WWI Austrian Bravery Medals

The Austrian Tapferkeit Medaille (Bravery Medal) was at first an award for the enlisted ranks for bravery in battle. Originally there were three classes; the Gold Class, and the 1st and 2nd Class in silver (distinguishable by size). In 1915 a bronze class was introduced, and after September 1917 the gold and silver classes were also available to officers.

Shown here are a 2nd class silver and two bronze versions. The silver medal and right side bronze bear the image of Emperor Franz Joseph with the words "FRANZ JOSEPH I V.G.G. KAISER V. OESTERREICH" (Franz Joseph I, by the grace of God, Emperor of Austria). The reverse of these medals have the words "DER TAPFERKEIT" (for bravery) in German.

Franz Joseph died in November 1916 at the age of 86, leaving quite a mess for his grand-nephew Karl, who ascended the throne in the midst of World War I. His reign was short; with the end of the war, the monarchy was dissolved. The later Tapferkeit medal shown bottom left depicts Emperor Karl with the text "CAROLVaS D.G. IMP. AVST. REX BOH. ETC. ET REX APOST. HVNG." (Karl, by the grace of God, Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia etc. and Apostolic King of Hungary). In a move that may have been an attempt at appeasing his multi-lingual empire, the reverse was changed from German to the Latin word “FORTITVDINI" (For Bravery).

I picked up the silver medal at a Hungarian flea market outside a NATO staging base for entry into Bosnia back in the 1990s. The bronze Franz Joseph Medal came home with an American Doughboy who fought on the Italian front in WWI. The bronze Karl medal was an eBay purchase - I wanted a Karl to go along with my two Franz

(Fellow oldsters, do not attempt to adjust your bifocals looking at that last photo. It’s supposed to be that way)