During World War I a total of 533 medals were awarded to the German army. Of this total 214 were awarded to officers with command positions. Most of the awards for high ranking officers were given out during the first years of the war and then it was reversed that lower ranking field officers were awarded the most during the later half of the war. This may have been a morale tactic on the Kaiser's part. Almost all of the Oakleaves during the war were awarded to the army officers.

Bavarian corp at Augsburg

The first four Pour le Mérite awards given out during the war were given to members of the army. The first medal was awarded to General von Emmich on the 7th of August 1914. It was awarded in honor of his leadership role in the battle to neutralize Liege fortifications. Heavy resistance was encountered by the brave defenders and the city lasted 12 days. In the end the Belgian defenders were no match against the heavy artillery and surrendered. General Erich von Ludendorff was the second to receive the Pour le Mérite, which was personally awarded to him by Kaiser Wilhelm. General Paul von Hindenburg who was called out of retirement received the third award of the war, and the fourth was awarded to General of the Infantry von Zwehl for the conquest of Maubeuge, which was the last major fortress on the German invasion path. (Each of these men had incredible military careers and for more information about them and how they earned their honors please find their names listed below.)

German Riflemen

The fifth Pour le Mérite was awarded to a 22 year old Leutnant von der Linde of the 5th Guard Regiment. He captured Fort Malonne at Namur with only the aid of four other volunteers from his unit. This act of bravery so bold and brazen that it impressed the Kaiser. Amazingly enough, when the fortress was captured, they did not have a proper German flag to replace the Belgian flag, so they hoisted up a white shirt, a black coat, and a red pair of pants!! This is one among many stories of courage and bravery within the ranks of the Order of the Pour le Mérite.

ALPHABETICAL ORDER

A

Col. Armand von Alberti awarded on -- 8 Nov 1918
Lt. Gen. Victor Albrecht awarded on -- 9 April 1918
Lt. Col. d' Alton-Rauch awarded on -- 15 Aug 1918
Maj. Walther Arens awarded on -- 25 Oct 1918
Capt. Achim von Arnim awarded on -- 17 April 1918

