Medal of the Association of the Iron Division Former Members, Freikorps Medal 1919 (in nickel-plated tombac, obverse illustrating the Iron Division's skull and crossed bones insignia with the motto "UND DOCH" (And Yet, Nevertheless) below, reverse illustrating a Baltic Cross shield and dated 1919, to symbolize the struggle of German troops to keep control of Latvia which Russia ceded to Germany in 1917 in the treaty of Brest-Litovsk, measuring 16 mm (w) x 19 mm (h) inclusive of its integral ring, residue evident in the recessed areas from cleaning on the obverse, original ribbon); and Medal of the Soldiers Settlement Association Kurland (in bronze gilt, obverse illustrating a knight riding eastwards and holding a shield in his left hand and a spike in the right, a "D" placed under the front right hoof of the horse, dates inscribed in Roman numerals "MCLXXXIV - MCMXIX" (1184-1919) above, inscribed in Flemish "NAER OOSTLAND WILLEN WY RYDEN" (We Want to Ride to the East", the two inscriptions separated by Teutonic crosses, reverse bears von Manteuffel’s family coat-of-arms superimposed on a cross, with four letters between the arms, clockwise from the upper left "S, S, V, K" (Soldaten-Siedlungs Verband "Kurland"), measuring 15.8 mm (w) x 17.5 mm (h), residue evident in the recessed areas from cleaning on the reverse, original ribbon). Together, near extremely fine.
Footnote: In regards to the Freikorps Iron Division Medal, after Germany lost the war on Nov 11, 1918, the Iron Division in March of 1919 began to fight the Bolshevik forces for control. The Freikorps saved Latvia from capture by the Red Army in the spring of 1919. The British then ordered, and the Weimar Republic obeyed, all German troops had to withdraw from Latvia in June of 1919. The German soldiers viewed this order as a "stab in the back." The Association of the Iron Division Former Members was formed on March 1, 1920. Iron Division former military personnel, non-combatants who assisted that unit in fighting Bolsheviks and those who supported post-war activities of the Association were eligible for the Freikorps Medal. Award documents were issued to those persons, and the medal itself had to be bought by veterans upon presentation of these certificates. The Medal of the Soldiers Settlement Association "Kurland" was instituted by the Soldiers Settlement Association "Kurland" (Soldaten-Siedlungs Verband "Kurland"). This organization was formed in 1920 and consisted of several veterans associations whose members voluntarily fought in the Baltic provinces of the former Russian Empire against Bolsheviks from 1918 till December 1919. An initiative for the institution of this award came from the chairman of the Association, Karl Freiherr von Manteuffel, who promoted his idea to the commander of the West Russian Volunteer Army, Count General Major Pavel Bermon(d)t-Avalov). The design of the medal was created by the famous German Art Nouveau illustrator, decorative artist and art teacher professor Emil Doepler, "der Jüngere", who was also a designer of the Weimar coat-of arms (November 11, 1919) that was adopted by the German President Friedrich Ebert following a decision of the Reich’s government. The medal itself had to be bought by veterans upon presentation of an award document.