"Independant Czechoslovakia, Has Emerged from the Wreckage of The

Home , Order of the White Lion, Victory Medal (Romania)

"independant Czechoslovakia, has emerged from the wreckage of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, the so-called Provisional Gov- ernment of Czechoslovakia, with its seat in Paris, founded some military awards and decorations. In August, 1918, the Council of Soldiers in Russia founded at Celjabinsk in Siber- ia the first Czechoslovak military medal, named after John Zizka of Trocnow, a middle aged hero of the Hussites, the XV. Century fighters of God, who rebelled against the Holy Roman Emperor. This bronze or silver-plated medal with the effigy of the old warrior has been awarded only 22 times for valor. The ribbon is red, with black velvet stripes se~ on both edges, i.e., the colors of the Hussite movement. The medal proper is suspended from the ribbon by means of a clasp form- ed of two chains symbolizing the broken slavery of the nation. The distribution of this medal has been stopped by the Paris government and replaced by the newly-founded Military Order of the Falcon, also known as the Order of Milan Rastislav St~ fanik, the first Minister of War and a general in the French Army. The original intention was to establish an order in five classes according to the example of the French Legion of Honor. There are only two different types of the badge, that is one with swords and the second without swords. Thre first type was awarded for gallantry before the enemy, the second for military merit. Only the lowest grade of the order, the fifth class, has actually been issued, and the original intention was never realized. The badge itself is a five-pointed, bronze-gilt star, the points widened at the ends, enamelled blue, edged white. The obverse center medallion show sty- lized falcons flying over the Tatra Mountains; the reverse, the initials CS. The ribbon is red with narrow white stripes at the center and edge. The highest military award of that time was founded in December, 1918. It is the War Cross 1918, awarded for bravery. The badge is a bronze cross composed of four circles repre- senting the coats of arms of Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, and Slovakia, the main parts of Czechoslovakia. On the reverse appear the linden leaves and the initials CS. The ribbon is red with broad white stripes separated by very narrow red stripes. A further award is The Revolutionary Medal, given to those who fought abroad or at home for the independence of the state. The medal consists of a modernistic cross with a wreath between its arms. On the obverse appears a symbolic figure of the Republic, and on the reverse, a naked rider on a horse with wings and a fluttering flag, Suspension is by means of an oblong wreath; the ribbon is red, with a broad white center stripe divided by a narrow blue stripe. As in other Allied countries, a Victory Medal was founded in 1924. The highest state order of Czechoslovakia, the Order of the White Lion, was instituted in 1922. The inspiration for this decoration was the so-called Cross of the Czech Nobility, founded by the Emperor Francis I in 1 14 and awarded to 38 Czech noblemen who accompanied him in the final campaign against Napoleon to Paris. The badge of this decoration is a red-enamelled cross bearing on the obverse center a white, Czech heraldic lion, and reverse an inscription on a white medallion. The ribbon is white with a red center. The new order had five classes, as the Legion of Honor, and in 1924, a collar was added as a highest award. The badge of the Order of the White Lion is a red-enamelled, five-pointed star with thrice-cleft, ball-tipped arms, with linden leaves between. On the obverse appears a frosted silver lion, from the coat of arms of the republic. On the reverse, the red-enamelled a arms of the star are covered with five coats of arms of the provinces composing the republic: Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, Slovakia and Carpatho-Ukraine. These coats of arms are in their natural colors. The reverse center medallion bears the monogram CSR surrounded by a golden circlet carrying the motto PRAVDA VITEZI (Truth Prevails).. The badge is supported by a golden linden wreath. In the Military Division of the order, there are crossed swords, and in the Civil Division, crossed palm branches put into the wreath. The Grand Cross sash is worn over the right shoulder, and the star is eight- pointed with a red medallion bearing the silver lion with the order motto around it. The ribbon is red with white stripes near the edge. The collar consists of two different links; the first, circular medallions in red with a silver lion and the motto (as on the star), and the second, the white monogram CSR. The principal link consists of the monogram with green laurel leaves. In 1962, the order has been