Pour Le Merite (BLUE MAX) WITH STYLIZED OAK LEAF BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED IN THE EARLY 1920's AND POSSIBLY USED BY THE FREIKORPS

With the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in November 1918 and the end of WW I, a new, compliant government was installed in Germany under Fredrich Ebert by the Allied powers. Subsequently known to history as the Weimar Republic, this unpopular regime had little or no interest in enhancing the previous importance held by the Germany military among the population. Consequently, it relented, without significant complaint, when the Allies demand during negotiations for the Treaty of Versailles that the German Army be permanently reduced in size to a mere 100,000 men.

Moreover, during the 1919 to 1923 period in particular, it consistently maintained a policy of virtual non involvement with any of Germany's war time military leaders, which, although eventually somewhat mitigated by the subsequent Presidency of Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg and the chancellorships of former military officers von Papen and von Schleicher, is best exemplified by the fact that the Weimar Republic never issued a medal or token of any kind to commemorate and honor the service of the many millions of Germans, as well as their various allies, who had fought with devotion and courage for the nation during WW I.

LEFT is a slightly enlarged full frontal view of this item which prominently shows the unique Oak Leaf hanger which came with this item. BELOW is a greatly enlarged view of the medal removed without the Oak Leaf. Neither the Oak Leaf nor the medal is maker marked.

Ironically, that task was left to Der Fuhrer Adolf Hitler, who on 13 July 1934 caused the institution of the Ehrenkreuz des Weltkrieges (Honor Cross of the World War). More commonly referred to as the Hindenburg Cross, this medal was awarded in three (3) classes consisting of combatant (with swords), non combatant (without swords) and next of kin (black without swords). Later versions was also produced with a small neck ribbon, without swords, for female personnel who served as nurses or stenographers, as well as with a triangular ribbon for wear by Austrians after the Anschluss with Germany in 1938.

As noted above, while the Weimar Republic took no genuine effort to produce new medals or insignia for the military, they reciprocally took no action either to prohibit the wearing of decorations previously awarded by the German Empire. Consequently, unlike the post World War II period where the displaying of any swastika was a violation of law, the wearing of national awards during the Weimar era displaying either the letter "W" for Wilhelm I, the imperial crown or the German Empire eagle, and/or numerous state awards bearing the various symbols of the previous local monarchies, was common practice for active duty military and veterans alike.