striking medals as it’s gilded and is quite different than the ubiquitous cross patee. In this case, the cross is a 35mm bronze gilt cross with the tips of the straight arms curving slightly outwards (Figure 25). The obverse has a five-arched crown over the stylized A for Ftirst Adolf* in the center intersection of the four arms with FOR on the top arm, and TREUE DIENST bracketing the central A, and with 1914 on the bottom arm. The seriffed inscription, FI)R/TREUE DIENST, translates as "For Faithful Service." The reverse is plain but polished. It is suspended from a 39mm cornflower-blue ribbon with three 4.5ram white stripes; one in the center and two inset lmm from the edge. The non-combatant ribbon is white with three red stripes with light-blue edges.

*Note: World War I issues do not carry the royal cipher of Prince Adolf-Georg but of Prince Adolf.

Figure 25: Full-size Schaumburg-Lippe traditional

modified medal bar.

Schwarzburg

The Principality of Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen became a German state in 1697 and by 1914 only had a popula- tion of just 93,000. The Silver Medal for Merit in War was originally instituted for the Franco-Prussian War but re-instituted on August 21, 1914 for Sergeant Maj ors (Feldwebels) and enlisted men. The obverse of the 40mm medal is the cypher of two intertwined Gs with a three- arched crown above and 1914 below (Figure 26). The two Gs represent the two sons of Count Giinther when he divided his realm into two states in 1552.The reverse has a laurel wreath with VERDIENST/IM/KRIEG, or "Merit in War," centered in the middle. It is suspended from a striking 28ram dark blue ribbon with three 3mm yellow stripes. For non-combatants, the ribbon had two 3mm yellow stripes set .5mm from the edge, while auxiliaries had a plain dark-blue ribbon. The medal was originally minted in silver but was struck later in silvered bronze, iron or zinc.

Figure 26: Full-size Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen

traditional modified medal bar with the Honor Cross replaced with the World War I Veteran’s Organization

Medal (Deutscher Reichskreigerbund Kyffhiiuser-

DRKB), which should have a black and white ribbon.

Waldeck

The Principality of Waldeck had existed since 1625 and was tiny with an area of 411 square miles. It had a population of only 63,000 citizens in 1914. The Princely Waldeck Merit Medal, 4th Class with Swords was only awarded 4,205 times making it scarce to find on a medal bar (Figure 27). It was instituted in March 1915 and eventually the silver-minted medals were made of a silvered alloy, which are thicker than the original silver medals. The obverse has the three-arch-crowned Gothic initials FB centered (for Friedrich who was the Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and Bathildis who was the princess). The reverse consists of the centered inscription F~R/VERDIENST in gothic letters.

Figure 27: Full-size Waldeck traditional medal bar.

It was not always awarded with swords and those that were have the swords suspended by a ring attached to the center of two crossed-swords that are suspended from a white 26mm wide ribbon with black, red/ orange and yellow 2mm side stripes inset lmm from the edge. The black, red/orange and yellow stripes are the same color as the current German flag.

14 JOMSA

Wiirttemberg

The Kingdom of Wtirttemberg was one of the earlier German states having been founded in 1083, and by 1914 it had a population of 2.5 million. The Silver Military Merit Medal was originally instituted in 1892 but on September 25, 1914 the ribbon was changed to that in Figure 28.

Figure 28: Full-size Wi~rttemberg traditional medal bar.

The obverse shows the right profile of the King of

Wiirttemberg with the inscription, WILHELM II

KOENIG VON WUERTEMBERG ("Wilhelm II King

of Wtirttemberg"). The reverse consists of the inscription

in seriffed capitals DEM/VERDIENSTE surrounded by

a wreath of laurel leaves. Below the inscription is a tiny

Star of David. As mentioned the ribbon was changed to

a 26ram yellow ribbon with two 4ram black side stripes

inset 2mm from the edge.

References

Danner, Dave. "German States EK2 Equivalents." www. Wehrmacht-

Awards.com. Feb. 2001.

Dorling, Taprell H. and Alec A. Purves Ed.. Ribbons and Medals.

London: Osprey Pub. Co.,1983.

Lumsden, Robin. Medals and Decorations of Hitler’s Germany.

Osceola: MBI Pub. Co. 2011.

Nimmergut, Jorg. Deutsche Orden Und Ehrenzeichen 1800 - 1945.

Regenstauf: Battenberg, 2008.

Previtera, Stephen T. The Iron Time: A History of the Iron Cross.

Richmond: Winidore Press, 2007.

Purves, Alec A. The Medals and Decorations of the Great War 1914-

1918. London: J.B. Hayward & Son, 1975.

Robinson, Janet and Joe Robinson. Handbook of Imperial Germany.

Bloomington: Author House, 2009.

Yanacek, Thomas M. Parade Medals Bars of the Third Reich. Atglen:

Schiffer Military History, 2008.

BOOK REVIEW

Lest We Forget: Masterpieces of Patriotic Jewelry

and Military Decorations by Judith Price. Taylor

Trade Publishing, 2011. Hardcover, 160 pages with

numerous color illustrations. ISBN: 978-1589796867.

$29.95 (to be published 11 November 2011).

This book by Judith Price, the President of the National

Jewelry Institute, commemorates the Institute’s fifteenth

exhibition related to jewelry: "War and Peace:

Masterpieces of Patriotic Jewelry and Decorations."

It features 150 items of military jewelry and military

medals, orders and decorations loaned to the exhibition

by some of the most important military museums in

the United States, Britain and France, including the

British Museum, the West Point Museum, the Imperial

War Museum, the British Museum, the National Army

Museum, the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor

and the Eisenhower Presidential Museum and Library.

The book is divided into four sections: "War, .... Valor,"

"Memories" and "Peace." Each section describes orders, decorations, medals and military jewelry appropriate

to that section with excellent color illustrations.

