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Order of the White Eagle (Yugoslavia)
Encyclopedia
Order of the White Eagle was a Royal Order in the Kingdom of Serbia
(1883 - 1918) and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
(1918 - 1945). King
Milan I of Serbia instituted the Order of the White Eagle on 23 January 1883, concurrently with the Order of St. Sava
. The Order had five classes and was conferred on Serbian and Yugoslav citizens for achievements in peace or war, or for special merits to the Crown, the state and nation. In the period between 1883 and 1898 Order of the White Eagle was the highest award in the Kingdom of Serbia. In 1898 the Royal Order of Miloš the Great took precedence over the White Eagle and in 1904 the former was replaced by the Order of the Karađorđe's Star.
After his accession to the throne in 1903, King Peter I of Serbia continued awarding the Order of the White Eagle, but the reverse of the medallion had the year of the proclamation of the Kingdom (1883) instead of the cipher of Milan I.
The white eagle
with wings displayed was re-established as the State Arms of Serbia, symbol descended from the Emperor
s of Byzantium
. The order had a War Merit Division, with crossed swords between the Royal Crown and eagle's heads, that was introduced in 1915, and conferred for conspicuous bravery of the officers in the field.
The Order is conferred by the Crown. Recent awards include last Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of St. John (Fr. Angelo de Moiana da Cologna), as well as posthumous conferment upon three Crown Council Members.
The order was disestablished in 1945, with the end of the monarchy but the status of a decoration continued in SFRY for the War Merit Division of this decoration.
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia was created when Prince Milan Obrenović, ruler of the Principality of Serbia, was crowned King in 1882. The Principality of Serbia was ruled by the Karađorđevic dynasty from 1817 onwards . The Principality, suzerain to the Porte, had expelled all Ottoman troops by 1867, de...
(1883 - 1918) and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
(1918 - 1945). King
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
Milan I of Serbia instituted the Order of the White Eagle on 23 January 1883, concurrently with the Order of St. Sava
Order of St. Sava
The Order of St. Sava was a decoration instituted by the order King Milan I of Serbia in 1883. The Order of Saint Sava originally was established to recognize civilians for meritorious achievements in the arts and sciences. In 1914 a change was made permitting military personnel to receive the...
. The Order had five classes and was conferred on Serbian and Yugoslav citizens for achievements in peace or war, or for special merits to the Crown, the state and nation. In the period between 1883 and 1898 Order of the White Eagle was the highest award in the Kingdom of Serbia. In 1898 the Royal Order of Miloš the Great took precedence over the White Eagle and in 1904 the former was replaced by the Order of the Karađorđe's Star.
After his accession to the throne in 1903, King Peter I of Serbia continued awarding the Order of the White Eagle, but the reverse of the medallion had the year of the proclamation of the Kingdom (1883) instead of the cipher of Milan I.
The white eagle
Serbian eagle
The double-headed eagle is a common symbol in Serbian heraldry and vexillology; the heads represent the dual sovereignty of the emperor and/or dominance of the Byzantine Emperors over both East and West....
with wings displayed was re-established as the State Arms of Serbia, symbol descended from the Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
s of Byzantium
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
. The order had a War Merit Division, with crossed swords between the Royal Crown and eagle's heads, that was introduced in 1915, and conferred for conspicuous bravery of the officers in the field.
The Order is conferred by the Crown. Recent awards include last Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of St. John (Fr. Angelo de Moiana da Cologna), as well as posthumous conferment upon three Crown Council Members.
The order was disestablished in 1945, with the end of the monarchy but the status of a decoration continued in SFRY for the War Merit Division of this decoration.
Description
The Order of the White Eagle had five degrees, and could be awarded with swords for the military services, with or without swords for civil merit. The Order was organized into five classes:- 1st Class – Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle
- 2nd Class – Grand Officer's Cross of the Order of the White Eagle
- 3rd Class – Commander's Cross of the Order of the White Eagle
- 4th Class – Officer's Cross of the Order of the White Eagle
- 5th Class – Knight's Cross of the Order of the White Eagle
| Order of the White Eagle | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Cross/First Class | Great Officer/Second Class | Commander/Third Class | Officer/Fourth Class | Knight/Fifth Class | |
| Order of the White Eagle with Swords | |||||
| Grand Cross/First Class | Great Officer/Second Class | Commander/Third Class | Officer/Fourth Class | Knight/Fifth Class | |