Order of the German Eagle

Service Order of the German Eagle (sample awarded to Charles Lindbergh)

The Order of the German Eagle (German: Verdienstorden vom Deutschen Adler) was an award of the German Nazi regime, predominantly to foreign diplomats. The Order was instituted on 1 May 1937 by Adolf Hitler.^[1] It ceased to be awarded following the collapse of the Nazi Government at the end of World War II.

Criteria

The Order of the German Eagle was a diplomatic and honorary award given to prominent foreigners, particularly diplomats, who were considered sympathetic to Nazism. At least two Germans were also awarded the Order, Constantin von Neurath who received a Special Degree of the Order of the German Eagle on 20 April 1939, and Joachim von Ribbentrop on being appointed Foreign Minister.^[2]

Appearance and classes

The Cross is based on the Maltese Cross with German Eagles at each corner carrying a swastika. For military recipients the Order also featured crossed swords.^[1] The cross was suspended from a 46 mm red ribbon with stripes in black, red and white. The appearance and name of the Order was an imitation of the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle and Order of the Red Eagle.

From 1937 to 1943 the order was presented in six classes:^[2]

1. Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle (Grosskreuz des Deutschen Adlerordens)
2. Order of the German Eagle with Star (Deutscher Adlerorden mit Stern)
3. Order of the German Eagle 1st Class (Deutscher Adlerorden, Erste Stufe)
4. Order of the German Eagle 2nd Class (Deutscher Adlerorden, Zweite Stufe)
5. Order of the German Eagle 3rd Class (Deutscher Adlerorden, Dritte Stufe)
6. German Medal of Merit (Deutsche Verdienstmedaille)

A unique Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle in Gold with Diamonds (Grosskreuz des Deutschen Adlerordens in Gold und Brillanten) was also awarded to Benito Mussolini on 25 September 1937.^[2]

On 27 December 1943 the Order was reorganised into nine classes:^[2]

1. Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle in Gold (Goldenes Grosskreuz des Deutschen Adlerordens)
2. Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle (Grosskreuz des Deutschen Adlerordens)
3. Order of the German Eagle 1st Class (Deutscher Adlerorden, Erste Stufe)
4. Order of the German Eagle 2nd Class (Deutscher Adlerorden, Zweite Stufe)
5. Order of the German Eagle 3rd Class (Deutscher Adlerorden, Dritte Stufe)
6. Order of the German Eagle 4th Class (Deutscher Adlerorden, Vierte Stufe)
7. Order of the German Eagle 5th Class (Deutscher Adlerorden, Fünfte Stufe)
8. Silver Medal of Merit (Silberne Verdienstmedaille)
9. Bronze Medal of Merit (Bronzene Verdienstmedaille)

Recipients

Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle in Gold with Diamonds

• Benito Mussolini

Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle in Gold

The Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle in Gold was awarded fourteen times:^[2]

• Ion Antonescu, Chief-of-staff of the Romanian army
• King Boris III of Bulgaria
• Galeazzo Ciano Conte di Cortelazzo, Italy
• Francisco Franco, Spanish politician and general
• Dr. Wilhelm Frick, Reichsminister
• Heinrich Himmler, Reichsführer
• Admiral Miklós Horthy, Hungary
• Field Marshal Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim, Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish armed forces
• General Hiroshi Ōshima, Japanese ambassador
• Risto Ryti, President of Finland
• Constantin Freiherr von Neurath, Reich Foreign Minister
• Joachim von Ribbentrop, Reich Foreign Minister
• Jozef Tiso, Slovak president 1939-1945 awarded twice: for war with Poland 1939 and for invading into the USSR 1942
• Alessandro Pirzio Biroli, Italian general

Other classes

Number awarded unknown.

• Emil Kirdof, director of the Gelsenkirchen industrial consortium (awarded by Hitler on 8 April 1937).^{[citation needed]}
• Thomas J. Watson, chairman of IBM, 1937. Watson was also president of the International Chamber of Commerce in 1937; the medal was awarded while the ICC was meeting in Germany that year.^[3]
• Henry Ford was awarded the Grand Cross of the German Eagle on his 75th birthday, 30 July 1938.^[2][4]
• General Olof Thörnell, Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, was awarded the Grand Cross of the German Eagle 7 October 1940.^[2]
• Charles Lindbergh was awarded the Order of the German Eagle with Star 19 October 1938.^[2]
• James Mooney, General Motors' chief executive for overseas operations, was awarded Order of the German Eagle 1st Class.^[2]
• Ing. Ugo Conte (1884–1951), Rome Chief Engineer, was awarded Order of German Eagle 2nd Class on 16 December 1938 for leading team in the construction of first German motorway.
• Swedish explorer Sven Hedin was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle on his 75th birthday on 19 February 1940.^{[citation needed]}
• Finnish Minister of Defence Rudolf Walden was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle.^{[citation needed]}
• Finnish leader of the Lotta Svärd organization Fanni Luukkonen was awarded the Order of the German Eagle with Star on May 19, 1943. She was the only non-German woman to receive the medal.

See also

• Order of the Red Eagle (Prussian)
• Order of the Black Eagle (Prussian)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "AWM Collection Record: RELAWM30337A". Australian War Memorial. September 2008. http://cas.awm.gov.au/heraldry/RELAWM30337A. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Wendel, Marcus. "Holders of the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle in Gold". Axis History Factbook. http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=1896. Retrieved 2009-09-17. 
3. ^ Geoffrey G. Jones, Adrian Brown, "Thomas J. Watson, IBM and Nazi Germany", Harvard Business School Case 9-807-133, October 2008
4. ^ Cabadas, Joe (2004). River Rouge. MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company. pp. 75. ISBN 9780760317082.  cited in Joe Cabadas (2008). River Rouge. Google Book Search. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=9zajnazq3HEC&pg=PA75&lpg=PA75&dq=%22Order+of+the+German+Eagle%22&source=web&ots=BN52SP3pzo&sig=BAXBWhuynDrPGVpV422lCm9Ge6k&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result#PPP1,M1. Retrieved 2008-12-01.