View source for Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures

{{Infobox military award
|name={{Lang|fr|Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieurs|italic=no}}
|image=AVERS Croix de Guerre TOE France 2 citations.jpg
|image_size=150px
|caption=War Cross for foreign operational theatres (obverse)
|presenter=[[Image:Flag of France.svg|18px]] [[France]]
|type= Medal
|eligibility=
|awarded_for= Citations for courage during foreign operations
|status= Active|description=
|clasps=
|established= 30 April 1921
|firstawarded=
|lastawarded=
|total_awarded=
|total_awarded_posthumously=
|total_recipients=
|individual=
|higher=[[Croix de guerre 1939-1945 (France)|Croix de guerre 1939-1945]]
|same=
|lower=[[Cross for Military Valour]]
|image2=[[File:Croix de Guerre des Theatres d'Operations Exterieurs ribbon.svg|100px]]
|caption2=Ribbon bar of the French {{Lang|fr|croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieurs|italic=no}}
}}
[[File:Croix de guerre TOE France 2 citations REVERS.jpg|150px|thumb|Reverse of the War Cross for foreign operational theatres]]
[[File:Poy-web (cropped).jpg|150px|thumb|General [[Mariano Goybet]], a recipient of the Croix de Guerre TOE]][[File:1936 Paul Azan.jpg|150px|thumb|General [[Paul Azan]], a recipient of the Croix de Guerre TOE]]<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Alphonse Pierre Juin.jpg|150px|thumb|General [[Alphonse Juin]], a recipient of the Croix de Guerre TOE]] -->
{{multiple image
| header    =Croix de Guerre TOE in Spanish regimental heraldry ([[Rif War]] operations)
| width1     = 174
| image1    = Coat of Arms of the 1st Spanish Legion Tercio Great Captain.svg
| caption1  = Coat of Arms of the [[1st Legion Tercio "Great Captain Gonzalo Fernandez de Coroba"|1st Tercio, Spanish Legion]]
| width2     = 135
| image2    = Coat of Arms of the 2nd Spanish Legion Tercio Duke of Alba.svg
| caption2  = Coat of Arms of the [[2nd Legion Tercio "Duke of Alba"|2nd Tercio, Spanish Legion]]
| width3     = 173
| image3    =Coat of Arms of the 3rd Spanish Legion Tercio Don Juan de Austria.svg
| caption3   =  Coat of Arms of the [[3rd Legion Tercio "Don Juan de Austria"|3rd Tercio, Spanish Legion]]
}}
The '''{{Lang|fr|Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieurs}}''' ({{IPA|fr|kʁwa də ɡɛʁ de teatʁ dɔpeʁasjɔ̃ ɛksteʁjœʁ}}, ''War Cross for foreign operational theatres''), also called the {{Lang|fr|Croix de Guerre TOE}} for short, is a French military award denoting citations earned in combat in foreign countries.  The [[Armistice of November 11, 1918]] ended the war between France and Germany, but French soldiers continued fighting in theatres outside metropolitan France.  Combat operations continued in Syria, Palestine, Constantinople, Morocco, [[French West Africa]] and [[French Equatorial Africa]].<ref name="bookref">{{cite book| last1 = Battini | first1 = Jean | first2 = Witold | last2 = Zaniewicki | title = Guide pratique des décorations françaises actuelles | location = Paris | publisher = LAVAUZELLE | year= 2003 | pages = 67–69 | isbn = 2-7025-1030-2 }}</ref>
==History==
A law was passed on April 30, 1921 establishing the new Croix de guerre for "Théâtres d'opérations extérieurs" (TOE).  It was intended to commemorate the individual citations awarded during operations carried out since November 11, 1918 or that would occur in the future, for war service directly related to an expeditionary force used outside of the borders of France, otherwise, the statute of the Croix de guerre TOE was the same as that of the 1914 - 1918 Croix de guerre.<ref name="bookref"/>
Following the combat operations of the immediate post World War 1 Era, the Croix de Guerre TOE was again awarded for actions in Indochina, Madagascar, Korea, and during the [[Suez Crisis]].<ref name="bookref"/>
After a hiatus of thirty-five years, it was again awarded for actions between January 17, 1991 and May 5, 1992 during the Gulf War (Order of Minister of Defence of 17 January 1991).  It was also extended to military operations conducted in Kosovo in 1999.<ref name="bookref"/>
==Statute==
The award criteria for the Croix de Guerre TOE are substantially the same as those governing the Croix de Guerre 1914-1918, the citations for the entire armed forces are made by the Minister of Defense unless this authority has been specially delegated to the commanding general of the expeditionary forces.<ref name="bookref"/>
The Croix de Guerre TOE is awarded to military personnel and civilians who have received an individual citation during war/combat operations on foreign soil.  More precisely, it was awarded for citations earned in the following operational foreign theatres:
* The Levant in 1918 and 1919, in the East from 1918 to 1920 in Morocco in 1918;
* French Equatorial Africa (AEF) in 1919;
* French West Africa (FWA) from 1918 to 1921;
