1870 Grand 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:
- Crown Prince Albert of Saxony
- August Karl von Goeben
- Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel
- Helmuth Graf von Moltke the Elder
- Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia.
- Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia (later Kaiser Friedrich III)
- August Graf von Werder
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).
Read more about this topic: Grand Cross Of The Iron Cross
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