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The Pour le Mérite (German: [puːɐ̯ lə meˈʁiːt]; [3] French: [puʁ lə me.ʁit], lit. ' For Merit '), also informally known as the Blue Max (German: Blauer Max) after German WWI flying ace Max Immelmann, is an order of merit established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia.
Since the foundation, a total of 5,430 persons received this award. The Pour le Mérite was the Kingdom of Prussia 's highest military order for officers until the end of World War I . Its equivalent for non-commissioned officers and enlisted men was the Military Merit Cross .
The award was given only to flying personnel (pilots and aircrew). [1] Recipients' named were published in the periodical Ehrenliste der Deutschen Luftwaffe (Honor List of the German Air Force). German archives indicate that approximately 58,000 were given "on paper", but only 13–15,000 goblets were actually awarded according to the records. [2]
Blue Max is an informal name of Pour le Mérite, a German military decoration from 1740 until the end of World War I. Blue Max may also refer to: Blue Max (1983) and its sequel Blue Max 2001; Blue Max: Aces of the Great War, a 1990 video game; Blue Max (1983) The Blue Max, a 1966 film
Awards and decorations of Nazi Germany were military, political, and civilian decorations that were bestowed between 1923 and 1945, first by the Nazi Party and later the state of Nazi Germany. The first awards began in the 1920s, before the Nazis had come to national power in Germany , with the political decorations worn on Party uniforms ...
Hans-Joachim Buddecke (22 August 1890 – 10 March 1918) was a German flying ace in World War I, credited with thirteen victories. He was the third ace, after Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke, to earn the Blue Max (Pour le Mérite). He saw combat in three theaters during the First World War: Bulgaria, Turkey, and the Western Front. [1]
The reunification of Germany saw new regulations concerning the status of East German awards introduced into the German military. These regulations typically stipulated that awards associated with the Communist regime were prohibited from display, but did recognize the status and continued wear of certain non-political service medals.
Wilhelm Marschall (30 September 1886 – 20 March 1976) was a German admiral during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Pour le Mérite which he received as commander of the U-boat UB-105 during World War I. The Pour le Mérite was the Kingdom of Prussia ' s highest military order for German officers until the end of World War I.