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Silver Medal of Military Valor
Medaglia d'argento al valor militare
Medaglia d'argento al valor militare-regno.png Medaglia d'argento al valor militare.svg
Silver Medal of Military Valor
(Royal version & Republican version)
Country  Italy
Type Military decoration
Eligibility Junior officers and soldiers
Awarded for Deeds of outstanding gallantry in war
Statistics
Established 21 May 1793
Precedence
Next (higher) Cross of Honour for Victims of Acts of Terrorism
Next (lower) Silver Medal for Army Valor
Valor militare silver medal BAR.svg
Ribbon bar of the medal

The Silver Medal of Military Valor (called Medaglia d'argento al valor militare in Italian) is a special award given in Italy. It's for people in the military who show amazing bravery and courage during wartime. This medal honors soldiers who perform heroic acts.

History of the Silver Medal

How the Medal Started

The idea for Italian medals of valor began a long time ago. On May 21, 1793, Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia created the first ones. There was a gold medal and a silver medal. These awards were meant for younger officers and regular soldiers. They were given to those who showed great courage in battles.

Changes Over Time

During the time when Napoleon ruled parts of Italy, these medals were not used. But on April 1, 1815, Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia brought them back. However, he stopped using them just a few months later. He replaced them with the Military Order of Savoy. Today, this is known as the Military Order of Italy.

Reinstatement and Purpose

In 1833, Charles Albert of Sardinia realized something important. The Military Order was only for high-ranking officials. He wanted to honor brave acts by all soldiers. So, he brought back the gold and silver medals for valor. These medals were given for noble actions by soldiers. This included acts performed both during war and in times of peace.

Rules for Receiving the Medal

A rule was made on May 24, 1915. It said that a person could only receive a valor medal (silver or gold) three times. After that, they would get a promotion instead. But this limit was removed on June 15, 1922. This meant soldiers could receive the medal more than three times.

The Medal in World War I

During World War I, the Silver Medal was given out often. It went to military members, army units, and even civilians. They received it for showing incredible bravery when facing the enemy. About 38,614 Silver Medals were awarded for individual acts of heroism in World War I. This shows how important and respected the medal was. For comparison, the British Military Cross was awarded about 40,253 times during the same war.

The Medal Today

The Italian state still awards the Silver Medal for Military Valor. It is one of several important Italian military medals. These include the Gold and Bronze Medals for Military Valor. There is also the "Croce di Guerra al Valor Militare" (War Cross of Military Valor). This cross is only given during wartime.

The purpose of these medals was set on November 4, 1932. They are meant "To distinguish and publicly honor the authors of heroic military acts." This includes acts done in peacetime. The act must be closely related to the goals of the Armed Forces. It doesn't matter who the person is or their rank.

Notable Recipients

Ernest Hemingway in Milan 1918 retouched 3
Ernest Hemingway as a Red Cross ambulance driver

Many brave individuals have received the Silver Medal of Military Valor. Here are some of them:

  • Italo Balbo
  • William George Barker VC
  • Nicola Bellomo (twice)
  • Alfred-Ingemar Berndt
  • Aaron Bradshaw Jr.
  • Carlo Emanuele Buscaglia
  • Federico Cafiero
  • Cervi Brothers
  • Mark W. Clark
  • Gino De Giorgi (twice)
  • Ludovico De Filippi
  • Alfred Evans
  • Arturo Ferrarin
  • Alfred Gause
  • Joachim Helbig
  • Ernest Hemingway
  • Sir William Holmes
  • Hans Kroh
  • Alfredo Madau [it]
  • Hans-Joachim Marseille
  • Mario Masciulli
  • Walther Nehring
  • Erwin Rommel
  • Hans-Ulrich Rudel
  • Hippolyte De La Rue
  • Emanuele Ruspoli
  • Nazario Sauro
  • Achille Starace
  • Johannes Streich
  • Walkiria Terradura
  • Attilio Teruzzi
  • Marcello Serrazanetti
  • Edmond Thieffry
  • Cervi Brothers
  • Hans von Luck
  • Guido Jung
  • Ada Gobetti
  • Armando Diaz
  • Gabriele D'Annunzio
  • Alessandro Sinigaglia
  • Mario Fiorentini (thrice)
  • Emilio Lussu (twice)

See also

References

ca:Medalla al Valor Militar (Itàlia) fr:Médaille de la valeur militaire (Italie) it:Valor militare zh:银制勇敢勋章

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