Awards and Decorations
Antonescu received a number of awards and decorations throughout his military career, most notable being the Order of Michael the Brave, which was personally awarded to him by King Ferdinand I during the Hungarian–Romanian War of 1919. He also received several decorations from foreign countries. He was the first Romanian to receive the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, being awarded it by Hitler himself.
| Award or decoration | Country | Date | Place | Note | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medal of Military Virtue | Romania | 1913 | Southern Dobruja | Romania's highest military decoration at the time. Only received by one other officer in the army during the Second Balkan War. | ||
| Order of Michael the Brave | Romania | 1919 | Tisza River, Hungary | Romania's highest military decoration. Upon crossing the River Tisza, King Ferdinand took the Order of Michael the Brave from his own uniform and presented it to Antonescu, saying "Antonescu, no one in this country knows better than the King how much they owe you." | ||
| Combined Pilots-Observation Badge in Gold with Diamonds | Germany | June 1941 | Bestowed to honor exceptional success, presented to Antonescu by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. | |||
| Iron Cross | Germany | August 6, 1941 | Berdychiv | Awarded for bravery in battle as well as other military contributions in a battlefield environment. | ||
| Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross | Germany | August 6, 1941 | Berdychiv | Principally was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II. First Romanian to receive the award. | ||
| Grand Cross of the White Rose of Finland with Swords | Finland | January 1942 | Bucharest | One of three highest state orders of Finland, established in 1919 by Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. | ||
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