The History Of Suspension?

[medals73]

Thanks, "CtahhR".

[CtahhR]

I was thinking of splitting the thread and I don't need too much of a push to make it so....

Also on the topic of suspensions Bulgaria originally based its award system on the Russian system after being liberated by them but after Knjaz Alexander being overthrown and the German Ferdinand replacing him the suspensions of their awards became Austrian in design until in 1950 they gave their system a complete overhaul and basically echoed the Soviet system. Now the post 1991 Bulgarian awards have in part returned to their Austrian styles in a show of not being Soviet and some of the awards now have more of a "NATO" feel mind you Bulgaria now is in NATO.

Suspension devices on awards are overtly political in nature and "each to their own". It would be nice to learn when the first imperial Russian 5 sided brass kolodkas were mass produced.

The earlier Soviet Orders "Red Banner" had the "Rosette" type ribbon accentuating them which to me would very much emulate French Revolution/Napoleonic awards see on so many French revolutionaries breasts and not so familiar in monarchical award systems.

[charlet]

Originally Posted by CtahhR

This is the traditional Danish style of suspension as seen by this 1844 designed award.

If a more historically and culturally appropriately accurate award is suspended around the neck on a fine piece of string so be it. We must remember that Viet Nam has been heavily corrupted by the French Empire as well as the Soviet Empire which is why for some reason they now use the Latin alphabet rather than a locally devised script such as the Kingdoms of Thailand and Cambodia.

would you be at ease to discuss with me about the "heavy corruption" of the entire world by american culture during the past century?

[Lapa]

Originally Posted by CtahhR

I don't know about period pictures of Danes but here are two period pictures of Russians not wearing the Danish style ribbon in 1777 and 1854.

Kutuzov in 1777 and Tihotskij in 1854.

The imperial Russian award system has certainly got more interest and write ups than the Danish system. Not that the Danish award system isn't also very intriguing too.

CtahhR,

You are right regarding this painting of Kutuzov, but you are wrong when it comes to Tikhotskiy: the suspensions are clearly the 5-sided imperial model. It differs from the Soviet model to which we are so accustomed in that the top side is much wider.

Marc

[charlet]

Originally Posted by medals73

Sure, Denmark has been and is sooooo influential.

Ed, maybe I'm wrong, but Denmark have been a major power in the Baltics region during the modern era, before the swedish then russian rising

[medals73]

Well, to start to summarise and suggest:

Tsarist Russia:

-- Didn't always use the pentagonal suspension (loose clustered ribbons, closer to comtemporary German states than anything else until ????).

-- Use of the pentagonal suspension from ???? until the revolution (well, afterwards for the "White" pretenders).

USSR:

-- Rejection of all that Tsarist trash led to no suspensions and even a reluctant use of wearable (as opposed to useful) awards.

-- The re-Tsarification of the Soviet Union in 1943 led to, among other things, the reintroduction of the pentagonal suspension.

Russia:

-- The self-destruction of the USSR in 1991 did not interrupt the use of the pentagonal suspension in Russia and in most of the Soviet successor states (I am sure someone who care more about them than I do will expand upon this).

[charlet]

to add one piece to the debate, I checked my good old Hieronymussen's book, and they're onbly two countries in western europe to bear pentagonal suspensions... Denmark and Iceland (logical about this later).

[medals73]

And for the "Soviet Bloc" (whatever the hell that means):

Used Soviet-style suspensions:

Afghanistan
Bulgaria (PR)
China (very briefly)
Kampuchea
Korea (DPRK)
Romania
Vietnam
Yemen

Used close "Soviet-style" suspensions but with very different geometry:

Albania
Cuba
Germany (Democratic Republic) (for some things only)
Yugoslavia (a very mixed record here)

Never used "Soviet-style" suspensions:

Czechoslovakia
Ethiopia
Hungary
Mongolia
Poland

A quick effort, corrections welcomed. I'm using the categories we have in the forum and this leaves many places out in the cold (e.g., Angola, Laos, etc.).

[CtahhR]

I would be at ease to discuss almost anything but of course these subjects do go far beyond the purpose of the forum. Firstly though to speak of "American" corruption first "American" must be defined... It is the current people of two continents? Is it the Cree and Cherokee and 500+ other tribes' influences? or Is it the corrupted Anglophonic culture placed through manifest destiny over the North American continent that is a complete product of British but primarily English colonial expansionism brought on through a culture of invasion, subjugation and expansion which was in turn inherited from migrations of warriors from Mainland Europe and Scandinavia over thousands of years. The debate can get just as philosophical and political as historically factual but at the end of the day the entire earths inhabitants are influenced by many natural and man made factors.

When it comes to the American award system which basically only truly got into swing just over 100 years ago due to rejecting "imperial ways" for a rather prolonged period after revolution, it definitely has a rather French influence most overtly displayed in the "Legion Of Merit". As it stands now the number of Federal, State and Ministerial/Departmental awards of the United States very much comes to par with the number of awards in the Russian Federation. The number of federally instituted campaign medals very much surpassed the number of campaign medals instituted by the Russian Empire, Soviet Union and Russian Federation during the same 100+ year period.

The Boxer rebellion was very much a catalyst in the creation of the US award system as it is known today. The US has also exported their system to other nations including the Philippines, Republic of Korea and Republic of Viet Nam to name only three.

[charlet]

Originally Posted by medals73

And for the "Soviet Bloc" (whatever the hell that means):

Used Soviet-style suspensions:

Afghanistan
Bulgaria (PR)
China (very briefly)
Kampuchea
Korea (DPRK)
Romania
Vietnam
Yemen

Used close "Soviet-style" suspensions but with very different geometry:

Albania
Cuba
Germany (Democratic Republic) (for some things only)
Yugoslavia (a very mixed record here)

Never used "Soviet-style" suspensions:

Czechoslovakia
Ethiopia
Hungary (1946-1989)
Mongolia
Poland

A quick effort, corrections welcomed. I'm using the categories we have in the forum and this leaves many places out in the cold (e.g., Angola, Laos, etc.).

nothing to say to this good classification, except about GDR: the major part of their awards had their specific pentagonal suspension, copied by Cuba.