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War Merit Cross (Italy)

{{infobox military award

| name = War Merit Cross
Croce al Merito di Guerra

| image = Croce di guerra al merito (recto).svg

| image_size = 100px

| caption = War Merit Cross

| presenter = {{flag|Italy}}

| country =

| type =

| eligibility = Members of the Italian armed forces

| awarded_for = One year of service in combat operations
Being wounded in combat

| campaign =

| status =

| description =

| motto =

| clasps =

| post-nominals =

| established = 19 January 1918

| firstawarded =

| lastawarded =

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| total_awarded_posthumously =

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| higher = War Cross of Military Valor{{cite web|url=http://www.esercito.difesa.it/Equipaggiamenti/Militaria/Decorazioni/DecorazionieOnorificenze/Nastrinidecorazioniinuso/Pagine/default.aspx |title=Esercito Italiano- Nastrini delle decorazioni in uso |publisher=Esercito.difesa.it |access-date=2012-05-30|language=it}}

| same =

| lower = Army Merit Cross

| related =

| image2 = 100px
Ribbon bar of the cross
100px
Ribbon bar of the cross for two awards

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}}

The War Merit Cross ({{langx|it|Croce al Merito di Guerra}}) is an Italian military decoration. It was instituted by King Victor Emmanuel III during World War I on 19 January 1918.{{cite web | title=Italian Army Awards and Medals WW1 | work= diggerhistory | date= 11 Nov 2002 | url= http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-medals/italian1.htm | access-date= 17 October 2010 }} The award received major changes during World War II and currently is issued by the Italian Republic as well.

Eligibility

The Italian War Merit Cross was awarded to members of the armed forces with a minimum of one year's service in contact with an enemy, or who received the Medal of the Wounded, or to those who, when mentioned for war merit, received a promotion. Also, if an act of valour was deemed insufficient for the Medal of Military Valor, the War Merit Cross could be awarded instead; from 1922 onwards a bronze sword on the ribbon showed this class of award.

From its institution until 30 May 1927, 1,034,924 Crosses were issued.{{cite web | title=Medals of Italy | first= Micheal | last= Shackelford | year= 1998 | url= http://www.gwpda.org/medals/italmedl/italy.html | access-date= 17 October 2010 }}

Design

File:Croce al merito di Guerra, fronte.jpg

The War Merit Cross was in bronze, 38mm wide (1-1/2 inches). The reverse side bears a 5-pointed star on a background of rays. The obverse has the royal cypher ("VE III" under a crown) in the upper arm, "MERITO DI GVERRA" (War Merit) on the horizontal arms and a Roman sword point upwards, on oak leaves, in the lower arm. The ribbon is blue with white stripes. While the latter originally were five, within months they were reduced to two white stripes. Successive awards, three awardings per person being the maximum, were indicated by one or two bronze royal crowns. During World War II, the War Merit Cross underwent a number of significant changes. The number of awards was limited to ten, indicated by a combination of bronze, silver and gold crowns. The medal received another change under the Italian Republic in 1947, the royal cypher being replaced by the intertwined letters "RI" for Repubblica Italiana. Limited to three awardings once again, with one cross or bar for every war allowed, multiple awards were shown by bronze stars. In the current form multiple awards are shown by silver stars.

Notable recipients

{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2012}}

References

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Category:Military awards and decorations of Italy

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