!!!Maria-Theresien-Orden

Order of Maria Theresia, also called Military Order of Maria Theresia; 
created by the monarch herself. The highest decoration for bravery, 
this order was first awarded to officers of the imperial troops who 
had won victory in the Battle of  Kolin on June 18, 1757. The order 
was awarded to officers for distinguished service on the battlefield 
without regard to either their social rank or their religion. At first 
the order existed in two different categories, to which a third was 
added in 1765 (Great Cross, Commander´s Cross, Knight´s 
Cross). Those who had been awarded this decoration received a pension 
out of the order´s funds. By 1931 (the year in which the last 
session of the order´s chapter was held) 1,241 officers had been 
awarded the order. Its last holder, Baron G. v.  Banfield, died in 
1986. He had fought as a naval airman in World War I.

!Literature
P. Broucek, Der Geburtstag der Monarchie. Die Schlacht bei 
Kolin 1757, 1982.


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