Grand Cross of the Iron Cross

The Grand Cross of the Iron Cross was a decoration intended for victorious generals of the Prussian Army and its allies. It was the highest (normally awarded) class of the Iron Cross. Along with the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, the Grand Cross was founded on March 10, 1813, during the Napoleonic Wars. It was renewed in 1870 for the Franco-Prussian War and again in 1914 for World War I. In 1939, when Adolf Hitler renewed the Iron Cross as a German (rather than strictly Prussian) decoration, he also renewed the Grand Cross.

The Grand Cross of the Iron Cross was twice the size of the Iron Cross and was worn from a ribbon around the neck. The later Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, instituted in 1939, was also worn from the neck; it was smaller than the Grand Cross but larger than the Iron Cross.

1813 Grand Cross

1813 Grand Cross of the Iron Cross.
Crown Prince Charles John of Sweden, wearing the 1813 Grand Cross of the Iron Cross.

Five men received the 1813 Grand Cross of the Iron Cross for actions during the Napoleonic Wars:

1870 Grand Cross

1870 Grand Cross of the Iron Cross.
Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia (later to reign briefly as Kaiser Friedrich III) wearing the 1870 Grand Cross of the Iron Cross.

The Iron Cross was renewed on July 19, 1870, for the Franco-Prussian War. Nine men received the 1870 Grand Cross of the Iron Cross for service during that war. Seven Grand Crosses were awarded on March 22, 1871, to:

Kaiser Wilhelm I received the Grand Cross on June 16, 1871, and Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, received it on December 4, 1871. The Kaiser was supreme commander of the Prussian Army, and Moltke was Chief of the General Staff. The others were senior combat commanders of the Prussian Army (Crown Prince Albert initially commanded the Saxon Army as a corps under a Prussian field army, but later took command of a combined Prussian/Saxon field army).

1914 Grand Cross

1914 Grand Cross of the Iron Cross.
Recipients of the 1914 Grand Cross of the Iron Cross.

The Iron Cross was renewed again on August 5, 1914. There were five recipients of the 1914 Grand Cross in the First World War:

1939 Grand Cross

1939 Grand Cross

Adolf Hitler reinstituted the Iron Cross as a German decoration in September 1939, with the Grand Cross again as the highest grade (above the various classes of the Knight's Cross).

Hermann Göring became the only recipient of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II when it was awarded to him on July 19, 1940.

The Grand Cross - when Hitler originally re-instituted it - was supposed to have been outlined in gold, but this was changed to silver before Göring was awarded his. Göring - who loved amassing medals - felt that the Grand Cross he received from Hitler was not really grand enough, so he had copies made - one with platinum edges - which he wore. The original awarded Grand Cross was destroyed in an air raid in 1943. Göring was wearing his platinum-edged one at the time of his surrender in 1945. Shortly before his suicide, Hitler deprived Göring of the Grand Cross because he felt betrayed by him. Also, Göring had the curious habit of not wearing the Grand Cross at times (generally whenever the Luftwaffe was not performing well). The award case for the 1939 Grand Cross had a red leather exterior, which was embossed with a gold Reich Eagle. The bottom interior of the case was lined in black velvet.

The even higher decoration, the Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, was also re-instituted by Hitler, but never bestowed under Nazi authority and has not been awarded since.

References

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