History

The Medal for the Defenders of the Republic (La Cruz y Medalla de los Defenseros de la República) was authorized in Mexico after the end of the American-Mexican War (1836-1848), to reward Mexican military personnel who defended the country against foreign invaders during the Texas Rebellion.

The Medal was awarded again in recognition of the defense of the country against French Intervention between 1862 and 1867, and the Pastry War.

Then, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the Medal was replaced by the Cross for the Defenders of the Republic, and it was awarded to Mexican military personnel for the second US invasion (1910-1919) during the Mexican Revolution.

The Medal and Cross for the Defenders of the Republic are classified into types depending on the engagement for which the Medal and Cross were awarded. Type I includes the Medal awarded for the first US invasion; Type II includes the Medal awarded for the French Intervention War; and Type III consists of the Cross awarded for the second US intervention.

The Medal in Type I is almost identical as the Medal in Type II.

In Type II, the Medal consisted of two grades; Silver Medal and Bronze Medal. It is not clear if the composition of the Medal denotes the rank of the recipient.