Cross of Liberty

Cross of Liberty

The Cross of Liberty (Estonian: Vabadusrist) was established by then Prime Minister of Estonia, Konstantin Päts, on 24 February, 1919 to honor people for their services during the Estonian War of Independence and conferred in three divisions (I division white, for military services, II division black, for bravery in combat, III division blue, for civilian services), each in three ranks. Division and rank is attached to the name of recipient in the form of post-nominal letters. The 1. rank of II division was never conferred. Bestowal of the Cross of Liberty was terminated in 1925.

The last recipient of the Cross of Liberty to live was Karl Jaanus VR II/3, who died on 6 October 2000.

Famous recipients of the Cross of Liberty

• The British Unknown Warrior VR I/1
• the French Unknown Soldier VR I/1
• The Italian Unknown Soldier VR I/1
• The city of Verdun VR I/1
• Albert I of Belgium VR I/1
• Jānis Balodis VR I/1
• David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty VR I/1
• Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley VR III/1
• Arthur Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour VR III/1
• Aristide Briand VR III/1
• William Clive Bridgeman, 1st Viscount Bridgeman VR III/1
• Frederick Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan VR I/1
• Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood VR III/1
• Sir Austen Chamberlain VR III/1
• Christian X of Denmark VR I/1
• Sir Otto Von Bismarck VR I/1
• Georges Clemenceau VR III/1
• Walter Cowan VR I/1
• Gaston Doumergue VR III/1
• The Rt. Hon. Herbert Fisher VR III/1
• Ferdinand Foch VR I/1
• Pietro Gasparri VR III/1
• George V of the United Kingdom VR I/1
• Sir Hubert Gough VR I/1
• Gustaf V of Sweden VR III/1
• Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig VR I/1
• Sir John Hanbury-Williams VR III/1
• Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst VR III/1
• Miklós Horthy VR III/1
• Esme Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Penrith VR III/1
• Karl Jaanus VR II/3
• Kyösti Kallio VR III/1 and I/2
• Julius Kuperjanov VR II/2 and II/3
• Johan Laidoner VR I/1 and III/1
• David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor VR III/1
• Benito Mussolini VR III/1
• Karl Parts VR I/1, II/2 and II/3
• Eric Drummond, 7th Earl of Perth VR III/1
• Philippe Pétain VR I/1
• Józef Piłsudski VR I/1 and III/1
• Johan Pitka VR I/1
• Jaan Poska VR III/1
• Konstantin Päts VR I/1 and III/1
• August Rei VR III/1
• Conte Carlo Sforza VR III/1
• Władysław Sikorski VR III/1
• Otto Strandman VR III/1
• William George Tyrrell, 1st Baron Tyrrell VR III/1
• Kārlis Ulmanis VR III/1
• Victor Emmanuel III of Italy VR III/1
• Aleksander Warma VR I/3
• Rosslyn Erskine-Wemyss, 1st Baron Wester Wemyss VR I/1
• Maxime Weygand VR I/1

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