Military decorations of the Cold War explained

Between 1947 and 1991, during the years of the Cold War, a large number of military awards and decorations were created by various nations to recognize the undeclared hostilities of the era. Military medals of the Vietnam War and the Korean War are the best known due to the extreme level of the conflicts.

The following is a list of military decorations of the Cold War based on the various time periods and specific nations involved.

Americas

Canada

Korea Medal

Canadian Volunteer Service Medal for Korea

Special Service Medal

United States

Federal Service Medals

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Korea Defense Service Medal

Korean Service Medal

Medal for Humane Action

National Defense Service Medal

Vietnam Service Medal

Unofficial

Cold War Victory Medal The Cold War Victory Medal is both an official medal of the U.S. National Guard and an unofficial military medal of the United States. It is awarded by the U.S. states of Louisiana and Texas, and in ribbon form only by the State of Alaska.

Asia

Republic of China

Awards and decorations of China

North Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh Order

Defeat American Aggression Badge

Vietnam Liberation Order

South Vietnam

North Korea

Awards and decorations of North Korea

Republic of Korea (South Korea)

South Korean Presidential Unit Citation

Korean War Service Medal

Order of National Security Merit

Order of Military Merit

Europe

East Germany

Orders, decorations, and medals of East Germany

West Germany

Order of Merit

Sonderstufe des Großkreuzes (Grand Cross special class)

Großkreuz (Grand Cross 1st class, special design)

Großkreuz (Grand Cross 1st class)

Großes Verdienstkreuz mit Stern und Schulterband (Grand Cross with Star and Sash)

International equivalent: Großkreuz 2. Klasse (Grand Cross of Merit, Second class) or Großkomturkreuz (Grand Commander's Cross)

Großes Verdienstkreuz mit Stern (Knight Commander's Cross or Grand Cross with Star)

Großes Verdienstkreuz (Halskreuz) (Commander's Cross or Grand Cross (Neck cross))

Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse (Officer's Cross)

Verdienstkreuz am Bande (Cross) International equivalent: Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross)

Verdienstmedaille (Medal)

The President of the Federal Republic holds the Sonderstufe des Großkreuzes ex officio. It is awarded to him in a ceremony by the President of the Bundestag attended by the Chancellor, the President of the Bundesrat and the Supreme Court President. Other than the President of the Federal Republic, only a foreign head of state can be awarded with the highest class. There is also the provision of awarding the Großkreuz in a special rare design, in which the central medallion with the black eagle is surrounded by a stylized laurel wreath in relief. which has so far only been used twice: for Konrad Adenauer and for Helmut Kohl.

Soviet Union

Orders, decorations, and medals of the Soviet Union

International Organizations