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Summary

The Exploits of Men Decorated with the Order of St. George in World War I in the Light of Regimental Combat Activity Diaries

Established in 1769 by Empress Catherine II, the Order of St. George and, since 1913, the accompanying Sword of St. George, were the Russian Army’s most prized decorations, awarded only to officers for outstanding personal bravery. During the First World War, thousands of officers were awarded the Order or the Sword of St. George. Honouring, especially for military merit, is always subjective, and the Order of St. George is no exception. When comparing the decorations awarded to infantry regiment commanders with the entries in the regimental combat activity diaries, it is striking that the descriptions of heroic deeds and the entries in the diaries do not always match. Of the 78 regimental commanders awarded the Order of St. George or the Sword of St. George in the first months of the First World War examined in this article, there were major or minor discrepancies in 30 cases, that is more than a third of the cases. The anomalies can roughly be categorised as minor and major. In the former case, for example, the date of the event or the number of trophies and prisoners taken in battle were incorrectly recorded. Serious anomalies are cases where the person awarded the decoration did not take part in the battle at all, or where his contribution has been greatly exaggerated, or where the entire course of the battle has been distorted (positions not actually held, no attack on which the decoration was based, etc.). Obviously, it is not possible to draw far-reaching conclusions from such a small sample. It can only be assumed that over the course of the war, the decoration procedure became stricter compared to the beginning of the war, and it was probably more difficult for junior officers (ensigns, lieutenants, captains) to receive dubious decorations. However, it is astonishing how many regimental commanders of the Russian Army received the highest military award in the first weeks of the war, in several cases already in their first combat contact with the enemy. This seems to reflect the belief prevalent throughout Europe at the time that the war, which began in the summer of 1914, would not last long, and therefore there was a rush to perform heroic deeds and to grant awards. On the other hand, the devaluation of awards can be considered a sign of decline of the state. Finally, it can be said that a simple comparison of different sources can bring out some interesting nuances.