The ''Médaille militaire'' ( en, Military Medal) is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic, after the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

, a civil and military order, and the

ordre de la Libération The Order of Liberation (french: Ordre de la Libération) is a French Order which was awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is a very high honour, second only after the ''Légion d’Honneur'' (Legion of Honour) ...

, a Second World War-only order. The ''Médaille militaire'' is therefore the most senior entirely military active French decoration. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, 230,000 ''médailles'' were awarded,historique de la société d'entraide des médaillés militaires
when 1,400,000 French Army soldiers were killed and 3,000,000 wounded. For comparison, the UK

Military Medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...

was awarded on 115,000 occasions in World War I, when 673,375 British Army soldiers were killed and 1,643,469 wounded. The award was first established in 1852 by the first

President of the French Republic The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (french: Président de la République française), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is ...

, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte who may have taken his inspiration from a medal established and awarded by his father,

Louis Bonaparte Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (born Luigi Buonaparte; 2 September 1778 – 25 July 1846) was a younger brother of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. He was a monarch in his own right from 1806 to 1810, ruling over the Kingdom of Holland (a French cl ...

, King of

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

. After the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the Military Medal was also temporarily awarded for wounds received in combat.

Statute

Like many other French awards, the ''médaille'' can be awarded for different reasons. It can be awarded to foreign nationals serving with or alongside the French armed forces. * To members of the military other than commissioned officers (including

enlisted rank An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or warrant officers, except in United States ...

s, non-commissioned officers and '' aspirants'' or Officer Designate). ** As an award for valour, it is the second highest award ranking immediately after the

. ** As an ''in between'' medal for enlisted members, NCO and O(D) awarded the Légion d'honneur for "combat actions", nowadays mostly done posthumously. ** As a service medal, for long-serving NCOs. * To

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

s and admirals who have been commanders-in-chief, as a supreme award for leadership. These general officers must already have been awarded the grand cross of the

Award description

The Médaille militaire is a silver laurel wreath, in diameter, wrapped around a central gold medallion bearing the left profile of

Marianne Marianne () has been the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as a personification of liberty, equality, fraternity and reason, as well as a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty. Marianne is displayed in ...

, effigy of the French Republic, the original 2nd Empire variant bore the left profile of Emperor Napoleon III. The central gold medallion is surrounded by a blue enamelled ring bearing the gilt inscription "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" ( en, "FRENCH REPUBLIC") with a small gilt five-pointed star at the bottom for a 4th Republic award, three stars for a 5th Republic variant, the 3rd Republic variant bore the date 1870, the 2nd Empire variant bore the gilt inscription "LOUIS-NAPOLEON" in lieu of "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" and had flowers on both sides of the small star at the bottom. The original variant was topped by a silver imperial eagle with a loop through which the suspension ring passed, all other variants were and are topped by a device composed of a

breastplate A breastplate or chestplate is a device worn over the torso to protect it from injury, as an item of religious significance, or as an item of status. A breastplate is sometimes worn by mythological beings as a distinctive item of clothing. It is ...

superimposed over crossed cannons, a naval anchor, sabres, swords and battle axes, to which the suspension ring passes through a loop for attachment to a ribbon. The reverse of the medallion is common to all variants since inception of the award, it bears the relief inscription on three lines "VALEUR ET DISCIPLINE" ( en, "VALOUR AND DISCIPLINE") and is surrounded by a blue enamelled ring. The ribbon of the Médaille militaire is wide, yellow in color with green stripes on each edge. This ribbon was borrowed from the

Order of the Iron Crown The Order of the Iron Crown ( it, link=no, Ordine della Corona Ferrea) was an order of merit that was established on 5 June 1805 in the Kingdom of Italy by Napoleon Bonaparte under his title of Napoleon I, King of Italy. The order took its name ...

which it effectively replaced in France.

