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What does the Croix de Guerre look like?
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Pierre and Marie Curie depicted on the obverse of a medal from the Unio Internationalis Contra Cancrum (International Union Against Cancer) commemorating the Curies' discovery of radium in 1898.
The Croix de Guerre (French for "War Cross") is a bronze medal designed as a large Maltese Cross featuring crossed swords.1
One side of the medal displays the female head of the Republic, accompanied by the inscription République Française. The reverse side is inscribed with the relevant years of service, specifically 1914–1918 or 1939–1945 (or occasionally just 1939).1
The decoration is often accompanied by specific emblems that denote the level of the military dispatch in which the recipient was mentioned:1
* Bronze palm: Army dispatch1
* Silver gilt star: Army corps dispatch1
* Silver star: Divisional dispatch1
* Bronze star: Brigade or regimental dispatch1