Blue Max Military Merit Cross World War I Luftstreitkräfte Pin

The Order Pour le Mérite (Order of Merit), also known as the Blauer Max, established in 1740, was the highest Prussian honour awarded until the end of the First World War, joined in 1842 by a "peace class" (Pour le Mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste).

Abolished in 1918, it was reborn in 1952, when the awarding of the Peace Honor of Science and Art, linked to scientific and artistic merit, was re-established.

The decoration was created in 1740 by Frederick the Great, drawing inspiration from the Ordre de la Générosité created by his grandfather, using French, then the most widely spoken language in European royal courts. Until 1810, the decoration was awarded for both civil and military merit; in January of that year, King Frederick William III of Prussia established that the decoration be awarded only to military personnel.

It was during the First World War that the decoration gained international fame. Although all recipients were military officers, the most famous were the pilots of the Luftstreitkräfte, whose exploits were greatly highlighted by war propaganda. Pilots could wear the Pour le Mérite after having (confirmedly) shot down at least eight enemy aircraft. Flying ace Max Immelmann was the first pilot to receive the decoration, and from then on, among pilots, the decoration was nicknamed Blauer Max, combining Max Immelmann's name with the blue color of the cross's ribbon (in Italian: Blu Max).

During the war, the number of enemy aircraft that needed to be shot down to earn the decoration continued to increase, reaching sixteen confirmed kills.

Recipients of the Blauer Max were required to wear a special badge on their uniform, consisting of a blue Maltese Cross surrounded by eagles between the arms of the cross, with the words Pour le Mérite on the cross.