- Time Period: Nazi Germany (Interwars Period, World War II)
- Institution: 1939
- Country: Germany
The War Merit Cross (or Kriegsverdienstkreuz in German) was a decoration of of Nazi Germany awarded to military personnel and civilians during the Second World War. It was created by Adolf Hitler in October 1939 as a successor to the non-combatant Iron Cross which was used in earlier wars.
The award had four variants: with swords given to soldiers for exceptional service “not in direct connection with combat”, without swords given to civilians for meritorious service in “furtherance of the war effort”, the Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross, and the rare Knight’s Cross of the War Merit Cross in Gold.
The War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords was presented to Military Personnel for bravery not necessarily in the face of the enemy, and in reality there was a gray area in which individuals received the medal when perhaps the non-combatant grade would have been appropriate. A total of 6,134,950 were issued.
By the end of the war the War Merit Cross was issued in four degrees and had a related civil decoration. It was reissued in 1957 by the Bundeswehr in a de-Nazified version for veterans.
The War Merit Cross With Swords Design
The medal consists of a bronze plated Maltese Cross. The obverse has pebbled arms, with a central wreathed mobile swastika and crossed swords piercing the centrepiece. The reverse has a block hinge and a banjo-style pinback. The War Merit Cross measures 48.51 mm (w) x 48.48 mm (h) and weighs 17.6 grams.
Materials
War Merit Cross with Swords was constructed from a wide range of materials, from zinc with a bronzed wash to a few very rare bronze pieces. As the war progressed, the quality of the materials decreased, and as a result late war crosses lose their bronze wash with the passing of time, yielding a gray appearance.
Ribbon
The ribbon of the War Merit Cross with Swords was in red-white-black-white-red (the colors being reversed from the ribbon of the World War II version of the Iron Cross). The ribbon for the War Merit Medal was similar, but with a narrow vertical red strip in the center of the black field.
Classes
The War Merit Cross without Swords 1st Class was a pin-backed medal worn on the pocket of the tunic. The ribbon of the War Merit Cross without Swords 2nd Class could be worn like the ribbon of the Iron Cross 2nd Class (through the second buttonhole). Combat soldiers tended to hold the War Merit Cross in low regard, referring to its wearers as being in ‘Iron Cross Training’.
Order of Wear
The War Merit Cross with Swords was a neck decoration and worn the same way as the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross.
Medal Variations
The War Merit Cross came in several variations, each with specific criteria and significance:
War Merit Cross 2nd Class: Awarded with swords for bravery in combat or without swords for meritorious service in a non-combat role. This was worn as a ribbon on the uniform.
War Merit Cross 1st Class: A higher distinction, awarded with or without swords, worn as a pin on the chest.
Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross: The highest grade, also with or without swords, for exceptional service.