B

Maj. Baader awarded on -- 20 Oct. 1918
Gen. Inf. Ernst von Bacmeister awarded on -- 8 Oct 1917
Lt. Gen. William Balcke awarded on 9 March 1918
Lt. Col. Hermann von Balcke awarded on -- 29 July 1917
Capt. Victor Bangert awarded on -- 24 Nov. 1917
Maj. Barth awarded on -- 9 Aug 1918
Lt. Col. Max Bauer awarded on -- 19 Dec. 1916. He was awarded Oakleaves on 28 March 1918.
Col. General Prince Rupprecht of Bayern awarded on -- 22 Aug. 1915. He was awarded Oakleaves on 20 Dec. 1916.
Gen. Major Prince Franz of Bayern awarded on -- 16 May 1918
Field Marshall Prince Leopold of Bayern awarded on -- 9 Aug. 1915. He was awarded Oakleaves on 25 July 1917.
Maj. Friederich Becker awarded on -- 17 Sept. 1918
Maj. Kurt von Beerfelde awarded on -- 21 April 1918
Lt Col. Franz von Behr awarded on -- 8 Oct. 1918
Capt. Stanislaus Behrendt awarded on -- 4 Oct. 1918
Gen. Eduard von Below awarded on -- 18 Aug 1917
Gen. Maj. Ernst von Below awarded on -- 24 Nov. 1917. He was awarded Oakleaves on 13 Oct. 1918.
Gen. Fritz von Below awarded on -- 16 Feb. 1915. He was awarded Oakleaves on 11 Aug. 1916.
Gen. Maj. Hans von Below awarded on -- 24 Nov. 1917
Gen Otto von Below awarded on -- 16 Feb. 1915. He was awarded Oakleaves on 27 April 1917.
Gen. Maj. Berger awarded on -- 17 April 1918
Gen. Richard von Berendt awarded on -- 14 Jan. 1917. He was awarded Oakleaves on 24 Nov. 1917.
Gen. Maj. Walter von Bergmann awarded on -- 8 May 1918
Capt. Waldemar Berka awarded on -- 23 June 1918
Gen. Cav. Friedrich von Bernhardi awarded on -- 20 Aug. 1916. He was awarded Oakleaves on 15 May 1918.
Capt. Felix von Bernuth awarded on -- 9 Oct. 1918
Gen. Lt. Albert von Berrer awarded on -- 27 Aug. 1917
Gen. Inf. Hans Hartwig von Beseler awarded on -- 10 Oct. 1914. He was awarded Oakleaves on 20 Aug. 1915.
Maj. Hans Beseler awarded on -- 28 Nov. 1917
Maj. Ernst von Bila awarded on -- 28 March 1918
Maj. Josef Bischoff awarded on -- 30 June 1918
Maj. Werner von Blomberg awarded on -- 3 June 1918
Maj. Fedor von Bock awarded on -- 1 April 1918
Maj. Franz-Karl von Bock awarded on -- 13 Oct. 1918
Gen. Lt. Alfred von Böckmann awarded on -- 8 Oct. 1916. He was awarded Oakleaves on 1 June 1917.
Lt. Col. Erich Böhme awarded on -- 7 May 1918
Gen. Inf. Max von Boehn awarded on -- 24 Aug. 1916. he was awarded Oakleaves on 20 May 1917.
Lt. Col. Friedrich von Bogendörfer awarded on -- 31 July 1918
Maj. Helmuth Bohm awarded on -- 5 May 1918
Gen. Lt. Kurt von dem Borne awarded on -- 9 April 1918. He was awarded Oakleaves on 7 Nov. 1918.
Gen. Lt. Karl von Borries awarded on -- 13 June 1918
Gen. Lt. Rudolf von Borries awarded on -- 4 Aug. 1917
Capt. Kune-Hans von Both awarded on -- 10 April 1918
Gen. Col. Felix von Bothmer awarded on -- 7 July 1915. He was awarded Oakleaves on 25 July 1917.
Lt. Col. Hermann von Brandenstein awarded on -- 27 Aug. 1917
Capt. Kurt von Brandenstein awarded on -- 26 Sept. 1918
Col. Otto Freiherr von Brandenstein awarded on -- 15 May 1918
Maj. Cordt Freiherr von Brandis awarded on -- 21 April 1918
Oberlt. Cordt von Brandis awarded on -- 14 March 1916
Maj. Tido von Brederlow awarded on -- 9 Oct. 1918
Gen. Lt. Anatol Graf von Bredow awarded on -- 23 July 1915
Gen. Maj. Ludwig Bressler awarded on -- 9 Oct. 1918
Gen. Lt. Carl Briese awarded on -- 30 Aug. 1918
Maj. Friedrich Brinckmann awarded on -- 6 March 1918
Oberlt. Heinrich Brinkord awarded on -- 21 Oct. 1918
Capt. Ferdinand Brisken awarded on -- 23 April 1918
Col. Schellendorf Bernhard von Bronsart awarded on -- 16 Sept 1916
Maj. Schellendorf Hans von Bronsart awarded on -- 25 Oct. 1918
Maj. Schellendorf Walter Siegfried von Bronsart awarded on -- 2 June 1918
Lt. Col. Georg Bruckmüller awarded on -- 1 May 1917. He was awarded Oakleaves on 26 March 1918.
Maj. Erich Brückner awarded on -- 4 Sept 1918
Maj. Friedrich Bruns awarded on -- 6 Nov 1918
Gen. Col. Karl von Bülow awarded on -- 4 April 1915
Maj. Heinrich Bünau awarded on -- 17 Sept. 1918
Lt. Col. Robert Bürkner awarded on -- 16 May 1918
Gen. Lt. Hermann Ritter von Burkhardt awarded on -- 12 May 1917
Capt. Ernst Busch awarded on -- 4 Oct 1918
Maj. Georg Freiherr von dem Bussche-Haddenhausen awarded on -- 18 Sept. 1918
Gen. Maj. Johannes von Busse awarded on -- 22 April 1918

C

Maj. Caracciola-Delbrück awarded on -- 25 Aug. 1918
Gen. Adolph von Carlowitz awarded on -- 29 July 1917. He was awarded Oakleaves on 25 May 1918.
Capt. Walter Caspari awarded on -- 21 April 1918
Gen. Lt. Martin Charles de Beaulieu awarded on -- 5 Sept. 1917
Gen. Maj. Siegfried von La Chevallerie awarded on -- 20 Jan. 1918. He was awarded Oakleaves on 11 Oct. 1918.
Gen. Inf. Eberhard von Claer awarded on -- 29 June 1915
Maj. Max Clausius awarded on -- 15 Oct. 1918
Maj. Erwin von Collani awarded on -- 7 May 1918
Maj. Oskar Commichau awarded on -- 21 April 1918
Gen. Lt. Richard von Conta awarded on -- 15 Oct. 1916. He was awarded Oakleaves on 26 March 1918.
Lt. Col. Elimar von Cranach awarded on -- 22 April 1918

