Great War Medals of German States

Great War Medals of the German Kingdoms, Grand Duchies, Principalities etc

The German Empire (Deutsches Reich) was founded in 1871 in the wake of the victory over France by the Prussians and their German allies (or satellites, if you will) in the North German Confederation (Norddeutscher Bund), and in southern Germany. The North German Confederation itself was a legacy of Prussia's victory in 1866 over the Austrians in the Seven Weeks' War. Together with the war with Denmark in 1864, these three conflicts - 1864, 1866 and 1870-71 - a referred to as the Wars of Unification.

The term German Empire (the translation from German of Deutsches Reich) commonly refers to Germany, from its consolidation as a unified nation-state in January 1871, until the abdication of Kaiser (Emperor) Wilhelm II in November 1918. Germans, when referring to the Reich in this period under the Kaisers, typically use the term Kaiserreich. Sometimes in English (but rarely in German) "the Second Reich" is used, based on counting the Holy Roman Empire as the first German empire (and, as Nazi ideology insisted, Nazi Germany as the third).

When the North German Confederation was formed in 1867, it had 21 members. They were 4 Kingdoms, 6 Grand Dutchies, 5 Dutchies, 9 Principalities and 3 Free Cities. The former Kingdom of Hannover, the Electorate of Hesse, the Duchy of Nassau, the Free City of Frankfurt and the Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg were annexed by Prussia. Four other states which were on the losing side of the Seven Weeks' War - the Kingdoms of Bavaria and Württemberg and the Grand Duchies of Baden and Hesse-Darmstadt - did not become members of the North German Confederation, but would join the German Empire in 1871. This is the make up of the German Empire that entered the Great War.

Sub category index

Mixed assortment from the Australian War Memorial Collection

Bavarian King Ludwig Cross 1916		Bavarian Order of Military Merit 4th Class & Swords

Duchy of Brunswick Cross for War Merit 2nd Class		Hanseatic Cross of War Merit - Bremen.

Saxe-Meiningen Cross for Merit in War		Royal Hohenzollern House Order, with Swords

Order of the Crown of Prussia 3rd Class with Swords		Kingdom of Saxony Order of Albrecht 5th Class with Swords

Prussian Pour Le Merite (The Blue Max)	Cross of War Merit German Principality of Lippe		Prussian Order of the Red Eagle, 4th Class, & Swords

This was sent to me for identification in the belief it was German. I am told it is

Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav. ( Den Kongelige Norske Sanct Olavs Orden) The crossed swords beneath the crown means that it has been awarded for military services.

The style of the crown and of the Norwegian Lion is the one that was used before 1905.If your medal is made of silver, it is for a Knight 2nd Class, gold is for Knight 1st Class.

Thanks to Trond Iverson for details