Order of Freedom (Yugoslavia)

Order of Freedom
Award of  Yugoslavia and  Serbia and Montenegro
Type	Military decoration with one degree
Ribbon
Eligibility	Military commanders
Awarded for	Skillful leadership and outstanding courage[1]
Established	12 June 1945[1]
Precedence
Next (higher)	Yugoslav Great Star
Next (lower)	Order of the People's Hero[2]

Order of Freedom (Serbo-Croatian: 'Orden slobode', Slovene: Red svobode Macedonian: Орден на слободата) was the highest military decoration awarded in Yugoslavia,^[2][3] and the second highest Yugoslav state decoration after the Yugoslav Great Star. It was awarded to the commanders of large military units for skillful leadership and for the outstanding courage of the troops.^[1] It was awarded to both Yugoslavian and foreign military commanders, and was the most rarely awarded of all Yugoslavian orders, decorations, and medals, being awarded only 7 times before the breakup of Yugoslavia.

After the dissolution of SFR Yugoslavia, the Order of Freedom was awarded in Serbia and Montenegro.

History

The Order of Freedom was founded on 12 June 1945 and was awarded by the Presidium of the AVNOJ (later Presidium of the People's Assembly of Yugoslavia). The recipient could be nominated by the Federal Executive Council (Government) of Yugoslavia, Executive Council of one of the Republics, Federal Secretary for Foreign Affairs or Federal Secretary for Defense.

After the dissolution of SFR Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (and later Serbia and Montenegro) continued to use some of the decorations of former Yugoslavia, among them the Order of Freedom.^[3] It was awarded by the President of FR Yugoslavia (later President of Serbia and Montenegro). It was the highest military decoration in FR Yugoslavia, and the third highest state decoration overall, after the Order of Yugoslavia and the Yugoslav Great Star.^[4]

Recipients

The Order was awarded a total of 9 times — 7 times in SFR Yugoslavia^[1] and 2 times in FR Yugoslavia (after the 1999 Kosovo War). The recipients were:

SFR Yugoslavia

• Josip Broz Tito — awarded in 1947^[5]
• Ivan Gošnjak — awarded in 1951
• Koča Popović — awarded in 1951
• Georgy Zhukov — awarded in 1956
• Peko Dapčević — awarded in 1973
• Kosta Nađ — awarded in 1973
• Leonid Brezhnev — awarded in 1976^[6]

FR Yugoslavia

On 16 June 1999 the Order of Freedom was awarded to:

• Dragoljub Ojdanić
• Nebojša Pavković

See also

• Orders, decorations, and medals of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
• Orders and medals of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

References

Orders, decorations and medals of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Orders	Order of the Yugoslav Star Order of Freedom Order of the People's Hero Order of the Hero of Socialist Labour Order of the People's Liberation Order of the War Banner Order of the Yugoslav Flag Order of the Partisan Star Order of the Republic Order of Merits for the People Order of Brotherhood and Unity Order of the People's Army Order of Labour Order of Military Merits Order of Bravery
Medals	Medal for Bravery Medal for Merits for the People Medal of Labour Medal for Military Merits Medal for Military Virtues Medal for Merits
Commemorative medals	Partisan Memorial "Death to fascism, freedom to the people" Medal "10 Years of Yugoslav Army" Medal "20 Years of Yugoslav Army" Medal "30 Years of Yugoslav Army" Medal "30 Years of Victory over Fascism" Medal "40 Years of Yugoslav People's Army" Medal "50 Years of Yugoslav Army" Medal Distinguished Marksman Medal Medal for the participants of President Tito's Visit to India and Burma of 1954-1955 Medals of the Association of Yugoslav Fighters in the International Brigades in Spain

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