Order of Michael the Brave

Award
Order of Michael the Brave
Ordinul Mihai Viteazul
TypeMilitary Award
Presented byThe King of Romania
(1916 – 1947)
The President of Romania
(since 2000)
EligibilityMilitary personnel on active service
StatusAwarded only in time of war
Established1916, re-instituted 2000
First awarded1916
Last awarded1944 and disbanded in 1947
Ribbon of the Order of Michael the Brave
Precedence
Next (higher)None (Highest)
Next (lower)Order of the Star of Romania

The Order of Michael the Brave (Romanian: Ordinul Mihai Viteazul) is Romania's highest military decoration, instituted by King Ferdinand I during the early stages of the Romanian Campaign of the First World War, and was again awarded in the Second World War. The Order, which may be bestowed either on an individual or on a whole unit, was named in honor of Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul), the late 16th-century Prince of Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia.

Data

Requirements: Awarded to officers only for exceptional deeds on the battlefield. It is the highest ranking Romanian military order.
Classes: 3rd, 2nd and 1st
Date Instituted: September 26, 1916
Number awarded: 2184
During WW1:
1st class: 16
2nd class: 12
3rd class: 336 (of which 43 awarded to military units)
During WW2:
1st class: 15
2nd class: 76 (of which 13 awarded to military units)
3rd class: 1628 (of which 118 awarded to military units)
A 1941 war flag of the Knights of the Military Order "Mihai Viteazu" (Romania)

Recipients

Obverse of the modern (2000) third class order

During the Second World War, while Romania was allied with Germany, the Order was awarded to several military members of other Axis Powers, many in the Wehrmacht:

See also

References

  1. ^ "WorldWar2.ro - Second battle of Oituz (August 1917)".

External links

  • (in English) Order of Michael the Brave at worldwar2.ro
  • (in Romanian) History of the Order at the Romanian Presidency site
  • (in English) Order of Michael the Brave and its recipients at TracesOfWar.com
  • v
  • t
  • e
Current
Obsolete
  • v
  • t
  • e
Romania Orders, decorations, and medals of Romania
National
decorations[a]
Orders
Crosses
Medals
Commemorative
decorations
  • Order of Victory of the Romanian Revolution of December 1989
  • Commemorative Cross of the Second World War, 1941-1945
  • Commemorative Cross of the Anti-communist Resistance
  • Commemorative Medal "150 Years from the birth of Mihai Eminescu"
Peacetime
military decorations
Orders
Medals
Civil decorations
Orders
  • Agricultural Merit Order
  • Cultural Merit Order (categories A to I)[b]
  • Diplomatic Merit Order
  • Industrial and Commercial Merit Order
  • Educational Merit Order
  • Medical Merit Order
  • Athletic Merit Order
Medals
  • Agricultural Merit Medal
  • Cultural Merit Medal (categories A to I)[b]
  • Diplomatic Merit Medal
  • Industrial and Commercial Merit Medal
  • Educational Merit Medal
  • Medical Merit Medal
  • Athletic Merit Medal
Wartime
military decorations[c]
Orders
Crosses
Medals
Honorific signs
  • Eagle of Romania
  • Reward for the Work in the Public Service
  • In the Service of the Country (officers)
  • In the Service of the Country (warrant officers)
^ The peacetime military insignia added: two crossed swords (tip up) between the sign and the link if awarded to military personnel in peacetime
^ The categories are equal in ranking, and differentiate only the cultural field (A - literature; B - music; C - fine arts; D - performing arts; E - national cultural heritage; F - promotion of culture; H - religious cults; G - scientific research; I - architecture) ;
^ The war insignia added: two crossed swords (tip up) behind the sign (except for Order of Michael the Brave, an order exclusevely for military personnel with exception conduct in wartime or warzones)