reorganized and has now as the highest state order only three classes and a collar. The badge on the obverse bears the silver lion of the new coat of arms (the lion without crown and with a new shield on its breast); on the reverse there are no longer the colorful coats of arms, the star arms are only enam~lled plain red. The Grand Cross is worn over the shoulder, the Grand Officer and Commander as a neck decoration. Between 1922 and 1962, the order has been completed by two medals, gold (silver-gilt) and silver. In 1924, the government founded the Victory Medal, adorn- ed, obverse, with a winged figure of the symbolic Woman-Vic- tory (Nike); reverse, with a Czech lion. The ribbon is the usual rainbow pattern. In 1938, the last official decoration was founded, that is, the Cross in Heavy Time~, commemoration the fights of the new Czech army in Slovakia against the aggression of Bela Kun’s Hungarian Red Army soldiers in 1918-19. The bronze cross formy bears the Czech coat of arms in the obverse center, and an inscription on the reverse. The ribbon is blue with white stripes separated by red. The occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939 and the out- break of World War Two caused the formation of the independ- ent Czechoslovak Army in Great Britain and France and later in the Soviet Union. The London government founded in 1939 the Czechoslovak War Cross 1939, the highest award for bravery before the enemy. A bronze, Greek arrowcross with swords between its arms, it bears on the obverse the coat of arms, and on the reverse a Czech lion in the center with the coats of arms of other regions on the arms. The ribbon is white with narrow red and blue stripes alternating. Next the government founded the bronze Medal for Bravery. The meda! bears the head of the Czech lion, linden leaves, a sword, and the motto ZA CHRABROST (’For Bravery"). On the r~ verse appears the motta PRAVDA VITEZI 1939 and the linden wreath. The ribbon is dark blue with a white center stripe with two red stripes and red edges divided from the blue by a narrow white stripe. In 1943, the government founded the Military Medal for Merit in two classes. This silver and bronze medal bears on the obverse, heads of three Czechoslovak soldiers in helmets, and on the reverse an ornamental rising sun. A pair of cros~ ed swords surmounts the medal, and the ribbon is blue with white stripes near the edges. The last medal from World War Two is the Cormaemorative Medal 1939-.~945. It consists of a bronze linden wreath with a sword put through the open space in the center; a silver coat of arms appears on the lower part of the wreath, and there is an inscription on the reverse. The ribbon is terra- cota red with black stripes near the edges. In January, 1945, the government founded the highest military order of Czechoslovakia, the Order of the White Lion ~’For the Victor~." This new order has a name similar to the Order of the White Lion from 1922, which is awarded only to foreigners for distinguished services to the state. The military order may be given to all Czech and foreign citizens who have fought for the independence and liberation of the country. This new order has three classes and two affiliated medals. Ther First and Second Classes consist of small (55mm), nearly identical, eight-pointed silver stars with a red center medallion bearing the silver lion from the coat of arms, surrounded by a blue circlet carrying the motto ZA VITEZSTVI (For Victory). The only difference between these two classes are the gold (I) or silver (II) crossed swords mounted on the bot- tom of the circlet. Both stars are like the stars of the Soviet orders founded during World War Two, very diminutive in comparison with the older stars of the gigh Czechoslovakian Order of the White Lion of 1922, and are worn without a ribbon. The Third Class of this order is represented b a large, red- enamelled cross, the ends of whose ares are thrice cleft and ball-tipped. In the center of the red field appears a silver lion, surrounded by a blue circlet bearing the golden motto, ~’For Victory." The reverse bears the initials CSR and, in blue letters on a golden circlet, the motto PRAVDA VITEZI. The ribbon is the same as that of the Order of the White Lion, i. e., red with white stripes near the edges. Two affiliated medals in gold (silver-gilt) and silver bear the coat of arms on the obverse and the initials on the reverse. The ribbon is the same. In 1946, the second high Czechoslovakian military order, the Co~mnanders’ Order of John Zizka of Trocnow has been found ed in three classes. This order has been awarded to officers for out standing service in co~nand of troops on the battle- fields of World War Two. The first two classes consist of eight-pointed stars (7 .0n~m) with very sharp points and a large center medallion. The design of the star is in imitation of ~7