What Is the History of the Iron Cross?

The Iron Cross is a German military honor originally created in 1813 for the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars. The cross was awarded for distinguished service in the German armed forces. The medal took on a number of different designs over the years, but the basic form remained the same since it was originally awarded.

Origins of the Iron Cross

Architect Karl Schinkel designed the first Iron Cross in the form of a square, four-pointed cross, with each arms of the cross gradually widening at the tip. The cross borne on the shields and armor of the medieval Teutonic Knights inspired the design of the modern Iron Cross medal.

History of the Iron Cross

Traditionally the Iron Cross was fastened to a black-and-white ribbon, reflecting the national colors of Prussia, and worn around the neck (with the exception of the Iron Cross first class, worn on the front of the dress uniform). The first Iron Cross initially bore the initials "FW," for King Friedrich Wilhelm II, the Prussian leader during the Napoleonic War.
In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War, another Iron Cross was issued with the single initial W, standing for Kaiser Wilhelm I, who was then king of Prussia and later the first emperor of a unified German Empire. The "W" on the Iron Cross lasted through World War I and the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II, which ended with the defeat of Germany in 1918.

Grades of the Iron Cross

The German army awarded three grades of the Iron Cross: Second Class, First Class, and the highest grade, the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (or simply "Grand Cross"). Another version, the Star of the Grand Cross, was for exceptional service to the nation and awarded to only two individuals in German history: Marshal Gebhard von Blücher in 1813 (the victor at the Battle of Waterloo), and Marshal Paul von Hindenburg in 1918

World War II

The Iron Cross was awarded to enlisted men as well as officers, without regard to rank. The most famous Iron Cross recipient, Adolf Hitler, won the Iron Cross second and first class for his service as an infantry soldier on the western European front during World War I. During World War II, Germany created the Knight's Cross medal for bravery on the battlefield, and organized five grades for the honor. Nazi Germany added the swastika to the medal as well as a red band to the ribbon to reflect the three national colors of the Third Reich (black, white, and red). The War Merit Cross was awarded to non-combatants.

The Modern Iron Cross

The Iron Cross was discontinued after the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, and a German law currently bans the display of any Nazi paraphernalia or symbols, including the swastika. In 1957, the government of West Germany allowed World War II veterans to wear an updated Iron Cross, in which an oak leaf replaced the swastika. The Iron Cross has also survived as an emblem appearing on armored vehicles and aircraft of the modern armed forces of Germany.

References

• History of the Iron Cross
• The German Iron Cross