Editing Iron Cross (section)

==Wars of Liberation==

On 17 March 1813 King Frederick William III of Prussia, who had fled to non-occupied Breslau (today [[Wrocław]]), established the military decoration of the Iron Cross, backdated to 10 March (the late [[Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Queen Louise]]'s birthday).<ref name="Nungesser 1987 29">Michael Nungesser. ''Das Denkmal auf dem Kreuzberg von Karl Friedrich Schinkel'', ed. on behalf of the Bezirksamt Kreuzberg von Berlin as catalogue of the exhibition "Das Denkmal auf dem Kreuzberg von Karl Friedrich Schinkel" in the Kunstamt Kreuzberg / Künstlerhaus Bethanien Berlin, between 25 April and 7 June 1987, Berlin: Arenhövel, 1987, p.&nbsp;29. {{ISBN|3-922912-19-2}}.</ref> The Iron Cross was awarded to soldiers during the [[German campaign (Napoleonic Wars)|Wars of Liberation]] against Napoleon. Before a soldier could be awarded with the Iron Cross 1st Class, he needed to have been decorated with the Iron Cross 2nd Class.<ref name="Militaria Lexikon">{{Cite web|title=Eisernes Kreuz 1813 – 1.Klasse|url=http://www.militaria-lexikon.de/katalog/vor1914/vor_EK11813/militaria-lexikon_de_-_eiserne.html|access-date=28 October 2016|publisher=Militaria Lexikon|language=de}}</ref> It was first awarded to [[Karl August Ferdinand von Borcke]] on 21 April 1813.<ref name="borcke">[http://www.borcke.com/upload/dokumente/Generle_v._Borcke.pdf Borcke's Biography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708083604/http://www.borcke.com/upload/dokumente/Generle_v._Borcke.pdf |date=8 July 2011 }}</ref> The first form of the Iron Crosses 1st Class were stitched in ribbon to the left uniform breast. By order of 1 June 1813, the 2nd form was created in cast iron with silver borders, and 8 loops on the reverse, to be fixed to the left uniform breast. In 1817 a total of 670 chevaliers had received the Iron Cross 1st Class.<ref>{{cite book |last=v. Heyden |first=Hermann |title=Ehren-Zeichen |chapter=26. Preussen |publisher=Heinrich Keller |location=Frankfurt a. M.|language=de |year=1897 |pages=134}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="250" perrow="3">
File:Friedrich Wilhelm III., König von Preußen (unbekannter Maler).jpg|left|King [[Frederick William III of Prussia]], creator of the award
File:Iron_Cross_(1813).svg|right|1813 Iron Cross
File:Blücher (nach Gebauer).jpg|right|Field Marshal [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher|Blücher]] wearing the 1813 [[Grand Cross of the Iron Cross]] (around his neck), and the [[Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross|Star]] (on his chest)</gallery>