Cruciada împotriva comunismului
Encyclopedia
The Cruciada împotriva comunismului ("Crusade Against Communism
", in reference to Operation Barbarossa
) was a Romania
n World War II
medal
, instituted on April 1, 1942 by the Royal Decree No. 1014, of King
Michael I of Romania
. It was commissioned to recognise the distinguished service of Romanian and other Axis Powers
military and civilian personnel operating on both the Eastern
and Home
fronts (see Romania during World War II
).
construction features on the front side a clenched fist holding a sword representative of the campaign. The same side also displays the date 1941 and around its circumference is written CRUCIADA ÎMPOTRIVA COMUNISMULUI. The reverse side features the Romanian liberty symbol and the phrase ROMÂNIA RECUNOSCĂTOARE, translated in English as "Romania is Grateful". The reverse sometimes features the name "P. GRANT" under the liberty symbol. The medal is suspended by medal ribbon which is of primarily of red, bordered by white and the centre featuring the national colours of Romania
, red, yellow and blue.
Bars awarded subsequently were worn below the original one on the medal ribbon, and all of the additional bars were silver. The rarest of all bars is the Stalingrad one, due largely to the fact that very few Axis survived the 1943 battle
(those recipients who were captured often lost or discarded their awards, or had these confiscated).
, and issued retrospectively to the starting date of Operation Barbarossa (the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union
). Cruciada împotriva comunismului was produced by a number of firms within Romania, and was also made under licence by the German
maker C. E. Junker of Berlin
. The number of medals made and awarded is unknown, but believed to be in excess of 1,250,000.
Whilst not rare today, following the war, many awards were discarded by their owners for fear of prosecution and reprisal by the Soviet occupiers and later by Communist authorities
.
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
", in reference to Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
) was a Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
medal
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
, instituted on April 1, 1942 by the Royal Decree No. 1014, of King
King of Romania
King of the Romanians , rather than King of Romania , was the official title of the ruler of the Kingdom of Romania from 1881 until 1947, when Romania was proclaimed a republic....
Michael I of Romania
Michael I of Romania
Michael was the last King of Romania. He reigned from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930, and again from 6 September 1940 until 30 December 1947 when he was forced, by the Communist Party of Romania , to abdicate to the Soviet armies of occupation...
. It was commissioned to recognise the distinguished service of Romanian and other Axis Powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
military and civilian personnel operating on both the Eastern
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
and Home
Battle of Romania (1944)
The Jassy–Kishinev Operation, named after the two major cities, Iaşi and Chişinău, in the staging area, was a Soviet offensive against Axis forces, which took place in Eastern Romania from 20–29 August 1944...
fronts (see Romania during World War II
Romania during World War II
Following the outbreak of World War II on 1 September 1939, the Kingdom of Romania officially adopted a position of neutrality. However, the rapidly changing situation in Europe during 1940, as well as domestic political upheaval, undermined this stance. Fascist political forces such as the Iron...
).
Medal
The medal, of 31.5 mm in diameter and of brassBrass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
construction features on the front side a clenched fist holding a sword representative of the campaign. The same side also displays the date 1941 and around its circumference is written CRUCIADA ÎMPOTRIVA COMUNISMULUI. The reverse side features the Romanian liberty symbol and the phrase ROMÂNIA RECUNOSCĂTOARE, translated in English as "Romania is Grateful". The reverse sometimes features the name "P. GRANT" under the liberty symbol. The medal is suspended by medal ribbon which is of primarily of red, bordered by white and the centre featuring the national colours of Romania
Flag of Romania
The national flag of Romania is a tricolour with vertical stripes: beginning from the flagpole, blue, yellow and red. It has a width-length ratio of 2:3....
, red, yellow and blue.
Bars
When issued to the recipients operating on the front lines one of 15 bars was included indicative of area of service. Like the medal, these were brass-made and worn over the ribbon bar. The bars stood for:- AzovAzov-External links:** *...
- BasarabiaBessarabiaBessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
- BucovinaBukovinaBukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
- Southern BugSouthern BugThe Southern Bug, also called Southern Buh), is a river located in Ukraine. The source of the river is in the west of Ukraine, in the Volyn-Podillia Upland, about 145 km from the Polish border, and flows southeasterly into the Bug Estuary through the southern steppes...
- CalmuciaKalmyk SteppeKalmuk Steppe, or Kalmyk Steppe is a steppe of approximately 100,000 km², bordering the northwest Caspian Sea, bounded by the Volga on the N.E., the Manych on the S.W. and the territory of the Don Cossacks on the N.W...
- CaucazCaucasusThe Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
- CrimeeaCrimeaCrimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
(occasionally spelled Crimeia) - DobrogeaDobrujaDobruja is a historical region shared by Bulgaria and Romania, located between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, including the Danube Delta, Romanian coast and the northernmost part of the Bulgarian coast...
- DoneţSeversky DonetsSeversky Donets is a river on the south of the East European Plain. It originates in the Central Russian Upland, north of Belgorod, flows south-east through Ukraine and then again through Russia to join the Don River, about from the Sea of Azov...
- Marea NeagrăBlack SeaThe Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
(occasionally spelled Mare Negru) - NipruDnieper RiverThe Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...
- NistruDniesterThe Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe. It runs through Ukraine and Moldova and separates most of Moldova's territory from the breakaway de facto state of Transnistria.-Names:...
- OdessaOdessaOdessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
- Prut
- Stalingrad
Bars awarded subsequently were worn below the original one on the medal ribbon, and all of the additional bars were silver. The rarest of all bars is the Stalingrad one, due largely to the fact that very few Axis survived the 1943 battle
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
(those recipients who were captured often lost or discarded their awards, or had these confiscated).
Other characteristics
The medal continued to be awarded until its disestablishment in October 1944, after Romania joined the AlliesAllies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
, and issued retrospectively to the starting date of Operation Barbarossa (the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
). Cruciada împotriva comunismului was produced by a number of firms within Romania, and was also made under licence by the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
maker C. E. Junker of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. The number of medals made and awarded is unknown, but believed to be in excess of 1,250,000.
Whilst not rare today, following the war, many awards were discarded by their owners for fear of prosecution and reprisal by the Soviet occupiers and later by Communist authorities
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
.