Légion d'Honneur

[Hobbes]

I must say while doing all this research for events in La Grande Guerre one or two things have taken me by surprise. Have any of you heard of the War of the Rif? Or Wassmuss? (If you are French, Spanish or German you probably have).

Given the love/hate relationship between the English and the French it almost brought a tear to my eye to find that the French awarded Lawrence of Arabia the Légion d'Honneur. I had a look on the internet to find out how high the honour was only to find that Clint Eastwood also has one along with Céline Dion and Vladimir Putin.

My eyes have dried.
Chris

[Pocus]

In a not so distant time, it was an award only given to truly heroic feats. See who had it at the time of Lawrence of Arabia, to get more accurate examples.

Nowadays, it is almost given to everybody and his cat, alas.

[Comtedemeighan]

I've heard of the Rif war before I think they mentioned it in Savage war of peace by Alistair Horne..

[Le Ricain]

And I have heard of Wilhelm Wassmuss before. He was the German 'Lawrence of Persia'. In one of those fact is stranger than fiction moments Wassmuss was unwittingly involved in the Zimmerman Telegram affair. Will this be an event in the game?

[Hobbes]

Wassmuss and the Telegram are in the game as seperate events.
He leaked a few codes I think.

Cheers, Chris

[Adlertag]

Even at start, the Legion d'Honneur was created to reward both civilians and soldiers.
The 4 ranks also help to distinguish between truly heroic or noble behaviour and a more "common" one (such as singing high for Celine Dion ).

[Hobbes]

Even at start, the Legion d'Honneur was created to reward both civilians and soldiers.
The 4 ranks also help to distinguish between truly heroic or noble behaviour and a more "common" one (such as singing high for Celine Dion ).

Did Lawrence get a higher rank than Céline?

[Korrigan]

Nowadays, it is almost given to everybody and his cat, alas.

Hear, hear...

[Adlertag]

Did Lawrence get a higher rank than Céline?

Seems Lawrence was Knight (1st rank), same as C.Dion

[Jojo le Gouffy]

Comme quoi, il est préférable d'être une chanteuse.
On prend moins de risques

[Hobbes]

Seems Lawrence was Knight (1st rank), same as C.Dion

That's a shame. It should be quite an honour to get an award from an old time enemy like the French. But as Pocus mentioned it probably meant more at the time.

Chris

[Adlertag]

Other Great People from UK owning Legion d'Honneur :

Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and the late Lord Mountbatten (Grand Cross).
Sir Laurence Olivier (Officer).

[arsan]

Seems Lawrence was Knight (1st rank), same as C.Dion

Well i hope at least Clint got 1st Rank also
As a Spaniard i've heard about the Rif war of course.
Wassmuss?? Nope!
CHeers