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1914–1918 Inter-Allied Victory medal

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For other uses, see Inter-Allied Victory Medal (disambiguation).
1914–1918 Inter-Allied Victory medal (France)
Obverse and reverse of the 1914–1918 Inter-Allied Victory medal
TypeCommemorative Medal
Awarded forParticipation in World War I
Presented by France
EligibilityAllied military forces, and attached civilians
StatusNo longer awarded
Established20 July 1922
Ribbon of the 1914–1918 Inter-Allied Victory medal
Precedence
Next (higher)Médaille commémorative du Maroc (1909)
Next (lower)Médaille commémorative de la bataille de Verdun
RelatedMédaille commémorative de la guerre 1914–1918

The 1914–1918 Inter-Allied Victory medal (French: "Médaille Interalliée de la Victoire 1914–1918") was a French commemorative medal established on 20 July 1922. It was the French version of a common allied campaign medal where each allied nation issued a Victory Medal to their own nationals, all issues having certain common features, including the same ribbon, a winged figure of victory on the obverse and a similar inscription on the reverse, the French version reading "LA GRANDE GVERRE POUR LA CIVILISATION 1914-1918".

It was awarded to all soldiers who served three months, consecutive or not, between 2 August 1914 and 11 November 1918 in the war zone. It was also awarded to civilian nurses, aliens (civilian or military) who served directly under French command, marshals and generals who had a command for at least three months, prisoners of war from Alsace and Lorraine who then served in the French forces. Article 10 of the establishing law states: "The right to the medal is also granted to soldiers who were killed by the enemy or died from wounds of war and those (....) who died of disease or injury incurred in service."[1] The next of kin of those killed or died were required to procure the medal at their own expense.[2]

International award

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In response to a proposal first made by the French Marshal Ferdinand Foch, supreme commander of the Allied Forces during the First World War, most allied nations issued a Victory Medal following a common design, thereby avoiding any need for countries to exchange campaign medals.[3] Each country produced their own version, following certain common criteria. The medal was to be in bronze with a 36 mm diameter, having a winged figure of victory on the obverse, a common inscription on the reverse and suspension by a double rainbow design ribbon.[4] Japan and Siam replaced the figure of victory, since a winged victory symbol was not culturally relevant.[5]

At the start of the war in 1914, the countries of Poland and Czechoslovakia were parts of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires respectively. The following versions were finally awarded:

Inter-Allied Victory Medal by Country
Country Designer Manufacturer Number issued Obverse Reverse Established by
Belgium Paul Du Bois (1859–1938) ----- 300,000–350,000 Royal Decree from 15 July 1919
Brazil [Wikidata] Jorge Soubre [fr] (1890–1934) approximately 2,500 Decree nr. 16074 from 22 June 1923
Cuba [Wikidata] Charles Charles
  • Etablissements Chobillon
 6,000–7,000 Decree nr. 905 from 10 June 1922
Czechoslovakia [cz] Otakar Španiel (1881–1955)
  • Kremnice Mint
 approximately 89,500 Decree from 27 July 1920
France Pierre-Alexandre Morlon [fr] (1878–1951) approximately 2,000,000 Law from 20 July 1922
Charles Charles[Note 1]
  • Etablissements Chobillon
 -----

M. Pautot and Louis Octave Mattei[Note 1]

----- -----
Greece Henry-Eugène Nocq (1868–1944)
  • V. Canale
 approximately 200,000 Law from 22 September 1920
Italy Gaetano Orsolini (1884–1954)
  • Sacchini-Milano
  • S.Johnson-Milano
  • F.M.Lorioli & Castelli-Milano
 approximately 2,000,000 Royal Decree nr. 1918 from 16 December 1920
Japan[Note 2] Shokichi Hata approximately 700,000 Imperial Edict nr 406 from 17 September 1920
Poland[Note 3] .... Vlaitov
  • Mint Kremnica
 -----
Portugal [pt] João Da Silva (1880–1960)
  • Da Costa
 approximately 100,000 Decree from 15 July 1919
Romania Constantin Kristescu (1871–1928) approximately 300,000 Royal Decree nr 3390 from 20 July 1921
Siam (Thailand) [th] Itthithepsan Kritakara [th] (1890–1935) ----- approximately 1,500
South Africa[Note 4] William McMillan (1887–1977)
  • Woolwich Arsenal
 approximately 75,000 Decree from 1 September 1919
United Kingdom[Note 5] William McMillan (1887–1977) 6,334,522 plus Decree from 1 September 1919
United States James Earle Fraser (1876–1953)
  • Arts Metal Works Inc.
  • S.G.Adams Stamp & Stationary Co.
  • Jos. Mayer Inc.
 approximately 2,500,000 General Order nr 48 from 9 April 1919 of the Department of War
Source unless otherwise indicated: Alexander J. Laslo (1986). The Interallied Victory Medals of World War I. Albuquerque: Dorado Publishing. ISBN 0961732008.
Notes
  1. ^ a b Unofficial type.
  2. ^ On the obverse the winged figure of Victory was replaced by Takemikazuchi, the war god in Japanese mythology.
  3. ^ For reasons still not known, Poland did not proceed with the manufacture of the medal at their mint. The medal shows a clearly visible “MK” (Mint Kremnica). The medal may possibly be an unofficial strike by a veterans’ group.
  4. ^ The text on the reverse is in English and Dutch.
  5. ^ Awarded not only to British combatants but as well to those from the dominions of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and those from the Empire of India.

Award certificate

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A certificate confirming the award was given to each recipient confirming his right to wear the medal.

Certificate confirming the award of the inter-allied victory medal

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Champenois, Marc (24 December 2011), "Médaille interalliée dite Médaille de la Victoire", France-phaleristique.com (in French), retrieved 6 June 2011
  2. ^ Niels Stevnsborg. Three brothers, two casualties, one award. Orders & Medals Research Society Journal, December 2018, page 157.
  3. ^ Captain H. Taprell Dorling. Ribbons and Medals. pp. 90–1. Published A.H.Baldwin & Sons, London. 1956.
  4. ^ The Type I Victory Medal 1914-19. Richard Flory. Orders & Medals Research Society Journal, September 2009, page 145
  5. ^ "Inter-allied Victory Medals". Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  6. ^ Katiușa Pârvan, Angela Mihalea (1998). "Câteva date privind opera medalistică a sculptorului Constantin Kristescu" [Information regarding the medals created by sculptor Constantin Kristescu] (PDF). Acta Moldaviae Meridionalis (in Romanian). XV-XX-II: 294–295.
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