D

Gen. Maj. Rudolf Dänner awarded on -- 26 Oct. 1918
Gen. Lt. Victor Dallmer awarded on -- 26 April 1918. He was awarded Oakleaves on 8 June 1918.
Maj. Gustav Dammann awarded on -- 6 Nov. 1918
Gen. Maj, Johannes von Dassel awarded on -- 25 Oct 1918
Gen. Inf. Bertold von Deimling awarded on -- 28 Aug. 1916
Maj. Walter von Delius awarded on -- 20 Jan. 1918
Lt. Friedrich Wilhelm Dernen awarded on -- 29 Aug. 1918
Maj. Arnold von Detten awrded on -- 27 Aug 1918
Maj. Kurt von Dewiss awarded on -- 22 April 1918
Gen. Lt. Karl Diessenbach awarded on -- 26 April 1917
Gen. Maj. Otto Freiherr von Diepenbroick-Grüter awarded on -- 13 June 1918
Maj. Wilhelm von Ditsurth awarded on -- 21 April 1918
Gen. Maj. Wilhelm von Dommes awarded on --18 June 1918
Lt. Col. Georg Dorndorf awarded on -- 1 April 1918
Lt. Col. Hermann Drechsel awarded on -- 3 April 1918
Gen. Maj. Hermann von Dresler und Scharsenstein awarded on 8 Nov. 1917
Maj. Hans von Drigalski awarded on -- 28 March 1918
Lt. Col. Wilhelm von Dücker awarded on -- 29 Aug. 1918

E

Gen. Inf. Johannes von Eben awarded on 7 Oct. 1916. He was awarded Oakleaves on 8 June 1918.
Gen Inf. Magnus von Eberhardt awarded on 20 May 1917. He was awarded Oakleaves on 22 Sept. 1917.
Lt. Col. Gottfried Edelbüttel awarded on 12 Oct. 1917
Lt. Col. Franz Freiherr von Edelsheim awarded on -- 4 Oct. 1918
Lt. Col. Ralph von Egidy awarded on -- 31 Oct. 1918
Gen. Inf. Oskar von Ehrenthal awarded on -- 15 June 1917
Gen. Col. Hermann von Eichhorn awarded on -- 18 Aug 1915. He was awarded Oakleaves on 28 Sept. 1915.
Gen. Col. Karl von Einem awarded on -- 16 March 1915. He was awarded Oakleaves on 17 Oct. 1916.
Gen. Inf. Karl Ludwig d'Elsa awarded on 1 Sept. 1916
Gen. Lt. Hugo Eistermann von Elster awarded on 22 Sept. 1917
Gen. Otto von Emmich awarded on -- 7 Aug. 1914. He was awarded Oakleaves on 14 May 1915.
Gen. Lt. Siegfried Freiherr von Ende awarded on -- 31 Oct. 1917
Gen. Lt. Nikolaus Ritter von Endres awarded on 17 April 1918. He was awarded Oakleaves on 4 Aug. 1918.
Gen. Lt. George von Engelbrechten awarded on -- 8 July 1918
Col. Franz Ritter von Epp awarded on -- 29 May 1918
Gen Maj. Hans von der Esch awarded on -- 13 Oct. 1918
Lt. Col. Friedrich Freiherr von Esebeck awarded on -- 3 April 1918
Gen. Lt. Ludwig von Estorff awarded on -- 6 Sept 1917
Gen. Lt. Günter von Etzel awarded on -- 4 Aug. 1917. He was awarded Oakleaves on 26 Oct. 1918.
Maj. Siegfried Graf zu Eulenburg awarded on -- 27 Aug. 1917. He was awarded Oakleaves on 4 Sept. 1918.

