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Does Germany Still use the EK's as awards??

Article about: I was wondering if Germany was still using the Ek 's as awards to their troops for valor or what do they have today? I did read, that I think during the mess in Yugoslavia in the 90's that a

  1. #1

    Smile Does Germany Still use the EK's as awards??

    I was wondering if Germany was still using the Ek 's as awards to their troops for valor or what do they have today? I did read, that I think during the mess in Yugoslavia in the 90's that about every nation in the world was involved in. That some US Soldiers were awarded some type of medal for saving some german soldiers during an ambush.
    I was not sure what it was. From what I can remember it was the first time a Foreign ( Non German) soldiers were awarded a German medal.
    Just asking....

    John
    I specialize in M1 carbines and Lugers.

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  3. #2

    Default Re: Does Germany Still use the EK's as awards??


  4. #3

    Default Re: Does Germany Still use the EK's as awards??

    Too bad it lacks the attractiveness and tradition of the EK.

  5. #4

    Default Re: Does Germany Still use the EK's as awards??

    Quote by helmetone View Post
    Too bad it lacks the attractiveness and tradition of the EK.
    I agree but the EK reminded too many people of Germanys "murky past"!..

  6. #5

    Default Re: Does Germany Still use the EK's as awards??

    Its a nice cross but not Teutonic enough for me

    Nick
    "In all my years as a soldier, I have never seen men fight so hard." - SS Obergruppenfuhrer Wilhelm Bittrich - Arnhem

  7. #6
    ?

    Default Re: Does Germany Still use the EK's as awards??

    The Iron Cross as we know it simply ceases to exist in our modern world. There is no need for it anymore.

    The Iron Cross was instituted by the Prussian Kaiser Friedrich Wilhelm. Don't forget it was a Prussian award as opposed to a 'German' award at conception.

    It was instituted to be awarded in times of war and when Germany itself was threatened ie; when the borders of Germany were under attack and the liberty and freedom of her citizens were in danger. Today that threat just isn't there with NATO, the EU etc etc and consequently there is no need for the EK.

    Looking for LDO marked EK2s and items relating to U-406.....

  8. #7

    Default Re: Does Germany Still use the EK's as awards??

    Quote by guns ltd View Post
    I was not sure what it was. From what I can remember it was the first time a Foreign ( Non German) soldiers were awarded a German medal.
    Lots of foreigners who fought for either the Wehrmacht or the SS did receive all sorts of German medals. Eg. Danish SS-volunteers received at least 900 EK's during wwII possibly more.

    Cheers, Mads

  9. #8

    Default Re: Does Germany Still use the EK's as awards??


  10. #9

    Default Re: Does Germany Still use the EK's as awards??

    A while back, there was actually an unsuccessful petition to have the Iron Cross reinstated.

    Naturally, it failed. Re-instituting the Iron Cross for operations such as the Afghanistan mission was never a realistic option and not a good idea from its supporters in the first place.

    As has been pointed out above, since it was originally created in 1813, the Iron Cross has only ever been in existence at times when Germany was fully at war with the fate of the nation at stake, namely the periods of 1813-15, 1870-71, 1914-18 and 1939-45.

    No Iron Crosses had been awarded for Germany's other armed conflicts during the period from 1813-1945 like the war against Denmark in 1864, the Prussian-Austrian war of 1866, the Imperial colonial-era military operations in China or Africa, the battles of the Freikorps years in Germany, Silesia and the Baltic or the Legion Condor's involvement in Spain.

    I don't want to downplay the hardships and dangers faced by the soldiers deployed to Afghanistan in any way at all, but it is just not a conflct of the nature and scale of the ones that saw the institution and re-institution of the Iron Cross.

    Thus, I dare say that re-instituting the Iron Cross now would not have meant honoring its tradition, but actually breaking with it.

    The creation of the new special bravery class of the Bundeswehr's Honor Cross may have been somewhat unimaginative, but it was a practical, decent and appropriate answer to the question of an award for bravery.

  11. #10

    Default Re: Does Germany Still use the EK's as awards??

    Well said!

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