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Who could receive the Croix de Guerre during the World Wars?
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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") was established to recognize acts of bravery during the two World Wars. Eligibility for this medal was broad, extending to:
- Armed Forces: Any member of the military who performed feats of valor.
- Individuals: Both French citizens and foreign nationals who were mentioned in army dispatches.
- Groups: In special circumstances, the award could be conferred upon entire military units or even towns.
The decoration was awarded based on the level of the dispatch in which the recipient was mentioned, ranging from brigade or regimental levels up to full army dispatches.1