| Resistance Medal | |
|---|---|
 The Resistance medal with rosette (obverse). The red stripes in this sample have faded to a lighter color due to the passage of time. | |
| Type | Decoration |
| Awarded for | Remarkable acts of courage that contributed to the resistance of the French people against the enemy |
| Presented by |  France |
| Status | No longer awarded |
| Established | 9 February 1943 |
| Last awarded | 31 March 1947 |
| Total awarded posthumously | 24,463[1] |
| Total recipients | 62,000[1] |
  Ribbons of the Resistance medal with and without rosette | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Medal for the War Wounded[2] |
| Next (lower) | Ordre des Palmes Académiques[2] |
The Resistance Medal (French: Médaille de la Résistance) was a decoration bestowed by the French Committee of National Liberation, based in the United Kingdom, during World War II. It was established by a decree of General Charles de Gaulle on 9 February 1943 "to recognize the remarkable acts of faith and of courage that, in France, in the empire and abroad, have contributed to the resistance of the French people against the enemy and against its accomplices since 18 June 1940".[1]
The Resistance medal was awarded to approximately 38,288 living persons and 24,463 posthumously. These awards were both for membership in the Free French forces and for participation in the metropolitan clandestine Resistance during the German occupation of France in World War II. Higher deeds were rewarded with the Ordre de la Libération. Proposals for the medal ceased to be accepted on 31 March 1947. For acts that occurred in Indochina, however, that date was moved back to 31 December 1947.[3]
The medal was also awarded to 18 communities and territories, 21 military units, and to 15 other organizations including convents, high schools, and hospitals that particularly distinguished themselves.[1]
- ^ a b c d "History: Médaille de la Résistance". Chancellerie de l'Ordre de la Libération. 28 October 2006. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
- ^ a b "The national system". Grand Chancery of the Legion of Honor. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
- ^ "France Phaléristique web site" (in French). Marc Champenois. 2004-01-01. Retrieved 2013-10-31.