The Iron Cross is perhaps the best known and historically rich German award. Its tradition dates back to 1813, when King Friedrich Wilheim III of Prussia first instituted the award during the War of Liberation against Napoleon. Though it was supposed to be a campaign medal, it was re-instituted in 1870 for the Franco-Prussian War, and again in 1914 for World War I. The defeat of Germany in that war did not diminish military pride in the long term, and the Cross continued to be a symbol of prestige in the inter-war years.
