraya Thephatsadin *General Sir Archibald Paris *Philanthropist Julia Hunt Catlin Park DePew Taufflieb *Lieutenant Stephen W. Thompson, Lafayette Escadrille *Sergeant First Class Wilson H Williams (Red) 227th Aero Squadron Toul Sector *Sergeant

Alvin C. York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known by his rank as Sergeant York, was an American soldier who was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor fo ...

*Sergeant Milunka Savić

French recipient units (partial list)

* 1st Infantry Regiment * 54th Infantry Regiment * 126th Infantry Regiment * 2nd Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa * 1st Cuirassier Regiment * 12th Cuirassier Regiment * 6th Dragoon Regiment * 9th Hussar Regiment * 1st Artillery Regiment * 2nd Dragoon Regiment * 1st Moroccan Division * French battleship Bouvet * French battleship Gaulois * French submarine Bernouilli * Lafayette Escadrille

Allied recipient units (partial list)

Portuguese Expeditionary Corps The Portuguese Expeditionary Corps (CEP, Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Corpo Expedicionário Português'') was the main expeditionary force from Portugal that fought in the Western Front (World War I), Western Front, during World War I. Port ...

15th Infantry Battalion * Russian Expeditionary Force Russian Legion Battalion * The Black Watch *

Devonshire Regiment The Devonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that served under various titles and served in many wars and conflicts from 1685 to 1958, such as the Second Boer War, the World War I, First World War and the World War II, ...

Boraston and Bax p.277 *5th Battery R.F.A. *2nd Motorized

Field Ambulance A field ambulance (FA) is the name used by the British Army and the armies of other Commonwealth nations to describe a mobile medical unit that treats wounded soldiers very close to the combat zone. In the British military medical system that deve ...

*24th

* 5th Field Artillery Regiment * 2nd Infantry Division ** 15th Field Artillery Regiment * 3rd Infantry Division * 4th Infantry Division * 16th Infantry Division * 26th Infantry Division * 32nd Infantry Division :* 119th Field Artillery Regiment * 93rd Infantry Division * 39th Infantry Regiment * 39th Infantry Division * 104th Infantry Regiment * 369th Infantry Regiment * 370th Infantry Regiment * 5th Marine Regiment * 6th Marine Regiment

Recipient cities (partial list)

Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Dinant Dinant () is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Namur Province, province of Namur, Belgium. On the shores of river Meuse, in the Ardennes, it lies south-east of Brussels, south ...

* Montdidier *

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...

Épernay Épernay () is a Communes of France, commune in the Marne (department), Marne Departments of France, department of northern France, 130 km north-east of Paris on the mainline railway to Strasbourg. The town sits on the left bank of the Marne ...

Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...

* Nancy *

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...

References

External links

France Phaléristique

Museum of the Legion of Honour
{{DEFAULTSORT:Croix de guerre 1914-1918 (France) 1915 establishments in France Awards established in 1915 Courage awards Military awards and decorations of France Military awards and decorations of World War I Military history of France during World War I Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)