The Crosses of Military Merit (or Cruces del Mérito Militar) are Spain’s military awards for gallantry or merit in war or peace, awarded to members of the Spanish Armed Forces, Guardia Civil or civilians.
Established on 3 August 1864 by Queen Isabella II as the Order of Military Merit (Orden del Mérito Militar), it has been amended many times (in 1918, 1926, 1931, 1938, 1942, 1976, 1995, 2003 and 2007). During the Spanish Civil War it was recognized by both sides of the conflict.
According to the current regulations the decoration is conferred in the following classes:
The categories are as follows:
Multiple awards of each class and each category to the same individual are possible.
The decoration has the form of a Greek cross with the arms enameled red in the Red Decoration category and white in the remaining categories. The Blue Decoration and Yellow Decoration badges have additional narrow bars in blue or yellow across the lower and lateral arms.
The upper arm is surmounted by a Spanish royal crown and has a tablet to engrave the date of bestowal. The round central shield of the obverse bears the coat of arms of Castile, León, Aragon, Navarre and Granada; in the middle there is a blue oval shield of the House of Bourbon-Anjou. On the reverse there are letters “MM” (Mérito Militar) on red background. The cross is worn on a ribbon on the left side of chest. Each subsequent award is denoted by a bar with the date of bestowal on the ribbon.
The star added to the class of Grand Cross is gilt, eight-pointed, with the cross superimposed on it; currently between the arms of the cross there are alternate towers (Castile) and lions (León).
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