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Orders, decorations, and medals of France

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This is a list of some of the modern orders, decorations and medals of France. Some, like the Legion of Honour, are awarded to both the armed forces and civilians. Others are decorations of a pure civilian or military character. Only four of the 19 Ministerial orders have survived the reform of the French system of decorations in 1963. The others were replaced by the Ordre national du Mérite.

The Grand Chancery of the Legion of Honour classifies the national system of honours of France into two categories: those honours awarded on behalf of the President of the Republic and ministerial honours. The orders and decorations presented on behalf of the president are the Legion of Honour, Order of Liberation, Military Medal, National Order of Merit, and National Medal of Recognition for victims of terrorism. The ministerial honours include French military decorations, the existing ministerial orders, ministerial awards for acts of courage and honor medals, and commemorative medals.[1]

National orders

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Legion of Honour Order of Liberation National Order of Merit

Ministerial orders

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Order of Academic Palms Order of Arts and Letters Order of Agricultural Merit Order of Maritime Merit

Military decorations

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Military Medal War Cross (1914–1918) War Cross (1939–1945) War Cross for foreign operational theaters Cross for Military Valour Medal of the Gendarmerie nationale
Resistance Medal Escapees' Medal Volunteer combatant's cross 1914–1918 Volunteer combatant's cross Cross of the resistance volunteer combatant Combatant's Cross
Aeronautical Medal Overseas Medal Medal for voluntary military service National Defence Medal Medal for the War Wounded Military Health Service honour medal

Rewards for acts of courage and ministerial honour medals

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Honour medal for courage and devotion Honour medal for penitentiary administration Honour medal of Aeronautics Honour medal of Foreign Affairs Honour medal of agriculture Insignia for wounded civilians
Honour medal for railways Honour medal for Indirect Taxation Regional, departmental and municipal honour medal Customs honour medal Honour medal for water and forests Honour medal of teaching of the first degree
Medal of the French Family Honour medal for youth, sports and associative engagements Honour medal for merchant seamen and fisheries Medal of Mines Honour medal for civilian personnel of the defense ministry Honour medal of the National Police
Honour medal for post and telecommunications Honour medal for judicial protection of youth National Recognition Medal of Victims of Terrorism Honour medal for Health and Social Affairs Honour medal for firefighters Medal for internal security
Honour medal for judicial services Honour medal for music and chorale societies Medal of Tourism Honour medal for road transport Honour medal for work Honour medal for public works

Commemorative medals

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19th century

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Saint Helena Medal Commemorative medal of the 1859 Italian Campaign Commemorative medal of the 1860 China Expedition Commemorative medal of the 1862 Mexico Expedition Commemorative medal of the 1870–1871 War
First Madagascar campaign medal 1883 Tonkin Expedition commemorative medal 1883–1885 Dahomey Expedition commemorative medal 1892 Second Madagascar campaign medal 1894–1895 Colonial Medal

1900–1914

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1901 China expedition commemorative medal Morocco commemorative medal (1909)

First World War (1914–1918)

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1914–1918 Inter-Allied Victory medal 1914–1918 Commemorative war medal Dardanelles campaign medal Orient campaign medal
Medal of French Gratitude Medal for civilian prisoners, deportees and hostages of the 1914-1918 Great War Medal for victims of the invasion

Between the two wars (1918–1939)

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Syria-Cilicia commemorative medal

Second World War (1939–1945)

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1939–1945 Commemorative war medal 1943–1944 Italian campaign medal Medal of a liberated France
Commemorative medal for voluntary service in Free France Deported for acts of resistance medal Interned for acts of resistance medal Political deportee's medal Political internee's medal Recusant's insignia

After 1945

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United Nations operations in Korea commemorative medal Indochina Campaign commemorative medal Middle East operations commemorative medal North Africa Security and Order Operations Commemorative Medal North Africa medal
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon medal Medal of the Nation's Gratitude French commemorative medal Medal for the Military Protection of the Territory
Médaille de la FINUL (recto)
Médaille de la FINUL (recto)

Territorial order

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Order of Tahiti Nui

Abolished or dormant decorations

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Royal orders

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Order of the Holy Spirit Order of Saint Michael Order of Saint Louis Order of Military Merit

Ministerial orders

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Order of Combatant Merit Order of Military Merit Order of Civil Merit Order of Social Merit Order of Working Merit
Order of Touristic Merit Order of the National Economy Order of Commercial & Industrial Merit Order of Artisanal Merit Order of Public Health
Order of Postal Merit Order of Sporting Merit

Colonial orders

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Indochinese Order of Merit Saharan Order of Merit Order of the Black Star Order of the Star of Anjouan Order of Nichan el Anouar
Order of the Dragon of Annam Royal Order of Cambodia

Rewards for acts of courage and ministerial honour medals

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Departmental and municipal honour medal

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The national system". Grand Chancery of the Legion of Honor. Retrieved 25 January 2017.