F

Gen. Inf. Max von Fabeck awarded on -- 23 Aug. 1915
Gen. Col. Ludwig Freiherr von Falkenhausen awarded on -- 23 Aug. 1915. He was awarded Oakleaves on 15 April 1916.
Maj. Alexander von Falkenhausen awarded on -- 7 May 1918
Gen. Inf. Erich von Falkenhayn awarded on -- 16 Feb. 1915. He was awarded Oakleaves on 3 June 1915.
Gen. Cav. Eugen von Falkenhayn awarded on -- 28 Aug. 1915. He
Gen. Inf. Karl von Fasbender awarded on -- 13 Sept. 1916
Lt. Col. Wilhelm Faupel awarded on -- 8 June 1918. He was awarded Oakleaves on 4 Aug. 1918.
Gen. Maj. Bernhard Graf Finck von Finckenstein awarded on -- 9 April 1918
Lt. Col. Kurt Fischer awarded on -- 4 Nov. 1917
Col. Udo von Fischer awarded on -- 30 June 1918
Gen. Lt. Paul Fleck awarded on -- 16 March 1915
Lt. Col. Ernst Freiherr von Forstner awarded on -- 31 Oct. 1917. He was awarded Oakleaves on 17 June 1918.
Lt. Col. Frahnert awarded on -- 4 Nov. 1917
Gen. Inf. Hermann von Francois awarded on -- 14 May 1915. He was awarded Oakleaves on 27 July 1917.
Gen. Art. Adolf Franke awarded on -- 18 Oct. 1918
Maj. Hans von Frankenberg u. Ludwigsdorf awarded on -- 5 July 1918
Maj. Rudolf Frantz awarded on --25 July 1917
Gen. Lt. Erich Freyer awarded on -- 17 April 1918
Capt. Karl von Freyhold awarded on -- 14 June 1918
Gen. Lt. Friedrich von Friedeburg awarded on -- 20 Sept. 1918
Maj. Karl Friderici awarded on -- 30 June 1918
Gen. Lt. Albert Hermann von Fritsch awarded on -- 3 Sept. 1918
Maj. Lothar Fritsch awarded on -- 6 May 1918
Col. Georg Frotscher awarded on -- 5 May 1918
Gen. Lt. Georg Fuchs awarded on -- 18 Aug. 1917

G

Gen. Maj. Arthur von Gabain awarded on -- 8 Nov. 1917. He was awarded Oakleaves on 17 April 1918.
Capt. Gabcke awarded on -- 1 Sept. 1918
Gen. Inf. Hans Gaede awarded on -- 25 Aug. 1915
Maj. Erich Gaertner awarded on -- 8 Nov 1918
Gen. Art. Max von Gallwitz awarded on -- 24 July 1915. He was awarded Oakleaves on 28 Sept. 1915.
Gen. Lt. Otto von Garnier awarded on -- 17 Oct. 1916
Gen. Inf. George von Gayl awarded on -- 8 May 1918
Capt. Wilhelm von Gazen gen. Gaza awarded on -- 24 Nov 1917
Gen. Cav. Ludwig Freiherr von Gebsattel awarded on -- 4 Oct. 1916
Maj. Ullrich von Germar awarded on -- 22 April 1918
Gen. Inf. Friedrich von Gerok awarded on -- 7 July 1915
Oberlt. Daniel Gerth awarded on -- 1 Oct. 1918
Lt. Col. Wilhelm Graf von Gluszewski-Kwilicki awarded on -- 24 Nov. 1917
Lt. Col. Wilhelm von Goerne awarded on -- 20 May 1917. He was awarded Oakleaves on 26 Aug. 1918.
Capt. Martin Goesch awarded on -- 21 April 1918
Maj. Georg von Götz awarded on -- 17 Oct. 1918
Lt. Col. August von Götzen awarded on -- 11 Sept. 1916
Gen. Maj. Rüdiger Graf von der Goltz awarded on -- 15 May 1918
Gen. Lt. Friedrich von Gontard awarded on -- 9 April 1918. He was awarded Oakleaves on 4 Aug. 1918.
Gen. Inf. Konrad von Gossler awarded on -- 10 Aug. 1916
Capt. Wolff von Graeffendorff awarded on -- 24 Nov. 1917
Capt. Wilhelm Edler von Graeve awarded on -- 8 Nov. 1918
Maj. Kurt von Greiff awarded on -- 9 June 1918
Gen. Maj. Wilhelm von Groddeck awarded on -- 9 April 1918
Gen. Maj. Wilhelm Groener awarded on -- 11 Sept. 1915
Gen. Art. Hans von Gronau awarded on -- 4 Oct. 1916. He was awarded Oakleaves on 6 Aug. 1918.
Capt. Theodor Groeppe awarded on -- 6 Nov. 1918
Lt. Col. Hans von Gothe awarded on -- 2 Nov. 1918
Gen. Lt. Paul Grünert awarded on -- 3 May 1918
Maj. Ernst Gruson awarded on -- 6 July 1918
Maj. Erich Gudowius awarded on -- 4 Aug. 1918
Gen. Inf. Erich von Gründell awarded on -- 28 Aug. 1916
Gen. Inf. Hans von Guretzky-Cornitz awarded on -- 9 March 1916