Military Order of Maria Theresa

The Military Order of Maria Theresa (German: Militär-Maria-Theresien-Orden; Hungarian: Katonai Mária Terézia-rend; Czech: Vojenský řád Marie Terezie; Polish: Wojskowy Order Marii Teresy; Slovene: Vojaški red Marije Terezije; Croatian: Vojni Red Marije Terezije) was the highest military honour of the Habsburg monarchy, Austrian Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Prospective recipients were considered only in regard to their military service records; their ethnicity, birth and rank (as long as they were commissioned officers) were irrelevant.

Knight's Cross recipients were automatically ennobled with the title of Ritter in the Austrian nobility for life, and admitted to court.

Widows of the order's recipients were entitled to half of their spouse's pension during the remainder of their lives.

During World War II, only one person received the Knight's Cross of the Order of Maria Theresa: Major General Kornél Oszlányi, commanding officer of the Royal Hungarian Army's 9th Light Infantry Division, for the battles at the river Don near Voronezh.

Grand Cross breast star with diamonds
Knight's Cross ( obverse )
Reverse
Joseph II wearing the ribbon of the order (portrait by Anton von Maron , 1775)
Franz Josef I wearing the Grand Cross sash and star
Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa in the arms of the Earls Cadogan , commemorating the services of the 3rd Earl