Recipients

Eugene Jacques Bullard, first African American combat pilot in uniform, First World War

The Médaille militaire was awarded in some number to British and allied forces (allies of the French Empire) during the Crimean War of 1854-56 and in reasonably large numbers to allied forces in the 1914-18 war. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, the ''Médaille'' reached its highest numbers of foreign bestowals, most often to members of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

as well as to the

United States military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is th ...

. The general's ''médaille'' was awarded to

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Josip Broz Tito, as supreme commanders of the UK, US and Yugoslav military forces, but to also effective military leaders, such as General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower, and to Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope.

Unit award

In addition to the individual medal, the Médaille militaire is also authorized as a unit award to those military commands who display the same criteria of bravery as would be required for the individual medal. The ''médaille'' is displayed on the flag of these units. It is one of the rarest unit awards in the French military. This unit award should not be confused with the ''

fourragère The ''fourragère'' () is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, in the form of a braided cord. The award was first adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, and Luxembourg. Fou ...

de la médaille militaire'', which is a cord suspended from the shoulder of a military uniform worn by members of units which had been mentioned in despatches. A ''fourragère aux couleurs du ruban de la médaille militaire'' (''fourragère'' in the colours of the ribbon of the ''médaille militaire'') is worn by units which had been mentioned four times, a ''fourragère aux couleurs de la

légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

et de la médaille militaire'' (''fourragère'' in the colours of the ribbons of the ''légion d'honneur'' and the ''médaille militaire'') for units mentioned twelve times. Ten American units can wear the ''fourragère de la médaille militaire''.

Notable French and foreign recipients (partial list)

The individuals listed below were recipients of the "Médaille Militaire: :Recipients of the Médaille Militaire * Private John Alexander VC * Nurse and resistance fighter Berty Albrecht (posthumous) * Marshal of France (1864) François Achille Bazaine * World War 1 pilot Arthur Bluethenthal (posthumous) * World War 1 African American fighter pilot Eugene Jacques Bullard * Sergeant Louis-Ferdinand Céline * Sergeant Eugène Chavant * Yvonne Chollet (posthumous) * Marshal of France, Great Britain and Poland, Ferdinand Foch * Prime Minister Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill * USMC Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph "Dan" Daly * Private Herman Davis * First sergeant Samuel "Sam" Dreben * President Dwight D. Eisenhower * Rene Joyeuse FFL / OSS (Captain) * Corporal François Faber (posthumous) * Colonel René Paul Fonck * Corporal Edward Foster VC * Russian flying ace Viktor Georgiyevich Fyodorov *

Jean Gabin Jean Gabin (; 17 May 190415 November 1976) was a French actor and singer. Considered a key figure in French cinema, he starred in several classic films including ''Pépé le Moko'' (1937), '' La grande illusion'' (1937), ''Le Quai des brumes'' ...

* Police prefect Louis Lépine *

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was ...

* Capitaine Georges Felix Madon * World War 2 fighter ace Paul-Joseph de Montgolfier * Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein * Norwegian Crown Prince and Chief of Defence Olav V * Corporal Thomas A. Pope * Father of the French Air Force, General Pierre Auguste Roques * President Franklin D. Roosevelt (posthumous) * Marshal Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain * Master corporal Pierre-Auguste Sarrus * Master corporal Pierre Schoendoerffer * Partisan leader and Prime Minister Josip Broz Tito * Susan Travers

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...

Marthe Cohn Marthe Hoffnung Cohn (born 13 April 1920) is a French author, nurse, former spy and Holocaust survivor. She wrote about her experiences as a spy during the Holocaust in the book '' Behind Enemy Lines''. Early life On 13 April 1920, Marthe Cohn ...

* Corporal Clarence Van Allen

Recent Recipients for Valour

Notes

References

External links

France Phaléristique

Médaille Militaire information held by the Grande Chancellerie de la Légion d'honneur
{{DEFAULTSORT:Medaille Militaire Military awards and decorations of France Awards established in 1852 1852 establishments in France