* Morocco ([[Rif War]]) of 1921-1926;
* Indochina in 1918-1922 and 1945–1954;
* for military missions in the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Upper Silesia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Russia, the Caucasus, Siberia, Hungary and Romania;
* Madagascar in 1947;
* Korea from 1950 to 1953;
* The Middle East (Egypt from 30 October 1956 to 31 December 1956 and the Gulf War of 17 January 1991 to 5 May 1992);
* Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Kosovo from 24 March 1999 to 21 June 1999).<ref name="bookref"/>
For naval citations, their levels differ from the army as follows:
* army level = made by a vice-admiral commander in chief of a naval force or fleet;
* corps level = made by a vice-admiral commanding a naval squadron;
* divisional level = made by a rear-admiral commanding an independent naval division;
* brigade level = made by a rear-admiral or captain commanding a naval division;
* regimental level = made by the senior officer commanding a vessel or a naval force other than those mentioned above.<ref name="bookref"/>
==Description==
===Cross===
The ''Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures'' is a bronze 37&nbsp;mm wide [[cross pattée]], between the arms, two crossed swords pointing upward.  It was designed by the sculptor [[Albert Bartholome]].  On the obverse in a circular medallion, the effigy of the Republic ([[Marianne]]) wearing a cap decorated with a laurel wreath, surrounded by a ring bearing the legend: "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE".  On the reverse, in the circular medallion the inscription: "THÉÂTRES D'OPÉRATIONS EXTÉRIEURS".<ref name="bookref"/>
The cross is suspended by a ring through the suspension loop to a 38&nbsp;mm wide grey silk [[moiré]] ribbon with 10&nbsp;mm wide red edge stripes.  The Croix de guerre TOE is worn on the left side of the chest and when in the presence of other medals of France, is located immediately after the Croix de guerre 1939 - 1945.<ref name="bookref"/>
===Ribbon devices===
[[Mention in Dispatches#France|Citations]] (same as the Croix de guerre 1914-1918):
* {{MilAward Ribbon|FRCdGTOEBS|size=x25px}} A '''bronze star (''etoile en bronze'')''' for [[regiment]]al or [[brigade]] level citations.
* {{MilAward Ribbon|FRCdGTOESS|size=x25px}} A '''silver star (''etoile en argent'')''' for [[Division (military)|divisional]] level citations.
* {{MilAward Ribbon|FRCdGTOESGS|size=x25px}} A '''silver-gilt star (''etoile en vermeil'')''' for [[army corps|corps]] level citations.
* {{MilAward Ribbon|FRCdGTOEBP|size=x25px}} A '''bronze palm (''palme en bronze'')''' for [[Field army|army]] level citations.
* {{MilAward Ribbon|FRCdGTOESP|size=x25px}} A '''silver palm (''palme en argent'')''' represents five bronze ones.<ref name="bookref"/>
==Notable recipients (partial list)==
*[[Maxime Weygand|General Maxime Weygand]]
*[[Geneviève de Galard|Military nurse Geneviève de Galard]]
*[[Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque|General Philippe François Marie, comte de Hauteclocque]]
*[[Jacques Massu|General Jacques Émile Massu]]
*[[Hélie de Saint Marc|Major Hélie Denoix de Saint Marc]]
*[[Manley Laurence Power|Admiral Sir Manley Laurence Power]] (UK)
*[[Jacques Pâris de Bollardière|General Jacques Pâris de Bollardière]]
*[[Jean Sassi|Colonel Jean Sassi]]
*[[Mariano Goybet|General Mariano Francisco Julio Goybet]]
*[[Edgard de Larminat|General Edgard de Larminat]]
*[[Jean Raoux (soldier)|Brigadier General Jean Raoux]]
*[[Paul Azan|General Paul-Jean-Louis Azan]]
*[[Marcel Bigeard|General Marcel "Bruno" Bigeard]]
*[[Alphonse Juin|General Alphonse Pierre Juin]]
*[[Dimitri Amilakhvari|Lieutenant Colonel Prince Dimitri Zedguinidze-Amilakhvari]]
*[[Pierre Langlais|Brigadier General Pierre Charles Albert Marie Langlais]]
*[[Georges Thierry d'Argenlieu|Admiral Georges Thierry d'Argenlieu]]
*[[Pierre Jeanpierre|Lieutenant Colonel Pierre Paul Jeanpierre]]
*[[Bernard de Lattre de Tassigny|Lieutenant Bernard de Lattre de Tassigny]]
*[[Rémy Raffalli|Major Barthélémy "Rémy" Raffali]]
*[[Phạm Văn Phú|General Phạm Văn Phú]]
*Colonel [[Peter J. Ortiz]], USMCR
==See also==
*[[Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France)]]
*[[Croix de guerre 1939–1945 (France)]]
*[[Croix de guerre (Belgium)]]
{{Portal|France}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.france-phaleristique.com/  France Phaléristique] (in French)
{{French medals}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Croix De Guerre Des Theatres D'operations Exterieures}}
[[Category:Military awards and decorations of France]]
[[Category:Courage awards]]
[[Category:Awards established in 1921]]
[[Category:French campaign medals]]
[[Category:1921 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Aftermath of World War I in France]]
[[Category:Military awards and decorations of the Gulf War]]