In addition, each section includes interviews with experts from several of the above-named institutions,

that expand upon the role that the items played in commemorating the history of war and peace.

Some of the items discussed and illustrated in the "War" section are: Lafayette’s Cross of the Order of Saint-Louis; nine Civil War Corps badges; Fabergd Eagle trays from 1914 and items of military jewelry by Tiffany & Co. Items in the "Valor" section include: a Capture of Andrd; two Medals of Honor; French Marshal Alphonse Juin’s Distinguished Service Medal, numerous foreign decorations awarded to British Field Marshal Edmund Allenby; and a number of marshals’ batons. The "Memories" section includes the 1861 Fort Sumter decoration awarded to Major Robert Anderson; and numerous sweetheart pins, brooches, and badges from various wars. Items in the "Peace" section include: a George Washington Peace Medal, c. 1776; Indian peace medals awarded by presidents from Washington to Harrison; and numerous pieces of patriotic jewelry to commemorate the end of the two world wars.

While this book contains items other than medals, the excellent color photos and the interesting text will provide an excellent "read" for any medal collector.

Vol. 62, No. 6 (November-December 2011) 15

MEDALS HONORING THE ITALIAN IRREDENTISTS

DANIEL E. SPEIR

The polyglot empire that was Austria-Hungary contained a great many ethnic non-German and non-Magyar citizens within its borders. During the rise of nationalism in the last half of the nineteenth century, a significant number of the empire’s ethnic Italian citizens became dedicated irredentists, in that they renounced the jurisdiction of Austria-Hungary, and anticipated the day when Italian- speaking telTitories within the empire would become part of Italy. It fact, the term "irredentist" originated from the Italian word irredenta, meaning "unredeemed.’’~ Most Italian irredentists resided in what today consists of the northeastern Italian regions of Veneto, Fruili, Venezia, Guili and Trentino.

During the revolutionary turmoil of 1848-1849, Italian nationalists and irredentists made their first concentrated efforts to wrest ethnic Italian provinces from the Austrians. Lombardy and Venezia, taking advantage of the revolutions throughout the empire, revolted. After regaining its military composure, Austria sent an army to crush the Italian rebels. Fighting was bitter, but eventually the superior numbers, equipment and training of the Austrians prevailed. It was not until the conclusion of the Franco-Austrian war of 1859 that most of Lombardy was finally ceded to Italy (i.e. the kingdom of Piedmont- Sardinia) by way of France.

The Seven Weeks War of 1866 provided the next opportunity for pan-Italians to fight for the liberation of their Italian-speaking brethren. Allied with Prussia against Austria, the Italians were soundly defeated by both the Austrian army and navy; but, the decisive victories of the Prussian army entitled Italy to share in the spoils of peace.2 Thanks to a secret treaty between France and Prussia, Italy acquired the region of Fruili-Venezia from Austria.

After the Seven Weeks War, much of the territorial objectives of Italian irredentism had been realized. However, a sizeable number of ethnic Italians believed that the frontiers of Italy should extend to the city of Trieste, and beyond. Guglielmo Oberdan, born in Trieste in 1858 as Wilhelm Oberdank, was one such individual. After being inducted into the Austro-Hungarian army, Oberdan fled to Italy rather than participate in the occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina.3 In Rome Oberdan found support among other irredentists. Convinced that the only way to liberate Trieste from Austrian role was to eliminate the elnperor, Oberdan and an accomplice

conspired to assassinate Franz Josef during an upcoming visit to that city.4 On September 16, 1882, Oberdan crossed the border from Italy into Austria-Hungary with two "Orsini" bombs,s He had been betrayed, however, and Austrian police quickly arrested him with the bombs in his possession. Oberdan was tried and convicted by court-martial in Trieste for desertion and conspiracy to kill the emperor, and subsequently sentenced to death. Oberdan’s reported last words before being hanged on December 20, 1882, were, "Long live Italy! Long live free Trieste! Out with the foreigners!" in short order, Oberdan’s martyrdom inspired the creation of no less that 49 irredentist "Oberdan societies" in Italy and Austria.~

In 1915, when Italy entered the First World War on the side of the Allies, many irredentists welcomed the opportunity to fight the detested Austrians. Damian Chiesa was born an Austro-Hungarian subject in Trento in 1894, but rejected Austrian authority at an early age. As a young man he attended the School of Naval Engineering in Genoa and when Italy entered the war, Chiesa enlisted in the Italian Army under the pseudonym of "Mario Angelotti." Subsequently commissioned as a lieutenant in the 9th Infantry Regiment, Chiesa and his men were tasked with constructing a gun emplacement on Mount Zugna in the Julian Alps. On May 17, 1916, Chiesa’s position was attacked by the Austrians and he was taken prisoner. Chiesa, by now using his true name, was accused of high treason by Austrian military authorities and ordered to be court-martialed in Trento. Chiesa strongly denied being an Austro-Hungarian citizen, but was nonetheless convicted and sentenced to death. On the evening of May 19, 1916, Chiesa was executed by firing squad] Chiesa was posthumously awarded Italy’s AI Valore Militare in gold.

Cesare Battisti was also born in Trento, in 1875. As a young university graduate, Battisti became a journalist and promoter of the rights of ethnic Italians. Initially, Battisti worked within the Austrian system, even stowing as a Socialist deputy in his provincial assembly, and then the Austrian Reichsrat. In 1913, Battista becalne a paid spy for the Italian army, studying military aspects of the Trentino region. Upon learning of Austria’s declaration of war against Serbia in August, 1914, Battista quickly moved to italy, where he became a vocal proponent of Italy’s intervention on behalf of the Allies.s

When Italy finally entered the war, Battista enlisted in

16 JOMSA