Knight's Cross of The Iron Cross - The Knight's Cross Grades of The Iron Cross

The Knight's Cross Grades of The Iron Cross

Adolf Hitler decreed on the first day of hostilities of World War II the renewal of the Iron Cross.

Nachdem ich mich entschlossen habe, das Deutsche Volk zur Abwehr gegen die ihm drohenden Angriffe zu den Waffen zu rufen, erneuere ich eingedenk der heldenmütigen Kämpfe, die Deutschlands Söhne in den früheren großen Kriegen zum Schutze der Heimat bestanden haben, den Orden des Eisernen Kreuzes.

After I decided to call the German people to arms in defense of the threat of being attacked, I renew in memory of the heroic battles, which Germany's sons have endured protecting the homeland in previous great wars, the order of the Iron Cross.

The legal grounds for this decree had been established in 1937. Paragraph §3 of the German law of Titles, Orders and Honorary Signs (Gesetz über Titel, Orden und Ehrenzeichen) from 1 July 1937 (Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 725) made the Führer and Reichskanzler the only person who was allowed to award orders or honorary signs. The re-institution of the Iron Cross was therefore a Führer decree based on the enactment (Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573) of 1 September 1939 Verordnung über die Erneuerung des Eisernen Kreuzes (Ordinance re-establishing the Iron Cross). This had certain political implication since the Treaty of Versailles had explicitly denied Germany the creation of a military decoration, order or medal. The re-institution was more than just a symbolic act. While the renewals of the Iron Cross of 1870 and 1914 had renewed a Prussian honorary sign, the renewal of 1 September 1939 in contrast for the first time had created an honorary sign of the entire German state.

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grades was awarded for a wide range of reasons and across all ranks, including to a senior commander for skilled leadership of his troops in battle, or to a low-ranking soldier for a single act of extreme gallantry. As the war progressed four additional grades were introduced to further distinguish those who had already won the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross or one of the higher grades and who continued to show merit in combat bravery or military success and the Knight's Cross was eventually awarded in five grades: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. The first award of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was to Luftwaffe Field Marshal Hermann Göring in September 1939. The Oak Leaves addition was first authorized in June 1940 and first awarded on 19 July 1940 to Army Lieutenant General Eduard Dietl (at which time Göring received the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross and promotion to Reich Marshal). The Swords and Diamonds versions were both first formally authorized in September 1941. However, Swords were actually first awarded in June 1941 (to Luftwaffe Lieutenant Colonel Adolf Galland) and Diamonds in July 1941 (to Luftwaffe Colonel Werner Mölders). The golden clasp version was created to award heroes and commanders after the victory that never was and was to be limited to twelve awards. Subsequent events led to only a single award of the highest grade on 29 December 1944. In total, 7313 awards of the Knight's Cross were made. Of these, 883 received Oak Leaves, 160 received Oak Leaves and Swords, 27 received Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.